Time to go to war.
Chapter 25: Liana
Mama is waiting at the door when we pull up to the estate, her silhouette backlit by the warm light spilling from the entrance.
She rushes down the marble steps before the car even comes to a complete stop, moving faster than I've seen her move in years. Pulls me into her arms the second I'm out, her grip almost crushing.
"Liana. Oh, Liana." She's crying, her whole body shaking. "I thought—we thought—"
"I'm okay, Mama." I hold her tight, breathing in her familiar perfume. "I'm okay."
She pulls back, her hands framing my face as she examines me with a mother's desperate attention to detail. Takes in my face. My bloody wrists. The cut on my cheek. The bruises forming. Her expression crumbles completely.
"Who did this to you?"
"The Benedettis," Papa says from behind us, his voice hard and cold. "But Liana handled it."
Mama looks at him sharply, then back at me with confusion. "Handled it?"
"I'll explain inside," I say, suddenly exhausted beyond measure.
The house is full of people when we enter—family, associates, men who work for Papa. They all stop whatever they're doing when I walk in, conversations dying mid-sentence. Staring. Whispering to each other.
I keep my head high despite everything. Let them stare.
Papa guides me through the crowd to his study, away from the curious eyes. Gia's already there, pacing anxiously. She launches herself at me the second I walk through the door.
"Oh my God. Oh my God." She's hugging me so tight I can barely breathe. "I was so scared. When you didn't come home and then Santino texted asking if you were here—"
"I'm fine," I manage, though we both know it's not entirely true.
"You're not fine. Look at you." She pulls back, taking in my appearance with growing horror. "What happened? Tell me everything."
"The Benedettis grabbed her at the port," Papa explains, closing the study door behind us for privacy. "Held her hostage in an abandoned warehouse. Tried to use her as leverage against the Marcellos."
"And?" Mama asks quietly, sinking into a chair.
"And our daughter disarmed one of her captors, took a hostage of her own, and negotiated her way out of the situation." Papa's voice carries an unmistakable edge of pride. "She didn't need Santino Marcello to save her. She saved herself."
Gia stares at me with wide eyes. "You did what?"
"I didn't have a choice." I sink into a chair, my legs finally giving out. "He wasn't coming. I realized that. So I had to come up with a plan."
"I can't believe he waited so long," Gia says, her voice tight with anger on my behalf. "When he finally texted me asking if you were home, I thought—" She stops, shaking her head violently. "Three hours, Liana. Three hours before he even bothered to check on you."
"He thought I was playing games." I look down at my wrists, at the raw, bleeding skin. "He didn't believe me when I said I was in danger."
"That bastard!" Gia spits with unusual venom. "I woke up Papa the second I got his message. We could have been looking for you hours earlier if he'd just—"
"But he didn't," I cut her off, not wanting to hear more. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"It does matter," Gia argues passionately.
"No." Papa's voice is firm and final. "It doesn't. Because I called it off. The engagement. The alliance. All of it."
Mama sinks deeper into her chair, her hand going to her throat. "Dominic..."
"No." His voice remains firm, brooking no argument. "Elena, don't start. I agreed to this arrangement for one reason and one reason only. To protect Liana. And Santino Marcello failed at the most basic requirement."
