Chapter Five: Truths, Lies, and Consequences
1265 Words
Elena's heart raced, the rapid thumping vibrating through her as she wrenched herself free from Leonardo's arms. His eyes darkened a combination of frustration and something unspoken crossed his face—possibly more vulnerable—but she didn't have time to investigate. The sound of sirens in the distance grew steadily louder, and her instincts told her to flee before things got worse.
"Elena, don't," Leonardo said, reaching for her again with a forceful tone.
She jerked back, her breath coming in quick bursts. “No, Leonardo. I’m done with your games.” Her voice shook, but she stood firm. “I’m done being your pawn.”
He held on tight. For a second, Elena feared that he could pull her back into the turmoil as his fingers tightened around her wrist. However, he startled her by letting go of her and letting his hand slip to his side.
"Fine," he murmured, his mouth clenched in barely controlled anger. "If you want it that way."
Nathaniel, his eyes never leaving Leonardo, advanced slowly, his movements calm but with a palpable edge. "This isn’t going to end well, Leonardo. You’re pushing things too far."
Leonardo’s gaze flicked over to Nathaniel, and for a split second, there was a flash of something—jealousy?—before it was gone, hidden behind a mask of indifference, Anger?—before his face returned to its usual impassive state. “You don't frighten me, Nathaniel. You are merely a distraction.”
Nathaniel didn’t flinch, his expression remaining steady. “You’re the one who’s distracted, Leonardo. By your pride, by your father’s control. "You can't keep avoiding the truth forever."
Elena could feel their gaze on her, which increased the tension in the air. She turned to leave, her words cutting through the silence. "I’m done. I don’t have to participate in this any longer." Neither of you are necessary to me. You’ve both been lying to me—manipulating me.”
Leonardo's hand sprang out once more, grabbing her by the elbow with an extremely tight grip. "You honestly believe you can just pretend none of this exists?" There was an obvious edge of wrath in his voice, but it was dangerously mild. “You think you can expose everything and not suffer the consequences?”
She met his gaze, defiance burning in her chest."You no longer frighten me, Leonardo."
The only sound in the air was the faraway wail of sirens, which got more loudly with every passing second. The rapid beating of Elena’s heart filled her ears, threatening to drown her in its intensity. She wanted to get away from the complicated web of lies and broken promises. She wanted to escape the tangled mess of deceit and broken vows. But something in Leonardo’s gaze made her stay.Something she couldn’t explain. Something that caused her to wonder if he was simply another antagonist in this tale or if, deep down, no matter how much had changed, he was still the person she had cherished.
Her voice was full with sorrow as she abruptly demanded, "Why did you do it, Leonardo?" "Why didn't you keep my dad safe? Why didn’t you stop your father?”
Leonardo’s expression hardened."You just don’t get it," he growled, his teeth clenched in frustration. “You think this is simple? You think I had a choice?”
“You always had a choice!” Elena shot back, her anger finally breaking through. “You could have stopped your father. You could have stopped all of this, but you chose to protect him. You chose his empire over everything else. Over me. Over my father.”
Leonardo flinched, his eyes darkening."You think I didn’t want to put an end to it? he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. "You think I didn’t fight to keep you safe? To protect your father? You have no idea what it was like, Elena. My father is a monster. He would’ve destroyed everything—and everyone—to keep his empire intact.”
“And you just let him,” Elena said bitterly. “You just stood by and watched as my father disappeared, as your father destroyed him. You watched and did nothing.”
Her voice, heavy with raw emotion, struck him like a whip. Leonardo’s body tightened, instinctively preparing for the weight of what was about to happen, his eyes steadfast yet obscured by something unreadable. "I did what needed to be done," he added quietly. “To survive. to keep the ones I love safe. It was insufficient and never will be. I'll do all in my power to make things right.”
Before Elena could respond, the sound of footsteps broke the moment. The arrival of two police cars shattered the tense silence, their lights strobing against the warehouse walls. Several officers exited, weapons ready, as they surveyed the scene.
“Nathaniel,” Leonardo said quickly, his voice tinged with urgency. “Get out of here. Now.”
Nathaniel didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Elena’s arm, pulling her away from Leonardo. “Come on. We need to leave. Now.”
Elena recoiled slightly, her eyes tracing Leonardo’s form as he stood there, watching her with a blend of regret and something else—something that felt too raw, too dangerous. She hesitated for a brief second before finally turning her gaze elsewhere, forcing herself to look away.
With a determined tone, she added, "I'm not done with this, Leonardo." "I'm not done with you, either."
Without saying anything more, she let Nathaniel drag her into the darkness, away from Leonardo, and away from the mayhem.
The hours that followed were a blur of confusion and fear. Elena and Nathaniel went to a small, unassuming flat in the city, a place of refuge. As though he had expected this kind of incident to happen, Nathaniel had planned everything out beforehand.
Elena paced the small living room, her mind racing. “What now? What do we do now, Nathaniel? We’re running from the law, from Leonardo, from… everything.”
Nathaniel’s eyes met hers as he leaned against the wall, his voice steady. “We move slowly. No room for mistakes. But I’ll admit—you’re right about one thing. Leonardo has lied to you. But he’s not the only one with blood on his hands.”
Elena turned to him sharply. “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”
Nathaniel stepped forward, his eyes dark and serious. “Lorenzo Vance. He’s not just behind your father’s disappearance. He’s behind everything that’s happening right now. And it’s not just about business, Elena. It’s personal. You’re in danger, and so is Mia.”
Elena froze, her heart dropping. “What do you mean? What’s going to happen to Mia?”
Nathaniel’s expression tightened. “Lorenzo doesn’t just want to control the Vance empire. He wants to control everything—including you, Elena. And he will use Mia without hesitation if he thinks she gives him an advantage.
Elena's mind was racing with Nathaniel's words. She hadn't recognized how dangerous she was since she had been so preoccupied with exposing the lies of the Vance family.
She was about to ask him more when her phone rang and the screen flashed an unknown number.
Her hands shaking, she replied reluctantly but forcedly.
"Hello?" she said in a nervously tense voice.
The words were unsettling, and the voice on the other end was muffled. "Elena, you don't get it. Your father’s death was no accident.And neither is yours.”
Her blood turned cold as the line went dead.
- Writer
