"Well, look who we have here."

Victoria froze.

She knew that voice too well...

Her stepsister's.

Amelia was  like a green snake under green grass.

In front of everyone she was the sensible child, but Victoria knew too well how dirty she could be.

"Amelia," she whispered.

"The runaway bride," Amelia scoffed.

 The two girls beside her laughed.

"Amelia, please, not today." Victoria said she was trying to leave since she'd already bought the phone.

On the other end of the line, Nina heard Amelia voice and knew that she would pick her fight with Victoria very soon. "Victoria, send me your location," Nina asked over the phone

. Victoria, not thinking about why Nina asked, just casually mentioned the name of the phone shop for her.

Amelia strutted closer, flanked by two friends with smirks plastered on their glossy lips.

"You've got some nerve showing your face outside, sister dear. Shouldn't you be on a honeymoon with Kelvin?"

Her friends snickered. "Oh wait, she ran away at the altar," one mocked, twirling her hair.

Everyone turned, looking at Victoria, making her uncomfortable. She'd wish for nothing more than to give this bitch a dirty slap.

"You're right, I ran away from my wedding. What about you? Has anyone ever proposed to you, not to talk of taking you down the aisle?" Victoria snarled at her.

Amelia gaze darkened as she glared at her supposed sister. "You left a good man for a gangster who pulled up gun with a to your wedding."

The people around began to murmur, and some of them even looked at her with disdain.

"Not only did she abandon her fiancé, who did everything for her, she ran off with a fuckboy. Do you want to kill Father?" Amelia continued seeing that everyone now judged Victoria.

"Some ladies don't know how to live a decent life," an elderly woman who was getting a phone with her daughter hissed.

Victoria bit her lip, anger building underneath her skin.

Amelia circled her like a cat cornering a mouse. "Dad's disappointed, you know. He said you embarrassed him in front of the Valens. You ruined everything. Even your dress..." she sneered, tugging at the hem of Victoria's outfit. "Is this fake silk? God, I can't breathe the same air as you."

The other two girls giggled beside Amelia, clearly fanning the fire.

"You don't have to worry about whether the man I ran off with is a fuckboy or not, and I'm going to see Dad, so it's none of your business," Victoria warned.

"You've said enough."

 "Relax, I'm just trying to tell you what's good for you," Amelia purred. "Maybe I'll introduce you to one of my new friends since you like to jump from one man to another."

"I'm a model now, didn't you see? This was your dream, right? I got signed by Halo Agency. I meet real men with money, Vicky. Not your little street thug pretending to be rich."

Her friends giggled louder.

Victoria's eyes stung. Modeling was her dream, but she wouldn't give her that satisfaction of seeing her crumble. Not anymore.

"Enjoy your little modeling gig," she said, voice trembling but steady. "I hope you no longer sleep with old, dirty men like five years ago when you used me to cover up your dirt."

Amelia froze for a second, her eyes darkened, but she quickly masked it  with  a twisted smile."You'll regret those words. Don't come crying to us when you and your thug boyfriend can no longer survive."

Victoria turned to leave, heart pounding, but then her phone buzzed.

Nina.

She remembered she'd given her the location a while ago.

She picked up instantly. "Nina?"

"Where the hell are you?" Nina's voice cracked through the line. "I'm opposite the phone plaza."

"I'm fine. I just ran into Amelia."

"Oh, perfect," Nina snapped. "That viper is still breathing? Where is she? Let me teach her manners."

 Victoria  laughed, masking her feelings. "Please don't."

 Nina said. "Come meet me at Café Bloom."

Victoria nodded, slipping her phone into her bag, ignoring Amelia's eyes burning holes in her back.

"Running away again?" Amelia mocked as she walked off.

"Walking away," Victoria shot back. "There's a difference."

...

At Café Bloom.

Nina was already waiting, stirring her iced latte with that bored, dangerous expression she wore when she was about to explode.

"Wow, Vicky, you look like you've walked out of a telenovela," Nina said, eyes googling her best friend. "Who do I punch first?"

"No one. I just need to think."

Nina sighed, leaning back. "You look good, so Dante is back, and do you want him now?"

 "Nina, you wouldn't understand; he just came back because he heard I was getting married to his former friend, I suppose."

 "Overthinking, as usual. Look, I never liked Kelvin; there was just something off about him. Who would fall for their best friend's woman?"

"Your family's worse. You need to stop letting them define you. Do you think if Kelvin wasn't investing in your dad's business, they'd give a fuck about you?

Victoria smiled faintly. "You always make it sound so easy."

"Because it is," Nina fired back. "You want your freedom? Take it. You want answers? Go get them. You said your dad's office is downtown, right? Let's go."

Victoria hesitated, glancing at her phone screen.

She had just finished setting up her phone and restoring her social media account.

"Fine, I would head to my dad's place and then meet with Kelvin. I owe him answers."

Nina grinned. "That's my girl."

Both ladies ordered while they discussed catching up.

Just then a text came through.

"I think you should check your phone." Nina said.

Victoria glanced at the strange number.

She picked up the phone.

"Where are you?"

Just then another text pops up again just before she could figure out who it was.

"Vicky, it's not safe. Text me your location now."

Her hands froze; only Dante called her like that.

What does he mean by not being safe?

She had not yet married into the Moretti family, and now it wasn't safe?

"Who is that?" Nina asked, seeing her face turn pale.

Her phone started ringing.

 Then a black car pulled up outside Cafe Moon with men in black suits who all came outside.

Three men stepped out in matching suits, scanning the café like hunters who already knew their prey was inside.

The sight causing a commotion.

"Vicky..." Nina whispered. "Tell me you know those men.".

Victoria's hands trembled as she locked her phone. "No. But I think they know me."

Then, the man at the front reached for his earpiece. His gaze landed directly on her.

He smiled.

Panic clawed at her throat.

Something told Victoria they were here for her.

She shook off the feeling. getting up from her sit.

"Nina I think I should get going now."

"Wait Victoria, who texted you?" Nina asked again.

"Some other time I'd call you to hangout." she said kissing her cheeks as she made for the other door.

The city buzzed around her as she stepped out.cars honking, people chatting, the faint smell of roasted coffee and gasoline filling the air.

She realized she must have been thinking too much as the car didn't follow her. She adjusted her glasses, heading toward her father's company building two blocks down.

Just as she reached the corner, a black van screeched to a stop beside her.

Her breath caught.

The door slid open.

"Miss Victoria Hales?" a man's deep voice called. He wore  sunglasses, his lips curved into a wide calm smile.

"I-I think you've got the wrong person," she stammered, stepping back.

"Ah... I know it you" the man's laughter covered her ear.

Victoria's heart thumped and she quickly brought out her phone dialing Dante number.

Another man got out. He was bigger with wild tattoos all over, the kind of man whose eyes didn't blink much.

Her phone slipped from her hand.

Before she could scream, a rough cloth covered her mouth. The bitter scent burned her nose.

"Mmph-!"

The world tilted.

People walked by without looking, the noise of traffic swallowing her muffled cries.

At Dante Mansion.

The call went through.

"Hello Vicky" Dante called but no one answered.

Dante's glass shattered in his hand as one of his men rushed in.

"Boss the lady's gone."

For a heartbeat, he didn't breathe.

Then, cold and deadly, Dante stood. "Find her. Whoever touched her... won't live to regret it."

He picked up his phone the list of people who could cross him came to his mind as he dialed the first call.

"Kelvin how can you hurt the woman you claim to love?" Dante cursed at him.

"Where's Victoria? You can't even protect the lady you stole from me all the enemies you have in this city and you think I'm the one" Kelvin snapped back at him.

Dante ended the call he knew it wasn't Kelvin he didn't have the heart he was a little rat.

"Boss we couldn't trace anything again"

 Dante's glass slipped from his hand, crashing against the marble floor. Red wine and blood pooled together, staining the white surface.

The room froze.

"Find her," Dante cut in, his voice calm but low enough to make the air heavy. "Every street, every van, every camera between here and downtown. I want her found."

"Her phone went dark two blocks from Hales Industries," one of his men reported, already pale. "We picked up the van on CCTV for only a second. Professional work. Military pattern. Whoever took her knew how to hide."

WDante's pulse spiked. He knew that kind of efficiency. It wasn't random.

"Boss," Felix, his right-hand man, said carefully, "if it's not Kelvin, then..."

Dante turned toward him, eyes dark.

"It's Enzo."

The room stilled again.

Enzo Moretti.

His stepbrother. The golden child of their father's second wife.

The one who grew up in luxury while Dante was forced to train in silence and bleed for every scrap of respect.

"That bastard," Dante muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "He's been waiting for a reason to move against me. Maybe he finally found it."

Felix frowned. "You think this is about business?"

"It's always about business," Dante said flatly. "He's been begging for control of the eastern docks since Father died. I refused. If he can't beat me in negotiation, he'll try to cripple me emotionally." His fist clenched. "He knows what she means to me."

Felix hesitated. "Then this might not just be a message, boss. This could be leverage."

Dante exhaled through his nose, the sound sharp. "He thinks he can use Victoria to force my hand?"

"He wants me to sign that  contract, the one tied to the Russians. So he can be trafficking young girls. He's aligning himself with them behind my back."

He turned toward the wall where a large painting of his father hung. His lip curled.

"You raised snakes, old man," he murmured. "And now they bite each other."

He picked up his jacket from the chair, ignoring the sting in his palm where the glass had cut deep. The pain grounded him, a reminder that weakness was a luxury he couldn't afford.

"Get the cars ready," he ordered. "And gather intel from the harbor. I want eyes everywhere. If Enzo touched her, I'll make him regret ever breathing my air."

He moved toward the door, but paused his reflection flickering in the window. For a fleeting second, guilt surfaced in his eyes.

You promised you'd protect her this time.

He pushed the thought away.

"This isn't about love anymore," he said under his breath. "This is war."

"Boss," Felix said again, voice cautious, "what if Enzo reaches out? Maybe this is his way of calling you to the table."

Dante smirked coldly. "Then he's about to learn that deals made in blood never end with signatures."

He stepped out, the mansion's massive doors swinging open as his convoy waited outside black cars lined up like soldiers in formation.

Engines roared to life, headlights slicing through the night as they sped down the long driveway.

"If it's truly Enzo... then Victoria's in more danger than she knows." One of the men muttered.

...

And far away, in the dim backroom of a cargo dock, a man poured himself a drink.

A silver ring gleamed on his finger the same crest Dante wore.

"Welcome back to the game, brother," Enzo murmured with a cold grin. "Let's see what your heart is worth."

Just as Dante approached the old mansion his phone rang.

"Don't bother searching for her" the person at the end of the line said.

"If anything happens to her you are going to regret it." Dante hissed.

"Quick track the call" he barked at his men who were in the car their devices all working to find Victoria.

"Boss we couldn't get anything" one answered.

The line ended with Enzo grinning widely seeing his brother show affection for something finally.

"So I was right it was you back then and now again" Enzo laughter filled the room.

"Let me go I mean nothing to him" Victoria hoarse voice screamed.

After being kidnapped she opened her eyes in this unknown place and the man in front of her had a similar look to Dante but he was more of a lesser version compared to the cold and handsome face of Dante.

"If Dante doesn't find me... I might never leave this place alive." Victoria's body tensed up.

"You don't know anything about Dante he's a stubborn person so if I have you then he'll do my bidding" Enzo had a disgusting smirk plastered on his face.

At the thought of being used against Dante Victoria shot up instantly " I'm telling you we've not seen each other for more than five years do you think I matter to him."

"We'd find out very sooner " enzo said.

"Looking at you now I see why my selfish brother could let you get married to that loser."

"Let me go he wouldn't come here I'm nothing to him" Victoria rambled on and on.

"Shut up!!" Enzo barked at her.

"You're a piece of shit kidnapping an innocent lady to threaten your brother" Victoria hauled curse at him.

"Tie her mouth" Enzo shouted at the bodyguard who quickly tied her up. She tried screaming only muffled groans escaped her lips till she finally quieted down .

"Know your place!" Enzo hissed. "In the Moretti family there's no such thing as fair play or how do you think we build wealth"

She sat there cold and tired. Earlier she hadn't touched her meal, the sound of her stomach growling made Enzo look at her.

"Get her something to eat she needs to survive till the deal is done" he called one of the bodyguards.

They brought the food shortly and the guard untied Victoria so she could eat freely.

"For your safety don't try anything funny" Enzo warned her.

"What can I do to all his hefty men here" Victoria hissed at him as she grabbed the spoon eating and stuffing her face.

This made Enzo smile remembering a girl who always ate like this stuffing her face but they were different worlds apart.

...

"Boss what do we now" one of Dante men asked seeing that all effort to trace Enzo was futile and their boss was beginning to act like a beast looking for who to devour.

"Keep searching call all our men search the sea side I know a few contact over there" Felix Dante right hand man stepped in only he knew the extent to which Victoria meant to Dante.

"Was I wrong for coming back for her should I have left her ?" He asked Felix.

"Could you stand seeing her marry to Kelvin?" Felix asked him. "We've known each other for years but right now I would say finding her was the best decision but if she had gotten married to him I'm sure you wouldn't be sane too."

"I promised to kill Enzo if he touched just even a strand of her hair" Dante gritted his teeth.

He pulled out his phone once more impatiently. He couldn't wait all day knowing the kind of brother he had.

He had wanted to mobilize the police but it seems they did more slower job compare to his team.

The line went through. "What do you want? If you dare harm her" Dante warned.

"Relax." Enzo's voice sharpened. "It's just a precaution. A conversation starter. You've been... avoiding me."

A conversation?" Dante spat. "You kidnapped an innocent woman."

"Innocent?" Enzo scoffed. "Nothing about your little  sweetheart is innocent anymore. She walked into the lion's den the moment she ran into Don of Moretti."

"In this family we have to fight for everything, We earn it how are you sure she can survive here don't you think the other members of Moretti family would want to see that?" Enzo laughed.

Dante swore under his breath, pacing. "If you hurt her...  she doesn't have to do anything to belong in the moretti family I can take care of my woman"

"Then stop threatening and start cooperating," Enzo cut in. "Father is gone now and someone has to handle that deal."

"Never! there's no way we are doing that trade this family has to be purged." Dante snapped at him.

"Purged? How do you think father made those money and the uncle in the family do they know about this great purge you're about to embark on?" Enzo voice raised making Victoria drop her spoon realizing she might have been the cause of this outburst.

The air thickened with tension.

Dante jaw tightened . "Bring her to me we can talk she has no business in this."

"You think I'm stupid?" Enzo laughed.

"Father always favored you. I'm just claiming what I deserve."

Enzo," Dante warned. "This isn't a deal. This is war you are about to start."

"Hm. No, brother. It's leverage."

A pause.

"Try to be smart. Or you'll pick up what's left of her in a box."

The call ended.

Felix stepped forward. "Boss..."

Dante lifted his head, eyes ice-cold, deadly calm.

"Enzo wants a war?"

"Boss, we found the location."

Dante's eyes lifted  cold, lethal.

"Prepare the men. Enzo goes down tonight."