He Chose His Bastard Over Our Baby - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

The acrid smoke coiled into the night sky like a vengeful serpent, choking the air with its thick tendrils. Flames greedily consumed one of Darius's hidden strongholds, transforming steel and concrete into smoldering wreckage. His fallen men lay scattered across the ground, their blood seeping into the dirt like a dark offering to Lorenzo's fury.
And I knew with chilling certainty—this was just the opening move.
Darius stood motionless beside me, his face an unreadable mask as he watched the inferno rage in the distance. Only the hungry crackle of flames and the faint echo of useless sirens broke the silence.
"He's lost his damn mind," Darius muttered, his voice carefully flat. But I could read him like an open book—beneath that icy control, rage simmered.
I crossed my arms so tightly my nails bit into my flesh. "What exactly were you expecting? A polite note?"
Those dark, fathomless eyes turned on me. "Stay out of this, Valeria."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Not a chance in hell."
"This isn't your fight—"
I stepped into his space, cutting him off. "The moment Lorenzo torched your empire, he made it personal. This is my war now too."
His jaw clenched. "You think I don't know that? But I've got it handled. I don't need you playing hero."
"Wake up, Darius!" I snapped. "He's coming for me too. You really expect me to sit around like some damsel while he burns our world to the ground?"
Darius dragged a hand down his face like I was giving him an aneurysm. "Goddammit, Valeria—"
The sharp ring of his phone cut through the tension. His answers were clipped, but when the words registered, his expression turned to granite.
"They hit the estate."
Ice flooded my veins.
Lorenzo had struck back.
Darius turned to me, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Stay here."
I met his gaze head-on. "Try and stop me."
"That's an order, Valeria."
He never pulled rank with me—until tonight. And for once, I didn't argue.
At least not out loud.
But no way in hell was I staying put.
The second he disappeared into the night, I grabbed my pistol, shrugged into my jacket, and followed.
Chaos had already claimed the estate by the time I arrived.
Blood slicked the marble floors in macabre patterns. Darius's guards lay in grotesque heaps, their lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The coppery stench of death clung to the air, but I pushed forward, weapon ready.
Gunfire erupted upstairs.
Darius.
I sprinted toward the sound, my pulse hammering in my throat. Shadows shifted—three armed figures.
No hesitation. No mercy.
The first shot whizzed past my ear. I dove behind a pillar, counting heartbeats before striking.
One clean headshot.
The second gunman swung his weapon toward me, but I was faster—a bullet between the ribs sent him crumpling.
Then the third—a mountain of muscle—charged.
We crashed to the floor, my pistol skittering away. His fist plowed into my ribs, stealing my breath. Gritting through the pain, I twisted and drove my knee upward.
His pained roar filled the air. Before he could recover, I snatched the knife from his belt and buried it in his throat.
Warm blood gushed over my hands as he collapsed.
I gasped for air, my vision swimming. No time to recover.
A sharp sting at my neck—then nothing.
When consciousness returned, I wasn't at the estate anymore.
Cold metal bit into my wrists. The rattle of chains echoed as I shifted, my limbs leaden. My skull pounded with the aftereffects of whatever cocktail they'd pumped into me.
I was in Lorenzo's bed.
Trapped.
His scent enveloped me—that intoxicating mix of expensive cologne and danger.
I forced my eyes open. The dim lighting carved ominous shadows across the room, and at their center—
Lorenzo.
He perched on the bed's edge, elbows on knees, his bloodied hands steepled. His ruined suit told the story of recent violence, dark hair disheveled like he'd walked through hell itself.
Because he had.
He lifted his head, and when those predator's eyes met mine, his lips curled into that terrifying smile.
"Finally decided to join me, amore mio?"
I yanked against the restraints. Useless.
Lorenzo's chuckle sent ice down my spine. "Still fighting? You should know better by now."
"Let. Me. Go."
His smile widened, all sharp edges and madness. "Make me."
I locked my jaw. "You think chains change anything?"
The amusement vanished. "You've always belonged to me."
I spat in his face.
For one suspended moment, silence.
Then he wiped his cheek with deliberate slowness. "There's my girl."
"Go to hell," I seethed.
Lorenzo tilted his head, studying me with unnerving calm. "Perhaps. But answer me this, cara—if I'm so monstrous, why did you love me?"
I stayed silent.
He wouldn't get that victory.
His fingers traced the bruises on my wrist, tender despite the cruelty. "You fell for the devil, Valeria. Now you want to pretend otherwise?"
I lifted my chin. "I never loved you."
Darkness flooded his gaze. "Liar."
Before I could retort, he moved—
Fast.
His grip on my jaw forced me to meet those burning eyes, his breath hot against my lips. "Lie to yourself all you want, amore. But we both know the truth."
I didn't blink. "Keep telling yourself that."
Something dangerous flickered in his gaze—something unhinged.