Valerio blinked, only now realizing what he had just said… in front of his parents, Dante's family, and most painfully — Leona herself.
Leona's eyes widened, her teasing smile frozen in place.
Dante, sensing the tension, covered his mouth to muffle his laugh — not very successfully. Alessia, on the other hand, stared at her brother like he'd just grown two heads.
"Oh," Leona finally said, her voice softer now. "Well… that's… something."
Valerio groaned and leaned back in his chair, glaring at the ceiling. "I'm never eating breakfast with all of you again."
Leona, still recovering from Valerio's unexpected confession, couldn't resist pushing his buttons a little further. With a playful smile, she tapped her finger against her chin as if deep in thought.
"Well… what if I already have someone special?" she mused, her tone light but calculated. "Maybe even… a crush?"
Valerio's head snapped toward her, his brows knitting together. "Who?" he demanded, the question leaving his mouth far too quickly.
"Oh?" Leona's grin widened. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," Valerio shot back, a little too fast to be convincing.
"Oh, sure," Dante cut in, smirking like he'd been waiting for this. "Val, you sound real calm about it."
Valerio scowled. "Shut up, Dante."
Leona's smile turned positively wicked. "Maybe I'll invite him over sometime," she added, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "We could all have salad together."
Dante snorted, nearly choking on his drink.
Valerio's glare shifted back to Leona, sharp and unwavering. "You're not funny."
"Oh, I think I am," she shot back, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically. "And honestly? I'd say you're jealous."
"Jealous?" Valerio scoffed, but his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes betrayed him.
Leona just smiled sweetly. "I knew it."
The playful tension in the room shattered the moment one of Valerio's men appeared at the doorway, face grim and voice urgent.
"Boss," the man said, breathing heavily. "Another body's been found. Same mark… same knife."
The air turned cold. Leona's teasing smile faded as the weight of the words settled in. Valerio stood up immediately, his chair scraping back harshly.
"Where?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.
"Near the old docks. Police are already swarming the place," the man reported.
Valerio muttered a curse under his breath. His gaze flickered toward Dante, who was already rising from his seat, the usual mischief in his eyes replaced with something darker.
"I thought Vesper wasn't targeting people from our side," Dante said, his voice tight.
"Doesn't look that way anymore," Valerio muttered grimly. He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and turned to Leona. "Stay here."
"Wait," she blurted, eyes wide. "What's going on?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," Valerio said quickly. "Just stay inside."
He didn't wait for her reply before striding out, Dante following closely behind.
Leona stood frozen for a moment, her heart racing. Another body… another knife…
Whoever this Vesper was, they were close. Too close.
Alessia's face had lost all its color, her fingers trembling slightly against the edge of the table. Her gaze lingered on the doorway where Valerio and Dante had just disappeared.
"Hey," Leona said softly, placing her hand over Alessia's. "It's okay."
Alessia shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not… Someone's out there—killing people—and they're getting closer."
"I know," Leona said, her tone firm yet soothing. "But Valerio and Dante? They can handle this. And you've got me here too."
"That's… not as comforting as you think," Alessia muttered with a faint smile.
Leona chuckled. "Fair point. But seriously, you're safe here. No one's getting past this place without a fight."
Alessia exhaled shakily, her fingers relaxing beneath Leona's. "Thanks," she murmured.
"Anytime," Leona said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Now let's get you some tea or something, yeah? All this talk about murder isn't exactly good for your nerves… or the baby's."
Alessia managed a small smile and nodded. For now, that was enough.
Later Mr. Moretti and Mr. Russo went to attend a meeting whereas their wives were out shopping. Dante and Valerio had left to investigate about the recent murder by Vesper.
The house felt unusually quiet, the faint hum of conversation from the guards outside now absent. The silence was unsettling.
Leona paused, her hand stilling on the fruit she was slicing for Alessia. A dull thud echoed from somewhere downstairs — faint, yet distinct enough to set her on edge.
"Did you hear that?" she asked, her voice low.
Alessia's face paled as she nodded.
Without a second thought, Leona grabbed Alessia's wrist and pulled her toward the nearest room — Alessia's bedroom. She locked the door behind them and pushed a dresser against it for extra measure.
"Get your phone," Leona instructed, her voice steady despite the panic twisting her stomach.
"W-What are you—"
"Call Mr. Moretti and Mr. Russo. Now," Leona cut in firmly, snatching her own phone. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled to Valerio's contact and hit dial.
"Come on… pick up," she muttered, biting her lip.
The call rang once… twice…
"Valerio!" she hissed when he answered. "Something's wrong — I heard something. We're in Alessia's room."
"Stay there," Valerio barked, his voice sharp. "Don't open the door for anyone unless it's me or my father. I'm on my way."
He hung up before she could say anything else.
"Did you reach them?" Leona asked Alessia.
"I… I left messages," Alessia stammered.
"That's good," Leona assured her. "They'll come."
But the faint sound of footsteps approaching the door had her heart racing again. She grabbed the first thing she could — a heavy lamp — and motioned for Alessia to stay quiet.
The footsteps stopped right outside the door. The handle turned — once, then again, harder this time.
Leona's grip on the lamp tightened.
Leona glanced at Alessia, her breath shallow. The sound of the door handle rattling again made her heart pound.
"Alessia…" she whispered urgently, "I know you're not exactly… innocent in this whole mafia thing. Please tell me you've got a gun."
Alessia's wide eyes flickered with hesitation, but then she nodded, shakily pointing to the bottom drawer of her nightstand.
"Inside… there's one," she whispered.
Without wasting a second, Leona rushed to the drawer, her fingers fumbling as she yanked it open. The cold metal of the gun rested beneath a silk scarf. She picked it up, her fingers tightening around the grip.
"You know how to use this?" Alessia asked softly.
Leona swallowed hard, her thumb sliding off the safety. "I've… been shown a few things," she lied, keeping her voice steady.
The footsteps outside shuffled closer. Leona raised the gun, her hand firm as she aimed it at the door.
"Stay behind me," she whispered to Alessia. "And no matter what happens… you don't move."
Valerio's tires screeched against the pavement as he sped down the road, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. Dante sat beside him, equally tense.
Then came the sound — sharp and unmistakable. Gunshots.
Both men froze for a split second before Valerio slammed his foot down harder on the gas.
"No…" Valerio muttered under his breath, his mind racing. Images of Leona — her stubborn smile, her warm laugh — flashed in his head. He couldn't breathe.
"Damn it," Dante growled. "If anything happened to them—"
"They're fine," Valerio cut in sharply, though his voice wavered. "They have to be."
But as they neared the Moretti estate and the sound of another shot rang out, Valerio's blood ran cold. He barely managed to park before both men bolted out of the car, sprinting toward the house.
"Leona!" Valerio shouted, his voice breaking. "Alessia!"
Valerio and Dante stormed inside, their guns drawn, hearts pounding. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. Three bodies lay sprawled across the floor, each man unmistakably dead — bullet wounds riddling their chests.
And standing there, still gripping a gun tightly in her shaking hands, was Leona.
Her face was pale, her breathing uneven. The gun trembled in her grasp as her wide eyes darted between the bodies and the two men now standing frozen in the doorway.
"Leona?" Valerio's voice was low, almost disbelieving.
"I… I had to," she stammered, her voice cracking. "They—they broke in, and…" Her gaze dropped to the gun in her hands, as if only now realizing she was still holding it. Slowly, she lowered her arm. "I didn't know what else to do."
Valerio crossed the room in three strides, gently prying the weapon from her fingers. "It's okay," he said softly, his hand lingering over hers. "You did what you had to."
Behind him, Dante let out a low whistle. "Damn," he muttered, eyeing the bodies. "Remind me never to get on her bad side."
Leona let out a shaky breath and managed a weak smile. "Yeah… good idea."
But Valerio didn't smile. His gaze lingered on her longer, concern darkening his features. He knew there was more to her than she let on.
As soon as the gun left her hands, Leona's legs gave out beneath her. She slumped to the floor, her breathing ragged as tears spilled down her face. Her whole body shook violently — the aftermath of fear, adrenaline, and shock crashing over her all at once.
"I… I didn't mean to… I didn't want to…" Her voice broke as sobs wracked her chest.
Valerio knelt beside her, his hand moving instinctively to her back. "Hey… hey, it's over," he murmured, his voice softer than anyone had probably ever heard him speak. "You're safe now. Alessia's safe. That's what matters."
"But I… I killed them," she choked out, her fingers curling into fists against her knees. "I didn't even think — I just—"
"You didn't have a choice," Valerio cut in firmly. "If you hadn't done what you did, those men would've—" He stopped himself, jaw clenching. The thought of what could have happened twisted something ugly inside him.
Dante knelt on her other side, more awkward but equally concerned. "You saved Alessia," he added. "Hell, you probably saved this whole place."
Leona shook her head, tears still flowing. "I'm not like this… I'm not—"
"You're strong," Valerio said quietly, gripping her hand tightly. "Stronger than you think."
For once, Leona didn't pull away. She just stayed there, crying into her hands as Valerio and Dante remained by her side, unmoving — as if their presence alone could shield her from the weight of what she'd done.