Without another word, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. The air in the room seemed to shift, crackling with an energy I hadn't expected. His hands cupped my face, so gentle yet both familiar and foreign. His thumb ran over my lower lip once, and I felt a sudden shiver down my spine.
And then, in a single, daring stroke, he kissed me.
I froze at first, every fiber of my being rebelling against the kiss. Then something in me snapped. Anger. Hatred. All the emotions I had bottled up for years, all directed at Marco—the man who had used me, betrayed me—I let the kiss happen.
I kissed him back.
For a moment, the world blurred and I let go of everything: my past, my anger, my heartache—everything but the taste of vengeance. But it was momentary. I pulled away, gasping, my heart hammering in my chest. Vito's eyes locked onto mine, his expression unreadable.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice low and commanding.
The drive was quiet, the night pressing in around us as we sped through the dark streets. The city lights blurred by in a blur, but I could not focus on anything else than the tension in the air. I was leaving behind everything: my marriage, my life with Marco, everything I thought I knew. I was heading into the unknown.
“What’s next, Vito?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“You’ll see soon enough,” he replied, his eyes focused on the road ahead.
My heart was racing, every nerve in my body alert. I knew Vito was leading me somewhere, but to where? I couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was coming.
And as the minutes ticked by, we finally left the city behind, the familiar skyline disappearing into the rearview mirror.
After what felt like an eternity, Vito's car slowed, and we turned down a narrow road, leading into a secluded area. The trees grew denser, the night darker.
My pulse quickened. What was going on? Where were we going?
Vito didn't respond. He just pulled up to a large, imposing gate. It looked out of place here, standing tall and unforgiving in the middle of nowhere.
I watched in silence as he pressed a button on the dashboard; the gates slowly creaked open. My heart skipped a beat.
We drove through, the road getting narrower, until we reached a huge building hidden in the shadows of the trees. It looked like a fortress, every window dark, every corner sharp.
“Who owns this place?” I asked, my voice shaking despite myself.