Fated To The Cursed Alpha Don

Ella I’ve never seen Papa like this, completely f*****g unhinged. He’s grabbing papers, shoving them into drawers, pacing like his life depends on it. Hell, maybe it does. His hands are shaking, and his face…usually calm and unreadable is twisted in full-blown panic. “You have to go. Right now,” he snaps, slamming a drawer shut.“Don’t turn back. Just leave.” “What the f**k are you talking about?” I blurt out frustrated—it’s the dead of night, and the man’s acting like the mansion is going to blow at any moment. ‘‘Papa, where am I supposed to go? What’s happening?’’ His blue eyes move quickly around the room, wide and frantic, as if he expects the devil himself to stroll in through the door at any moment. “Are you still there? Pack a night bag and follow Cole. He will take you to the safe house in New York. I will meet you there later.” “Or you could tell me what's going on?” “You don’t understand, Gabriella! Dante Moretti isn’t someone you mess with. He’s the f*****g devil. He won’t just kill you, he’ll destroy you.” That name Dante Moretti, freezes me. My father, Don f*****g Romano is terrified. And if he’s scared, then we’re seriously f****d. Everyone knows the Moretti Mafia. The most ruthless, wealthy, and powerful. How the hell did Papa piss them off? “I’m not leaving without you still.” My fingers run through my brown hair in a nervous habit. “What about Gavi? Where’s he?” “I have no idea where that brother of yours is, and that’s a good thing right now. Just go, Gabriella. Please.” Before I can respond, the door bursts open. Cole storms in with a cold expression, and a gun in one hand. Cole is Papa’s right-hand man. The man who’s been with him through everything. “Don Romano,” he growls, “we need to move. They’re closing in.” Papa doesn’t even flinch. “Take her. Take her and run. He must not see her.” Cole grabs my arm roughly, dragging me toward the door. “No! Wait! I’m not leaving without you, Papa!” I twist, trying to pull away, but it’s like fighting a brick wall. “We’re leaving now,” Cole barks. “Papa!” I shout, desperate, but he doesn’t look at me. Not even a f*****g glance. His shoulders are stiff, and his gaze is locked on the window, like he’s already made peace with whatever’s coming. “Go, Gabriella,” he sighs. “This is my mess. Stay alive. I’ll meet you at the safe house…hopefully.” And just like that, Cole’s dragging me out of the study. The hallway is chaotic, shouting men running around anxiously. My heart’s racing, and my brain is scrambling to process how the f**k we got here. I was asleep thirty goddamn minutes ago. Asleep, drooling on my pillow, dreaming about the hot guy I met at that club last night. Now I’m being shoved into a car. Cole’s face is still cold, but his eyes…they’re scanning everything sharply. “We can’t just leave him!” I try to see reason with Cole, but he ignores me. Papa’s still in that study, standing there like a damn sacrificial lamb, and I can’t f*****g handle it. “Drive,” he barks at the driver, and the car lurches forward. I’m thrown back into the seat, my chest tightening as the mansion disappears into the darkness. This is f*****g crazy. I’ve been dreading this sorta moment my entire life. When one of Papa’s enemies finally came knocking. Everything feels tense, like the air itself is holding its breath. And then a loud bang. The sound of gunshots reverberates through the air, and I swear my soul almost vacates from my body. “Shit.” The driver’s knuckles go white as he slams his foot on the accelerator. I whip around to see headlights closing in at a fast pace. A hail of bullets suddenly shatters the back window, sending glass raining down on us. “Faster!” Cole barks, already checking his gun with a hard expression. Another gunshot…then two cars behind us erupt in flames, the explosions lighting up the night like New Year’s fireworks. Even from here, I can feel the heat, and my stomach does a f*****g flip. These people mean business. They’re out for blood. “What the hell is going on, Cole?” My voice is urgent, panicked. “What did Papa do to piss off this…” I trail off as the car jerks, propelling me forward. Before I can register what’s happening, another vehicle slams into us, sending shockwaves through every bone in my body. My forehead smashes against the back of the seat, pain exploding through my skull. The car flips. Once.Twice. After the third, I lose count. It’s pure chaos, and horrifying. My brain can’t f*****g keep up. When we finally stop, the car is upside down, and everywhere is very quiet. My ears ring and my head is pounding with a brutal headache. I blink, trying to understand what's going on. Cole is beside me, groaning and fumbling with his seatbelt. Why the driver….fuck, he's dead. His head’s been smashed against the steering wheel, and there's heavy blood dripping down onto the dashboard. Cole is fast unbuckling the seatbelt with one arm while his other hangs uselessly. “Come on,” he grits out, pulling at my seatbelt. “We have to move.” I follow him and climb out the broken window…. immediately the cool night air hits me right in the face. Everything f*****g hurts, my ribs, my legs, my arms but at least I’m still breathing. Cole’s not so lucky. His face is pale as hell, and one of his arms is limp against his side. “Run,” he mouths, pulling me to my feet. Behind us, a black car screeches to a halt, its headlights piercing the dark. “No!” I grab his arm, trying to haul him up. “I’m not leaving you, Cole. Get the f**k up!” “Run…please…” His words cut off when a bullet tears through his leg, and he drops like a stone to the ground. “s**t!” I let out a scream, eyes darting to the shooter. And that’s when I see him…a man. He's very tall, broad shouldered, and in a black suit that fits as hell. He has dark hair, chiseled jawline and a neatly trimmed scruff. But it’s his eyes, those gray eyes, cold as f*****g ice that pin me in place. I can’t breathe. It's him. Dante Moretti…the devil himself. I've seen his picture before. Another gunshot and Cole jerks, a bullet tearing into his arm. Another to his chest. Then before I know it, one to his f*****g head. “f**k!” I scream as blood splatters my face, warm and sticky…and then, Cole collapses beside me, lifeless. “Cole…” I whisper slowly. He's gone. Just like that. The f*****g devil doesn’t even blink. He steps closer, towering over me. “Gabriella Romano,” he says, “did you really think you could escape me?” My legs…they’re glued to the ground…. like I'm suddenly paralyzed. “I…. please…please don’t kill me.” “Kill you?” His lips twitch just a little. “That would be far too easy.” Before I can respond, something cold and damp presses against my face. A cloth. My hands fly up, clawing at the grip behind me, but it’s useless. The vile stench of chloroform fills my nostrils, making me weak in an instant. The last thing I see before the darkness closes in is him. Dante Moretti, standing over me with cold, remorseless eyes.