Chapter 2 The Devil You Don't Know.

Elena sat huddled at the corner of the bed, the thick gold chains clinking with every trembling breath. The luxurious bedroom mocked her imprisonment-ornate furniture, a crystal chandelier, and cream walls so pristine they could've belonged to a five-star hotel. Yet the weight on her ankles reminded her this was no sanctuary. This was a cage.

She replayed Lorenzo's words again and again.

The Black Ledger. Your father's betrayal. Something hidden in your name.

Nothing made sense.

A knock tapped against the door, and before she could respond, it opened.

A woman entered. Tall, striking, dressed in black with an elegance that screamed both money and danger. She carried a tray of food.

"I'm Bianca," she said in a clipped voice. "Eat. You'll need your strength."

Elena stared at her, refusing the food with a glare. "Tell me why I'm here. What did my father do?"

Bianca set the tray down and crossed her arms. "Ignorance isn't an excuse. Your father worked with Lorenzo once. Until he double-crossed him and got people killed."

Elena's eyes widened. "My father's a senator. He's not a-"

"A criminal?" Bianca arched a brow. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"No."

Bianca smirked. "Then you're more dangerous than we thought."

---

Meanwhile, Lorenzo stood in the war room, watching live security feeds of the estate. His jaw clenched when he saw Elena pacing the room like a trapped lioness. She was beautiful even in anger-wild, defiant, and unpredictable.

"She doesn't know anything," Bianca said behind him. "But someone will come looking for her."

"They already are," Lorenzo muttered, holding up a photo that had just come in-Elena's ex-boyfriend, Alexander Graves, talking to an FBI contact. "And he's making noise."

Bianca frowned. "You think he's working with her father?"

"I think he's a pawn," Lorenzo said. "But the FBI is sniffing too close, and if they find her here..."

"You'll have a war."

Lorenzo's eyes darkened. "Then we finish this before they do."

---

Back in her room, Elena ate slowly, weighing every movement like it was part of a silent negotiation.

When Bianca left, she searched the room again. And this time, she found something-behind the dresser, a loose panel. She pried it open and found a small compartment.

Inside, a folded note.

Her hands shook as she opened it.

If you're reading this, then you're not safe. Find the ring. The code is in the sapphire. –Dad

Her breath caught.

The ring. Her late mother's sapphire ring. She hadn't seen it in years.

Her father always said it was lost.

But now, she knew he'd hidden it-for a reason.

She tucked the note in her bra just as the door burst open.

Lorenzo stood there, his expression unreadable.

"Time for answers," he said.

Lorenzo's footsteps were precise, each step a warning. Elena sat up straighter, hiding the tremble in her hands. He walked over, dragging a chair to face her bed.

"I've been patient," he said, his voice low. "But my patience is thinning."

"I told you, I don't know anything," she replied, trying to steady her voice.

He leaned in, his eyes dark and full of calculation. "Your father used you. You may not remember, but you're involved in this deeper than you realize. Years ago, he forged a document. Buried something inside your name-encrypted. A ledger filled with names, operations, payments. Things that could bury every major mafia family on the East Coast. Including mine."

She blinked. "And you think I have it?"

"I know you do. Or at least... the key to unlocking it."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she spat. "Torture me?"

A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. "I don't hurt women, Elena. But I will break your lies if I must."

She stood then, yanking her chained ankles forward, face inches from his. "You think I'm lying because you can't see past your own rage."

"I think," he said, voice barely above a whisper, "you're more like your father than you care to admit."

"Don't compare me to him."

The silence that followed burned.

"You don't know what kind of man he truly is," Lorenzo said finally. "He had my brother executed. Said it was for justice. But it was for power."

The words sliced like knives.

She didn't know. Couldn't believe it.

Yet... the note she found suggested he had secrets.

Maybe too many.

---

Later that night, Elena stared at the moon through the barred window. She clutched the note, its edges worn from her fingers.

The ring. The sapphire.

She remembered it now-her mother's sapphire ring. A gift from her father before everything went dark. She was ten when it vanished. He told her she lost it.

But he lied.

He always lied.

Her mother died in a car crash when Elena was just twelve. A crash no one ever explained fully. That was the same year her father stopped smiling. The same year he started locking doors in their house and making late-night calls.

Was it all connected?

Lorenzo was right about one thing-her life was never as clean as she thought.

---

In a room full of screens, Rocco approached Lorenzo.

"We have a problem," he said. "Someone's in town. Albanian. Name's Erion Daka."

Lorenzo tensed. "Daka works for the Kodra family. If he's here, they know."

"They're searching for Elena, too."

Lorenzo cursed under his breath. "Move her. Now."

---

Elena was asleep when rough hands grabbed her. She jolted awake as two men pulled her from the bed, chained and all.

"Where-what's going on?!"

"Silence," one of them barked.

She was shoved into a black SUV, blindfolded. Her heart pounded. Had Lorenzo given up on her? Was this someone else?

They drove for hours-or it felt like it. Finally, they stopped.

She was dragged out and brought into what smelled like old wood and dust.

The blindfold was ripped off.

Lorenzo stood in front of her. Alone.

"This is my safehouse," he said.

"You moved me without telling me?"

"You were about to be stolen by worse men than me."

"Is that supposed to make you my savior?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled something from his coat.

Her mother's sapphire ring.

Her breath stopped.

"Where did you get that?" she whispered.

"From your father's lawyer. After I threatened to burn down his office."

She reached for it, but he pulled it back. "Not yet. You need to tell me something first."

"What?"

Lorenzo's gaze turned deadly serious. "Why did your mother die?"

Elena froze. "What?"

"There's no official report. No autopsy. Just a cremation. And your father? He had dinner with a cartel boss the same night."

Her knees weakened.

He walked to her, gently this time, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You think I'm your enemy, Elena. But maybe I'm the only one telling you the truth."

Elena stared at the ring.

It gleamed in the low light, the sapphire catching the flame of a nearby candle like it held secrets. Her hands trembled, not just from fear, but from the whirlwind inside her. Her mother's ring. Her father's secrets. Lorenzo's accusations. And that growing, terrifying feeling that everything she thought was real... was a lie.

She met Lorenzo's eyes, her voice husky. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I've lost too much to your family," he said. "And because something tells me... you deserve to know the truth."

"Then tell me," she whispered. "All of it."

Lorenzo handed her the ring.

"Elena, your father wasn't just a corrupt politician. He was an architect-of blood deals, alliances, betrayals. He forged a bond with my father once, years ago. They built an empire-one in the shadows."

She stared at him, lips parted in shock.

"But greed turned him into something else. He helped assassinate my father and my older brother. Then he cut ties, burned evidence, and entered politics like nothing ever happened. But he kept one thing-the ledger."

Her mind reeled.

"And you think that ledger is hidden in this?" she asked, lifting the ring.

"Yes," Lorenzo said. "Encrypted. Encoded. The gem is synthetic-it's actually a secure digital capsule."

Elena blinked in disbelief. "So this whole time... the key to everything was a ring I wore when I was seven?"

He nodded. "Your father knew no one would suspect a child's jewelry. Smart. Ruthless."

Suddenly, a noise outside made Lorenzo tense.

He moved to the wall, flicked a switch, and a concealed panel slid open. Inside were security monitors. A black SUV had stopped at the base of the hill. Armed men in dark jackets exited.

"Daka's men," he muttered.

Elena's heart thudded. "How did they find us?"

"I don't know," Lorenzo growled. "But we're out of time."

He grabbed her hand. "We need to go. Now."

---

They raced down a narrow tunnel beneath the cabin. Elena's legs ached, but adrenaline pushed her forward. Behind them, gunfire erupted. The walls shook with the sound of explosions. Lorenzo's men were buying time-but not much.

They emerged into a garage buried beneath a mountain of rock. Lorenzo hit a switch. A vehicle's engine roared to life.

A black Ducati motorcycle.

"You've got to be kidding me," Elena gasped.

Lorenzo tossed her a helmet. "I don't kid."

He climbed on. She hesitated only a second before straddling behind him. The moment she wrapped her arms around his waist, she felt it-his muscles tense, but sure. Dangerous, but... solid.

"Hold on tight," he said.

They shot out of the hidden exit just as the cabin above exploded.

---

Two hours later, they were miles away, safe-at least for now.

Lorenzo parked outside an old stone chapel on the outskirts of an abandoned town.

"We'll stay here for the night," he said.

Inside, the chapel was eerily peaceful. Elena sat in the front pew, clutching the ring.

Lorenzo watched her silently, then walked over.

"You okay?"

She gave a bitter laugh. "No. But I'm not breaking either."

He sat beside her, close but not touching. "That's what I admire about you."

Elena looked at him. "Why me?"

"What?"

"You could've taken this to the FBI. You could've killed me. But you didn't. Why?"

He met her gaze. "Because... I see something in you. Something raw. Honest. Even when you hate me."

"I don't hate you," she whispered.

His hand reached out, brushing hers.

"Then what do you feel?"

Their eyes locked. The fire between them simmered-dangerous, intense, undeniable.

"Confused," she admitted. "Drawn. And scared."

He leaned in. "You should be."

His lips brushed hers-tentative, then firm. A kiss born of fire and fury, of truth and betrayal. She should've pushed him away.

But she didn't.