Nobela ni Eliza D

The morning after the fallout felt strange, like the world was holding its breath. The De Luca estate was quiet, but not peaceful. It was the kind of silence that came after a storm—heavy, uncertain, waiting for the next move. Lorenzo walked through the halls slowly, still feeling the weight of everything that happened. Ricardo’s empire had finally cracked. Franco had been defeated. Isabella’s plans had blown apart. And Mateo… Mateo had chosen him.Lorenzo still couldn’t believe it.Every few steps he looked behind him, as if expecting someone to take it all away. But nothing happened. No gunshots. No betrayal. Just the soft echo of his footsteps and the warm memory of Mateo pulling him close the night before, promising he wouldn’t run anymore.He reached the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Men were moving around, cleaning up the damage and reinforcing the security gates. Alessandro was standing near them, giving quiet orders, but every now and then his eyes drifted up toward the b

The crash behind them shook the entire armory. Metal shelves toppled, weapons clattered to the ground, and dust filled the air. Lorenzo flinched and instinctively grabbed Mateo’s arm. Mateo pushed him gently behind his body, shielding him with his own frame. Alessandro cursed quietly and held his gun tighter.

The hallway exploded with noise before Lorenzo even opened the bedroom door. Voices shouted commands, boots slammed against the floor, and alarms blared through the entire safe house. The lights flickered, turning everything red and urgent. Mateo grabbed Lorenzo’s arm, pulling him close before they stepped out.

The news of Ricardo’s escape hit the room like a punch. For a moment, no one moved. No one breathed. The words hung in the air, heavy and threatening, as if they had the power to crack the fragile peace that had just formed. Lorenzo felt Mateo go still beside him, his hand tightening around Lorenzo’s with the force of someone holding onto one final anchor.

The morning after the storm felt strangely calm, almost too calm for everything they had survived. Lorenzo woke first, his body aching but his heart steady as he listened to the soft rhythm of Mateo’s breathing. They lay in the same bed, in the same safe house, but nothing was the same anymore. Last night, Mateo had made a choice that changed everything. He had chosen him, not power, not blood, not fear—him.

The air still smelled like gunpowder and fire when Lorenzo woke up. His body ached everywhere, but his heart calmed when he felt the light weight of a hand resting over his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and found Mateo sleeping in a chair beside the bed, head bowed, fingers wrapped around Lorenzo’s shirt like he was afraid to let go.