Crisis Of War

{ I }

My grip around the wheel tightens as I pray to God that Leon is thinking clearly. He made a promise and I trust him. 

But I don't trust his heart. North is his biggest weakness, he would do anything for her. 

That's why I asked Marco to keep guard. He needs to keep Leon away from Valentina. 

Whatever they have planned, won't work. She's not chipped. I don't need to tell them that, they just need to obey my orders. 

If I told Leon she wasn't chipped, he would tell her. And Valentina would probably still risk her life for North since they're best friends and all. 

But right now, I don't care about that. I need to find a solution to this problem. I need to find a way to get North back without sending Valentina to Steel. 

Because if North dies, I don't only lose my brother, the only family I have left, I lose Valentina as well. 

If I haven't lost her already. 

She's been ignoring me for weeks, she has barely been out of her room since that night, she barely eats or drinks anything and every time I enter a room, she leaves. 

Two more hours. I have two more hours until midnight, meaning that, if they're still at the house, they won't make it even if they tried. 

And Marco didn't text me yet, so I hope that everything is going fine. 

Good news. I can bring her the good news. I can only think about how happy she'll be to find out that there's another way. That we have a way to save North. 

I burst through the doors and stop in the hall, hoping to hear Valentina scream again. But there's nothing but silence. Total fucking silence. 

'Fratello!' Nothing. No fucking response. I dial Leonardo's number, hoping that he'll pick up. But instead, there's a beeping sound coming from down the hall. Out of my office. 

I run down the hall, towards my office, begging, no praying, for him to be there. But he's not there. The office is empty, but his phone is here. 

'Fuck.' I run back into the hall and up the stairs, towards Valentina's room. 

Marco is laying down the hall, gun in hand, on the ground. I crouch down and press my fingers on his wrist. He still has a heartbeat. So he's alive. 

I get back up and head to Valentina's room, hoping that she's still there. 

I locked her in there and took the key with me. The door was fucking locked. Not anymore. The entire door is bashed, wide open, and almost split in two. 

Her room, the bed she ruined before I left, it's empty. 'Cataleya!' No response. Nothing. 

Don't panic. Don't panic.