Chapter 5 The Final Betrayal

The night air was thick with pressure as Elena advanced toward the docks, the gathering place Adrian had decided for their last conflict. She realized that this was her last opportunity to persuade him to abandon the mafia life, to pick a future with her over the obscurity that had consumed him for such a long time.

As she drew closer, she saw Adrian remaining by the water, his figure outlined against the twilight sky. He looked more far off than any time in recent memory, his demeanor unintelligible as she approached him.

"Elena," he said discreetly, his voice touched with pity. "You shouldn't have come."

"I needed to," she answered, her voice shaking. "We can't continue to run from this. We really want to confront it together."

Adrian went to confront her, his eyes loaded up with a combination of adoration and hopelessness. "There could be no together, Elena. Not in this world."

Tears gushed in Elena's eyes as she connected with him. "We can make our own reality, Adrian. We can abandon all of this and begin anew."

Adrian shook his head, his demeanor tormented. "It's past the point of no return for that. My family is familiar with us, Elena. They know it all."

Elena's heart dropped. "Your meaning could be a little more obvious."

"They will utilize you against me," Adrian conceded, his voice breaking. "They need to drive me to pick - it is possible that I stay and proceed with the privately-owned company, or they kill you."

Elena felt a rush of dread wash over her, however she pushed it down. "Then, at that point, how about we run. We can vanish, head off to some place they can't track down us."

Adrian grinned tragically, his eyes loaded up with lament. "There's no spot they can't track down us, Elena. They have eyes all over the place."

Elena's psyche dashed, attempting to consider an answer, an exit from this bad dream. However, before she could talk, she heard strides behind her. She went to see Luca, his face pale and stressed.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked, her voice loaded up with disarray.

Luca didn't answer immediately, his eyes moving among her and Adrian. At last, he talked, his voice loaded up with distress. "Please accept my apologies, Elena. I had no way out."

Elena's heart skirted a thump as she understood what he implied. "No... "

Luca's eyes loaded up with tears. "They compromised you, Elena. They said on the off chance that I didn't bring you here, they'd kill you. I wouldn't... I couldn't allow that to occur."

Adrian's face obscured, and he ventured forward, putting himself among Elena and Luca. "You deceived her."

"I had no way out!" Luca yelled, his voice breaking. "I'm attempting to safeguard her!"

Be that as it may, it was past the point of no return. The sound of vehicles moving toward reverberated as the night progressed, and inside minutes, a few dark SUVs pulled up, men in suits arising, their countenances not set in stone. Among them was Vincenzo Moretti, Adrian's uncle and the genuine power behind the family.

"Elena Rossi," Vincenzo said, his voice as downright frigid. "You've been creating truly a ruckus in our undertakings. It's time we shut down this."

Adrian ventured forward, his eyes blasting with outrage. "This is between us, Vincenzo. Give her a rest."

Vincenzo snickered, a savage sound that creeped Elena out. "Gracious, Adrian, you've forever been excessively delicate. That is the reason you won't ever be the man your dad was."

Adrian grasped his clench hands, however before he could speak, Elena ventured forward, her voice shudder with dread yet bound sincerely. "This isn't Adrian's issue. I'm the person who began all of this. In the event that you will rebuff somebody, rebuff me."

Vincenzo raised an eyebrow, obviously charmed by her courage. "How honorable of you. In any case, sadly, you've both become liabilities."

Elena's heart hustled as the men shut in, however before they could contact her, Adrian took out a weapon, pointing it at Vincenzo. "Remain back."

The men froze, amazed by Adrian's unexpected disobedience. Be that as it may, Vincenzo only grinned, as though entertained by the signal. "You won't shoot me, Adrian. You're not an executioner."

Adrian's hand shuddered, and briefly, Elena dreaded he would bring down the firearm. However at that point his eyes met hers, and something in them solidified. "You're correct," he said unobtrusively. "I'm not an executioner. Yet, I will take the necessary steps to safeguard the lady I love."

With that, Adrian directed the weapon back toward himself, the barrel squeezed against his own sanctuary. "Let her go, or I pledge to God, I'll end this here."

Elena heaved, her deplorables as she understood what Adrian was going to do. "No! Adrian, don't actually!"

In any case, Adrian didn't falter, his eyes locked on Vincenzo's. "Let. Her. Go."

Briefly, there was only quiet. Then, to Elena's shock, Vincenzo gestured to his men, and they stepped back, bringing down their weapons.

"Great," Vincenzo said, his voice quiet. "She can go. Yet, you, Adrian... you're accompanying us."

Adrian brought down the firearm, his demeanor loaded up with acquiescence. "I know."

Elena hurried to him, destroying streaming her face. "No, Adrian, you can't do this. We can in any case run, we can - "

Adrian quieted her with a kiss, his lips delicate and delicate against hers. At the point when he pulled away, his eyes were loaded up with a misery that tore at her heart. "I love you, Elena. Be that as it may, this is the main way."

Before she could dissent, he tenderly pushed her toward Luca, who got her as she staggered. "Deal with her," Adrian told Luca, his voice firm. "Furthermore, ensure she remains safe."

Luca gestured, his demeanor loaded up with culpability and distress. "I will. I guarantee."

Elena battled against Luca's hold, however he held her tight as Adrian turned and strolled toward the holding up men. "Adrian, no! Kindly, don't do this!"

However, Adrian didn't think back. He left, abandoning Elena, her heart broke into 1,000,000 pieces.

As the SUVs drove away, taking Adrian with them, Elena tumbled to her knees, wails wracking her body. She had lost him, the man she adored more than anything on earth. What's more, there was no way to save him.

Be that as it may, even as she sobbed, a flash of assurance lighted inside her. She could have lost Adrian for the present, however she won't surrender. She would figure out how to bring him back, regardless of what it took.

Since genuine affection, she knew, merited battling for.