The storm broke just before midnight.
Lightning split the sky, turning the world into flashes of white and shadow.
Rain battered the villa's walls, drumming like impatient fists as the household slept or pretended to.
Damian didn't sleep.
He stood by the window, his shirt sleeves rolled up, the veins in his forearms taut as he adjusted the safety on his gun.
His mind was a map of possibilities, every route, every threat, every betrayal.
Luca entered quietly, his hair damp, a duffel slung over his shoulder.
"The car's ready. Back road to the coast. From there, a plane to Sicily. No trackers, no records."
Damian nodded once. "And Marco?"
"Gone," Luca replied. "But someone's watching the gates. Whoever paid for your head he's already close."
Damian's jaw tightened. "Then we move now."
From the corner of the room, Isabella stirred. She was dressed in black leggings and an oversized hoodie, her hair braided and damp from the hurried shower Damian had insisted on.
"If they find us by scent, they'll track shampoo first."
Her heart pounded as she looked at him.
He looked different tonight not the ruthless don commanding a room full of killers, but a man haunted by something heavier. Something like fear.
"Damian," she whispered, stepping closer, "what if my father…"
He cut her off, his voice a low growl. "Your father made his choice. Now I make mine."
Before she could argue, he reached out and zipped her jacket up to her throat, his fingers brushing her skin. The contact sent shivers down her spine.
"You stay behind me," he said, eyes dark and unreadable. "If anything happens, Luca takes you. Don't stop, don't look back. Do you understand?"
She swallowed hard, nodding. "Yes."
"Good."
They slipped out through the back entrance, boots silent on the wet stone. The storm howled around them, wind whipping Isabella's hair into her face.
Luca led the way, flashlight barely cutting through the rain. The black SUV waited by the treeline, engine humming low.
But as they neared it, Damian froze.
Something was wrong.
"Luca," he said quietly, eyes narrowing. "The guards on rotation where are they?"
Luca's hand moved to his gun. "They should've been…"
The crack of a rifle cut through the storm.
The shot missed Damian by inches, shattering a stone pillar beside him. Isabella screamed as he pulled her down, shielding her with his body.
"Ambush!" Luca shouted, firing into the trees.
Flashes lit up the darkness. Shadows moved between the branches too many, too fast.
"Get her to the car!" Damian barked.
Luca grabbed Isabella's wrist, dragging her through the mud as bullets sliced the air. She stumbled, her breath ragged, the storm deafening.
Another shot whistled past, grazing Luca's arm he grunted but didn't slow.
Damian covered them, returning fire, every shot precise, lethal. But for every man he dropped, two more appeared.
"Damian!" Luca roared. "We're surrounded!"
Damian's mind raced. The front gates were compromised, the villa compromised. They had one way left of the cliffs.
He fired another round, then grabbed Isabella, yanking her toward the narrow path behind the stables.
"This way!"
"Damian ..where are we going?" she gasped.
"Off the map."
They ran, lightning tearing across the sky, wind slapping against their faces. The path was slick, dangerous, but Damian's grip was unrelenting.
Behind them, gunfire echoed closer.
"Luca!" Damian shouted.
"I'm right behind you!"
They broke through the trees, reaching a small cabin near the cliff's edge. Damian kicked the door open, ushering Isabella inside.
The moment she crossed the threshold, he turned, firing one last shot into the darkness. Then silence.
For a long moment, only their breathing filled the space the sound of hearts pounding against the storm.
Isabella clutched her chest, trembling. "They knew where we'd be…"
Damian shut the door, bolting it with a single, decisive motion. "Which means someone close gave us away."
Luca's expression darkened. "Marco."
"Or Antonio," Damian muttered. "Either way, we move before dawn."
Isabella's voice broke. "How long can we keep running?"
Damian turned to her slowly, his chest heaving, rain dripping from his hair. His eyes softened not much, but enough to make her breath catch.
"Until there's nowhere left to run," he said quietly. "And then… we fight."
Lightning flashed outside, casting his face in gold and shadow.
For a heartbeat, the world felt suspended two souls, bound by chaos and something far more dangerous than love.
Then Damian stepped closer. His voice dropped to a murmur that trembled against her skin.
"You still trust me, Bella?"
Her lips parted. The storm howled, and she whispered..
"Yes."
He smiled faintly. Not victory. Not relief. Something darker.
"Then don't let go."
The storm clawed at the cabin like it wanted to.
Thunder shook the walls, and the wind howled through the cracks in the wood.
Isabella stood near the flickering fireplace Damian had managed to light, her arms wrapped around herself, trying to absorb the heat.
Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her skin. Damian's jacket hung over her shoulders too big, too warm, smelling faintly of gunpowder and him.
He paced the room like a caged animal, the gun still in his hand, his eyes flicking to the window every few seconds.
Luca sat near the door, reloading quietly, his jaw tight.
"Damian…" Isabella's voice was soft, barely rising above the wind. "We can't stay here forever."
"I know." He didn't look at her. "But you wouldn't survive another run tonight. They'll expect it. We wait until first light."
She hesitated, watching the tension in his shoulders the way his muscles coiled every time thunder cracked.
"You think my father did this."
Damian stopped moving. Slowly, he turned toward her.
"I think your father would burn a kingdom if it meant keeping control of it," he said quietly. "Including you."
Her chest tightened. "He's not a monster."
Damian's gaze softened for half a second, then hardened again. "No? Then why did he trade you to me?"
The words hit like a slap. She flinched, biting her lip to keep the tears down.
"That was business," she said, her voice breaking. "He thought he thought you'd protect me."
Damian took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "You think I've protected you, Bella?"