Chapter 28- Blood Rescue
Sophia’s Pov
The room was cold. The kind of cold that crept into your bones and refused to leave.
I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. My legs were tied to the chair, and my arms were numb from the tight ropes biting into my skin.
My head ached from the blow Dante had given me hours ago. Blood had dried at the corner of my mouth.
He was pacing the room now, like a caged animal, his footsteps echoing against the cement floor of the old warehouse.
“You know,” he said with a cold smile, “if you had just died in that damn explosion, everything would have been perfect.”
He kept repeating these words over and over again like a crazed person.
I looked up at him, my throat dry and I finally responded, “Then maybe you should’ve made sure I was dead.”
Dante stopped pacing and turned to face me. His eyes were wild-broken, angry, dangerous. “Don’t get smart with me, Sophia. You don’t understand what you’ve ruined.”
coughed weakly. “You mean how I ruined your plan to kill Lorenzo and take over everything? Or how Renata ended up dead?”
He walked over and grabbed my jaw with his hand. “Renata was mine. She loved me. She carried my children.”
‘You used her,” I spat. “Just like you used everyone else.”
He let go of me and slapped me across the face. My head jerked sideways from the force.
Tears welled in my eyes, not from the pain, but from the rage and fear building inside me.
‘I’m going to burn everything,” Dante muttered, his voice low and shaking. “The Calderons. The Morettis. Everything they ever loved.”
‘You can try,” I said quietly. “But you’ll lose.”
He laughed. “You think anyone is coming for you? Mateo’s probably dead ’cause I sent my boys after him. Lorenzo’s useless. Your family won’t even know where you are until I send your body
back.”
closed my eyes. I didn’t want to believe that. Mateo would come. I knew he would. I had to
believe that.
Dante walked over to a small table and picked up a knife. He turned it slowly in his hands, admiring it like it was art.
‘I’m not going to kill you quickly, Sophia,” he said. “You don’t deserve that. I’m going to make you scream. I want them all to hear it.”
He stepped closer.
‘Please…” I whispered.
He grinned. “Begging already? That’s not like you.”
one last chance to walk away.”
He leaned in close, the knife pressed to my neck. “No one’s coming to save you.”
Bang! The sound exploded through the warehouse.
Dante froze.
Another shot rang out, and the lights above flickered.
Then the door burst open.
“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Mateo’s voice rang like thunder.
Dante spun around, aiming his gun.
“Mateo!” I cried.
Mateo didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward as Dante fired,
The shot went off-loud, sharp-and I screamed.
For a second, I thought I had been hit.
But then I saw Mateo fall to the ground in front of me, blood soaking through his shirt.
“No!” I cried out.
Dante stumbled back, surprised by his own shot. Mateo had taken the bullet for me.
“You son of a-” Mateo, even with blood pouring from his chest, fired his gun. The bullet hit Dante in the leg.
Dante screamed and dropped the knife.
Mateo tried to aim again, but his hand was shaking badly. “Run… Sophia…”
I kicked the chair hard, falling to the side, breaking the armrest against the floor. My wrists were
free.
Dante staggered to his feet and limped toward Mateo. “You ruined everything!”
I grabbed the knife Dante had dropped and stood between them. “Touch him and I swear I’ll finish what he started.”
Dante laughed, delirious with pain and rage. “You won’t.”
I didn’t even hesitate. I slashed forward and cut deep across his arm.
He cursed and stumbled back just as police sirens echoed from outside.
He looked at me one last time, eyes blazing. “This isn’t over.”
Then he tried to limp away, but the cops burst in through the broken door, guns drawn.
“DROP YOUR WEAPON!” one of them shouted.
Dante dropped the gun and collapsed to the floor.
I dropped the knife and fell to my knees beside Mateo. He was barely conscious.
“Mateo,” I cried. “No, no, no. Don’t you dare leave me.”
He gave me a small smile. “Told you I’d… protect you.”
“Shut up,” I said, tears running down my face. “You took a bullet for me. You idiot.”
“You’re… worth it.”
“Don’t say that,” I begged. “You’re not dying. You’re not. I love you, Mateo. Do you hear me? I love you.”
His bloodstained hand reached up and brushed my cheek. “You saved me too… Sophia.”
The paramedics rushed in.
“Ma’am, we need to move!”
“No! Don’t take him from me!”
They gently pulled me back as they worked to stop the bleeding and lift Mateo onto a stretcher.
I watched him disappear out the door, whispering his name like a prayer.
Mateo had saved me.
Now I had to pray he would live.
8:55 pm
Sophia’s Pov
