Sold to the Capo-Chapter 85: AMBUSHED AND LEAVING

ADRIANA’S POV

I was chewing on my nails, watching as the time slowly ticked to 1am. I’d have been asleep by then but Vincenzo had told me to stay awake till 1am so we could leave on time before anyone found out that I was gone. According to him, no one in the mansion except him and Valentina knew about this so there should be no hitches. I paced the length of my room, glancing at the small suitcase perched near the door. Everything was packed and ready, but my mind wasn’t.

Vincenzo’s kiss from earlier still lingered on my lips, no matter how much I tried to quell the thought, his lips had felt perfect on mine as it molded against mine. I hadn’t even tried to fight him off or denied it. His promise to come back for me came back to me. What if he didn’t make it back? What if this was the last time I’d ever see him?

A soft knock at my door startled me out of my wandering thoughts. I rushed to open it, finding Vincenzo standing there, dressed in black from head to toe. His dark shirt blended into the shadows of the hallway, making him look even more dangerous than usual.

"It’s time," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper as he stared at me in the dim light.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as I grabbed my suitcase and followed him out.

The hallways of the mansion were dimly lit, and the faint sound of guards patrolling reached my ears. Vincenzo moved with ease, his footsteps silent against the marble floors. I tried to mimic his stealth, but the wheels of my suitcase squeaked slightly, causing me to wince and I stopped walking just at the top of the stairs, my eyes wide as I stared at Vincenzo.

He glanced back at me, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Leave it. I’ll have someone retrieve it later and send it over to you. Shit I didn’t even think of that, it’d be easier to go without the bag," he whispered.

I hesitated for a moment before abandoning the suitcase by the wall. My heart was pounding as we continued down the hallway, every creak of the floorboards making me flinch like everyone outside could hear what was happening inside.

Even if they could, what would they say? It wasn’t anything suspicious as I usually came downstairs at night so hearing steps or anything shouldn’t be that surprising to whoever happened to be patrolling outside.

We reached the back entrance, a rarely used door that led to the service driveway. Vincenzo stopped abruptly, holding out an arm to block my path.

"Wait here," he instructed, his voice low but firm.

I watched as he stepped outside, his silhouette blending into the darkness. My fingers trembled as I clutched the edge of the doorway, straining to hear any signs of him walking but as always, it seemed he was that stealthy and I couldn’t hear him anymore neither could I hear anything like a conversation or anything.

A few tense moments passed before he returned, his expression calm but his movements quick. "Come on," he said, gesturing for me to follow.

The driveway was empty except for a sleek, black SUV idling quietly near the edge of the property. Vincenzo opened the passenger door for me, his gaze scanning the surroundings as if expecting someone to come here.

Oh, he had come here to rid this place of guards firstly before telling me to come out of the house.

"Get in," he urged.

I slid into the seat, my heart racing as he closed the door and rounded the vehicle to the driver’s side. Once he was inside, he shifted the car into gear, and we rolled out of the driveway, the gates opening silently to let us through.

"Stay out of the light" he muttered under his breath and I ducked behind the chair, holding my breath as he stopped by the gate to relay some orders which I didn’t pay attention to before he drove of the mansion so I finally stood up and sat back in the chair.

"Is everything okay?" I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper when we had driven for so long.

"Yes," he replied curtly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"What are you even getting anyways?" I asked, staring at the black duffel bag lying on the chair next to me.

He looked at me through the mirror and sighed. "It’s weapons"

Oh, for some reason, that didn’t scare me much anymore. "Good, I thought it was like drugs or something" I said without thinking.

"Drugs? I don’t do drugs" he frowned at me.

"But Henrㅡ" I stopped myself just in time.

Vincenzo’s eyes darkened like he wanted to say something but he didn’t. He just kept silent and focused on the road.

We drove for what felt like an eternity, the road seemingly quiet so I guessed that we were following another route that wasn’t on the normal lane and when I finally peered outside the car, I saw that I was right.

Suddenly, Vincenzo slowed the car, his eyes narrowing as he peered into the rearview mirror.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, my heart leaping into my throat as I noticed his expression.

"Stay quiet," he said sharply but not harsh.

I turned to look behind us, my stomach dropping when I saw the headlights of another car trailing us at a distance.

"Is someone following us?" I whispered.

"Could be a coincidence," he muttered, though his tone suggested he didn’t believe it.

He made a sharp turn onto a side street, then another, weaving through the city in a way that made my head spin. The car behind us followed every move, its headlights growing brighter as it closed the distance.

"Shit," Vincenzo hissed under his breath. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

My pulse quickened as he pressed harder on the gas, the SUV speeding through the deserted streets. I gripped the edge of my seat, trying to keep my breathing steady.

"Vincenzo—"

"Don’t panic," he cut me off, his voice cold and commanding.

The car chasing us suddenly surged forward, closing the gap in an instant. Vincenzo cursed, yanking the wheel to the left and sending us careening into a narrow alleyway. The SUV barely fit, the side mirrors scraping against the brick walls as we sped through.

I clutched the door handle, my heart hammering in my chest. "This doesn’t feel like a coincidence!"

"It’s not," he admitted, his tone grim.

We burst out of the alleyway onto a wider street, and Vincenzo didn’t slow down. The other car was nowhere to be seen, but his shoulders remained tense, his eyes darting between the road and the mirrors.

"Did we lose them?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"i think so. Shit. Looks like my dad or someone was paid to follow us and not really in a discreet way. They were probably out to harm. We’re fine now," he said, though the tightness in his jaw told me he wasn’t convinced.

We finally pulled into a private airstrip on the outskirts of the city, the small plane waiting for us illuminated by the glow of the runway lights. Vincenzo parked the SUV and turned to me, his expression softer than I expected.

"You’re safe now," he said quietly.

I wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure me or himself.

He stepped out of the car and came around to open my door, offering me his hand. I took it, my fingers trembling as I let him help me out.

The plane’s pilot was waiting at the base of the stairs, a middle-aged man with a professional demeanor who nodded respectfully at Vincenzo.

"Everything is ready, sir," the pilot said.

Vincenzo turned to me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "This is it," he said softly.

I felt a lump rise in my throat as I looked at him, the reality that I was now leaving Italy didn’t sit well with me anymore.

"Promise me you’ll stay safe," I said, my voice cracking.

His lips curved into a faint smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "I already promised, Tesoro."

I wanted to believe him, but the fear in my chest refused to go away.

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I’ll come back for you," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

I nodded, unable to trust my voice as tears threatened to spill.

"Go," he urged gently, gesturing toward the plane.

I forced myself to turn away, my feet feeling like lead as I climbed the steps. At the top, I paused, glancing back at him one last time.

One fucking last time.

Vincenzo stood by the SUV, his hands shoved into his pockets as he watched me. His face was unreadable, but his gaze under the dim air lights betrayed the same emotions I felt, the most prominent one: Regret.

The pilot motioned for me to step inside, and I reluctantly obeyed, the door closing behind me.

As the plane’s engines roared to life, I pressed my forehead against the window, watching Vincenzo grow smaller and smaller as we taxied down the runway.

Tears slid down my cheeks as the plane lifted off, carrying me away from the man who had turned my world upside down all these months and to the city that had been mine for months.

And even though I was miles above the ground, I felt like I was leaving my heart behind.

And it was right there at the airport.