The world seemed to stop. The night air was heavy, filled with the smell of salt water and oil from the ships. The waves lapped against the dock, but even that sound felt far away. Aria's heart pounded so hard she thought her ribs might crack.
Romano's gun pressed against Nico's head, and her son's small body trembled under his grip. Nino clung to his teddy bear, his eyes wide and wet with fear. Every instinct inside her screamed to run forward, to throw herself between her babies and the man who held them, but Luca's iron grip kept her back.
Romano's smirk widened. "One wrong move, De Rossi, and I paint the pier red. Do you want to gamble with your son's life?"
Aria's knees shook. "Please," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Don't hurt him. Please."
Romano looked at her with cruel amusement. "So much begging. So much fear. It almost makes me want to see how far a mother will go to protect her children." His eyes slid to Luca. "But the real game is with you. Your empire, De Rossi. You either give it up, or you watch this boy die."
Luca's face was stone, but Aria could feel the storm inside him. His jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling slowly, his eyes locked on Romano. He didn't move, but she knew him well enough to understand, he was calculating. Looking for an opening.
Vargas stepped forward, his dark suit catching the faint light. He clapped slowly, mocking. "It's poetic, isn't it? For years, you've ruled this city. Fear, money, blood... all yours. And now? Now the great Luciano De Rossi is brought to his knees by two children."
"Shut your mouth," Luca growled, his voice like thunder.
Vargas only smiled. "You should listen to him, Romano. Look at his face. He's desperate. He'll fold. And when he does, his entire empire will belong to us."
Romano tightened his grip on Nico, the boy whimpering softly. "Tick-tock, De Rossi. Decide."
Aria felt her throat closing. She wanted to scream, to throw herself at Romano and claw the gun from his hand. But Luca's stillness terrified her more than Romano's threats. He wasn't giving in, but he wasn't moving either.
She whispered to him, her lips trembling. "Do something. Please."
His eyes flicked to her, just for a second, and in them she saw something cold, something ruthless. It was the part of Luca that belonged to the mafia, the part that could kill without hesitation.
"Romano," Luca said slowly, his voice calm. "If you hurt my son, I won't just kill you. I'll erase your name. Your family. Your men. Every memory of you will be gone. You'll be nothing."
Romano laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. "Big words for a man with nothing to bargain with." He pressed the barrel harder into Nico's temple. The boy whimpered again, his small voice breaking Aria's heart.
"Papa…" Nico whispered.
That one word cracked something inside Luca. His eyes burned like fire. He took a single step forward.
"Don't!" Romano snapped. "Another step and he dies!"
The standoff stretched, each second heavier than the last. Aria's whole body shook, her nails digging into her palms until they bled. She wanted to scream at Luca to stop, to surrender if it meant saving the boys. But she also knew surrender wasn't in his blood.
Vargas tilted his head, watching like a vulture. "Romano, why are you wasting time? Shoot the boy. Force him to kneel."
Aria gasped, "No!"
Romano smirked. "Tempting. Very tempting. But there's something sweeter than blood. Watching a king beg." His eyes locked on Luca. "On your knees, De Rossi. In front of me, in front of her, in front of your sons. Kneel and admit you've lost. Then maybe… maybe I let them live."
Luca's fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white. For a long moment, he didn't move. Then, slowly, he bent one knee.
Aria's heart stopped.
"No," she whispered.
Romano grinned, savoring the sight. "Yes. That's it. The mighty Luciano De Rossi, bowing to me. Say it. Say you've lost."
Luca lowered his head slightly. "You think this means you've won?"
Romano's grin widened. "It means I own you."
But in that instant, Luca moved.
His hand went to his jacket, faster than Aria could see, and a flash of steel glinted in the night. A hidden knife, small but deadly. He threw it with brutal precision.
The blade cut across Romano's arm, making him cry out in pain. The gun clattered to the pier. Nico stumbled forward, free.
"Run!" Luca roared.
Nico bolted toward Aria, tears streaming down his face. Nino followed, clutching his bear. Aria rushed forward, sweeping them both into her arms, sobbing with relief.
But it wasn't over.
Romano howled in fury, clutching his bleeding arm. "Kill them!" he screamed.
Dozens of men burst from the shadows, guns raised. Luca pulled his pistol and opened fire, Enzo and the others joining in. Bullets tore through the night. Sparks flew as they hit metal crates, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.
Aria crouched low, shielding the boys, her body shaking. She could hear Nico crying, Nino sobbing into his bear, but all she could think was keep them safe.
Luca fought like a man possessed, each shot deadly. Bodies fell around him, but more kept coming. Romano, bleeding but alive, ducked behind a crate, his laughter echoing.
"You'll never win, De Rossi! Vargas and I own this city now!"
And then, in the chaos, Vargas moved. He slipped around the side, his eyes locking on Aria and the boys.
Aria froze.
"Luca!" she screamed.
Luca turned just as Vargas lunged, a knife flashing in his hand. Aria tried to move, to shield her sons, but Vargas was too fast. The blade arced downward...
A shot rang out.
Vargas staggered back, blood blooming on his chest. He looked down, shocked, then up at Aria. A small smile curved his lips. "This… isn't over."
He collapsed to the ground.
Aria gasped, clutching her sons tighter. Her whole body shook. She looked up to see Luca, gun still smoking, his eyes locked on her.
But Romano was gone.
The pier was chaos, Romano's men retreating into the shadows, but the man himself had vanished.
Aria's heart pounded as realization sank in. Romano had escaped. And he wouldn't stop.
She held her boys close, tears streaking her face. "We have to end this," she whispered. "We have to end him, Luca. Or he'll never stop coming for them."
Luca's gaze was hard, his voice like stone. "Then that's what we'll do. Romano dies."
But even as he spoke, a single thought chilled Aria's blood. Romano had spared the boys for now. He hadn't killed them, though he'd had the chance. Which meant he wasn't finished.
He wanted more than revenge.
He wanted the De Rossi legacy itself.
And Aria feared that the game had only just begun.