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I stare at him, trying to process it, but the more I do, the more I feel like I’m drowning. His eyes lock onto mine, intense and unyielding. It’s like he’s trying to break me with just a look, to force me into submission without even touching me.

“So what? I’m supposed to stay inside all day, hiding because of something that, honestly, the cops probably don’t care about anymore?” I scoff, the sarcasm slipping out before I can stop it. “You’ve already covered your tracks. So why the hell are you still doing this?”

“You’re a liability,” he says with brutal honesty as if it’s no big deal. “That’s why you’re here. I’m keeping you from becoming a problem I don’t need to deal with.”

His words are casual and detached, but there’s something about them that stings. He’s not afraid to treat this like business. Like I’m just another inconvenience to be dealt with.

I feel my pulse spike, my anger rising again. I’ve never been so pissed off in my life.

“Besides,” he adds, like he’s offering me a favor, “I never said you can’t go out. You can visit the one friend I know you have, go shopping, whatever. I’ve deposited money into an account for you. You can spend it however you like, but you’ll be supervised.Livia here will always go with you, along with two of my men. You won’t be alone.”

I try not to scoff, but it’s hard. “Honestly, this is ridiculous. Why not just kill me? Get it over with.” I throw the words at him, testing his reaction. “Why keep me alive? What’s the point?”

His lips curl. There’s a hint of amusement there, but it’s twisted. Like he enjoys this, enjoys me squirming. “You’re alive because I’ve decided to let you be. Test me, and you’ll wish I hadn’t.”

I tilt my head, trying to figure him out, but I know I won’t. Not now. Maybe never. “You really think that’s enough to keep me here? To make me just…accept this?”

His eyes turn sharp. “Do you really think you have a choice?”

I want to retort, scream, and throw the anger that’s bubbling up in me right at him, but I can’t. There’s something in his eyes, something that holds me in place. It’s like he’s figured me out, every little part of me. Every flicker, every breath. He’s too damn in control.

“You think the world bends to you because you’ve got power and money? Newsflash: I’m not yours to control.”

His eyes darken, and he takes another step closer. I feel the space between us narrow, the air thickening. It’s too close. Too damn close.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Daniela.” His voice has dropped. “It’s not about owning you. It’s because you’re the one thing I can’t figure out, and I don’t like mysteries.”

“Why me?” I ask again. “Why not just…let me go?” My voice cracks, but I push through it.

His eyes narrow slightly, and I see that spark of recognition, of control, burning through.

Remo breathes in deep, and when he replies, his voice is low, like he’s revealing something he never meant to. “Because I don’t let people go.” He looks at me, his eyes heavy with that dark pull,and I feel myself sinking. “And I don’t leave loose ends, Daniela. Not anymore. Especially when they’re as tangled up in this as you are.”

The ice-cold truth hits me. I don’t let him see it, but I feel it in my bones.

I take a shaky breath. “What is it that you think I’m a part of?”

His eyes stay locked on mine. “You’re part of the story now, Daniela. Whether you like it or not.”

”And what happens to the people in your story?”

“They die,” he says, simple and cold, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “At least the ones who don’t learn their place.”

It’s not a warning. It’s a fact.

There’s no going back anymore. I’m no longer just some innocent witness, some random girl who stumbled into a world she wasn’t meant to see. I’m tangled up in it now, whether I want to be or not. And the worst part? I know there’s no escape.

Chapter 5

Remo

The clubhouse smells like stale smoke and forgotten whiskey, the air so thick it’s like breathing through a damp cloth. Dim lights hang from the ceiling, casting shadows that crawl over everything—worn leather chairs, the pool table abandoned in the corner like it’s seen too many games it should never have. This place is a relic, something stuck between the past and the present, like me. It’s where I come to remind myself who I am.

The men stand around in a half-circle, stiff, like they’ve seen this before but know they’ll never get used to it. They’re waiting for the show to start.

And then there’s her—Daniela, sitting in the corner. She’s trying to make herself invisible, arms crossed tightly over her chest, eyes darting around the room like she can’t decide whether to run or stay. She thinks she’s just an observer, but this night’s not about her. It’s about making sure my people know the cost of disloyalty.

The door creaks open, and Lorenzo walks in. He’s trying to look tough, but the beads of sweat on his forehead give him away. The nervous glance he shoots around the room tells me everything I need to know. He knows this is the end. But he’s too stupid to know that I’ve known about him for weeks.