The Mafia's Truce.

ProtectingNadia

He turned to leave, and Nadia’s pulse quickened again. Should she warn him? Could she trust him? Her eyes followed him as he reached for the door. “Marcus… what happens if my father doesn’t surrender?”

He paused, his hand resting on the door handle. “Rossi ordered your fingers cut off,” he said. “They’ll send them to your father.”

Nadia’s blood ran cold.

She stared at him, her voice barely a whisper. “Why are you being kind to me?”

Marcus hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching hers. But he said nothing, simply offering her a small, sad smile before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Nadia wasted no time. Stripping off her clothes, she wrapped a towel around herself and approached the wardrobe. She hesitated, her fingers brushing the door, before pulling it open. Rows of neatly hung clothes greeted her, but her eyes were drawn to the files stacked haphazardly at the bottom.

Curiosity flared, and she knelt, pulling the first file free. A young girl’s photo stared back at her, no older than ten. The details below the photo sent a chill down her spine: name, parents, and location.

Her breath caught. They were trafficking children.

She flipped through the pages quickly, disgust swirling in her stomach until a familiar name made her freeze: Ava Sinclair. The photo of a girl, wide-eyed and innocent, bore a haunting resemblance to the Mafia's boss's wife.

"Never Sold," it read at the bottom.

Ava wasn’t just part of the Syndicate. She had been a victim. Stolen as a child, raised by the very man who now held her loyalty. The realization hit Nadia hard. She slammed the file shut, but something else caught her eye. A photograph slipped from the next file. She picked it up, her fingers trembling.

Her heart stuttered.

The picture was unmistakable. A younger version of her best friend, Bella. The name on the file confirmed it: Bella, Father Unknown.

"Never Sold."

Nadia’s mind raced, pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Bella… had been part of Rossi’s world all along. Loyal. She dropped the file as though it had burned her.

Shaking, Nadia hurried to the bathroom, turning on the shower.

The sound of coughing snapped her back to the present. She froze. The poisoned food. It was starting.

Nadia stepped from the shower, barely drying herself as she dressed in haste. She opened the door just enough to peek out, her heart pounding in her chest.

They were all unconscious, except for the injured man, who had woken up, his breath shallow but his eyes alert. He stared back at her, a gun weakly clutched in his hand.

The injured man’s eyes darted over the vials scattered in Nadia's medical kit. His hand trembled as he pointed, "Which of these is the antidote?" He kept the gun steady in his other hand, aimed directly at her.

Nadia remained silent, her gaze locking onto his. Her heart pounded, but she refused to speak. His patience snapped.

Bang!

The shot rang out, sending a bullet into the floor near her feet. “Say something!”

Nadia’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears, not just from fear, but from the devastation surrounding her. The lifeless bodies of the others, people she now realized had been taken as children, manipulated, shaped into soldiers. They had never had a chance.

The injured man’s voice softened, the anger in his eyes dimming as desperation took over. “Please…”

She stared at him, her voice barely a whisper. “I just want to go home.”

“Please, tell me there’s an antidote.”

“There is,” Nadia finally said, her voice shaking. “But it’s not here in the kit. I can get it.”

Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall. Nadia’s heart skipped a beat as Anthony and his team stormed in, their weapons drawn and trained on the injured man. He lowered his gun immediately, raising his hands in surrender.

Nadia’s relief was palpable. She walked toward the injured man and picked up her medical kit.

She rose and turned to Anthony.

“I don’t want him dead,” she said, her voice firm.

Anthony, taken aback by her assertiveness, nodded. “We’ll handle him.”

Without another word, Nadia walked past them, heading outside toward the car. Anthony hurried after her, struggling to keep up. “Ma’am, you need to come with us,” he insisted.

Nadia stopped her hand on the car door. She turned to him, her eyes cold. “Why?”

“Your father’s orders are to bring you in safely,” Anthony said, trying to maintain control of the situation. “We’re here to protect you.”

“I want nothing to do with him.” Her voice was sharp as she opened the car door. Reaching into the back seat, she retrieved her handbag and ransacked through it until she found the car keys.

Anthony stepped closer, his hand resting on his gun holster. “Your father was clear. He wants you back, alive and unharmed.”

Nadia paused, her eyes meeting his. “Then you won’t hurt me.” She slid into the driver’s seat and turned the key, the engine roaring to life. With one last glance at Anthony, she sped off, leaving him standing there, stunned.

Back inside, Anthony rejoined his men. He looked down at the injured man. “What happened here?”

Before the man could answer, Ava’s phone began to ring. Anthony bent down and picked it up. The name on the screen sent a chill down his spine: My Love Rossi.

His jaw tightened. He dropped the phone back beside Ava’s lifeless body and motioned to his men. “He’s coming with us.”

The team dragged the injured man outside, loaded him into their vehicle, and headed back to Alexander Valtor.

As soon as they left, Marcus rose to his feet, he never ate the food.

Marcus was the son of Dominic Martino, the Mafia lord of the Martino Syndicate. The Martino Syndicate, all the way from Italy, sought to topple the Rossi's syndicate’s reign.

Marcus was 32 years old, he stood at 6 feet with an athletic build and broad shoulders that gave him a natural confidence. He had deep brown eyes with full lips and his smooth, sun-kissed skin added to his easy charm. His dark, slightly messy hair made him effortlessly captivating.

Over the years, Rossi cheated them in business dealings, and that led to the Martino syndicate planning their doom. The Martino syndicate had a secret weapon: Marcus, who had been undercover within the Rossi syndicate for months, gathering intel and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

But the moment Nadia was dragged in, his plans began to change, he hoped to win her trust and forge an alliance with her family.

“I have to find Nadia.”