I glanced at Bruno.Disgust was etched all over his face.
“What the fuck,” Bruno muttered under his breath before stepping forward.“Where is he?Where can we find him?”
Luca only chuckled again, shaking his head.“You’re all fucking idiots,” he spat.“You can’t find Nicola anywhere — except his grave.The motherfucker’s dead.Died a few months ago.”
Silence settled.
I didn’t know what to believe — that Ariana’s fiancé was an abuser, or that he was already six feet under.My mind stuttered between the two, unable to keep up.Maybe Salvatore had been right all along; maybe I should’ve kept tabs on her when he’d told me to.
I stepped away, needing space, needing air.My brain couldn’t catch up with the mess of questions clawing through it.I needed confirmation — and the only person who could give me that was Ariana herself.
I turned to leave, already set on confronting her, but Salvatore’s hand clamped around my arm.
“She didn’t say anything to us,” he warned.
“Yeah,” I growled, “which is why I’m about to confront her right now.”
“No!”He yanked me back.“You are not doing such a thing!The povera ragazza can’t even stand still around you.You scare the life out of her.Cut her some slack, Alessandro.”
His words hit deeper than I expected.
He was right.Ever since Ariana had shown up, all I’d done was make her miserable — driven by anger I couldn’t explain and emotions I refused to acknowledge.I forced a breath, unclenched my fists, and pulled my arm free.
My shoulder ached, the cast on my arm throbbing, but it barely mattered now.I just wanted answers — about Nicola, about Ariana, about everything I’d missed.
“Look,” Salvatore said, his tone softening, “Bruno will speak to her.He’s the only one she’s comfortable with.”
He turned and motioned for Bruno to follow, and we headed out of the basement, the air heavy with tension.
We crossed through the main hall, out of the mansion, and into the evening chill.The sky was already dimming; streaks of burnt orange bled into the horizon as we approached the small house — Ariana’s hideout.
That’s when we spotted Mia walking up the path.My brows furrowed.
“Mia, what are you doing here?Where have you been all this time?”I demanded as we came to a stop near the front door.The house was dark — no lights, no movement.A bad sign.
“I’ve been in the mansion,” she answered quickly, not picking up on how tense we were.
Salvatore’s voice snapped like a whip.“If you’ve been in the mansion, then where the fuck is Ariana?”
Mia froze.Her face went pale.
She shook her head, panic flooding her features, and started toward the door — but I was faster.I shoved past her and burst inside.
If she wasn’t in there, my only chance at understanding any of this was gone.
We split up immediately, searching every room.The place wasn’t big — a cottage with maybe three rooms and a kitchen — but it felt empty, hollow.
“Ariana!”Mia’s voice cracked as she called out.“She...she said she wanted to be alone.Oh, God!”
Bruno cursed loudly.“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean you let her!”
He rushed outside to search the grounds.
“Calm down,” I ordered, forcing myself to think.“Everyone just calm the fuck down.”
But even as I said it, my chest felt tight.I could already tell she was gone.The silence said it all.
“She must not have gone far,” I muttered.“There’s acres of land before the main road.It’s been a few hours, maybe less.If we move now, we can still catch her.”
