Chapter 8 - Roman Chose His Wife Over the EmpireVictor took Isabella to the old Duca estate.
Roman should have realized immediately.
The mansion represented everything Victor believed belonged to him.
Power.
History.
Control.
A dynasty he had manipulated from the shadows.
By midnight, the estate was surrounded.
Not by Roman’s criminal army.
By federal tactical officers.
State investigators.
A small group of Roman’s most trusted men working under legal supervision.
Matteo hated every second.
“This feels unnatural.”
Roman looked through binoculars.
“You’ll survive.”
“I miss simpler kidnappings.”
Elena stood beside them.
Roman looked at her.
“You’re staying here.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Try again.”
“Elena.”
“Isabella is my family too.”
Roman moved closer.
“And Victor wants you.”
“He wants you more.”
“Comforting.”
Elena touched his arm.
“We do this together.”
Roman hated the risk.
But he had promised himself he would stop confusing love with control.
“Stay behind me.”
She smiled.
“That I can attempt.”
They entered through the western garden.
Roman knew every corridor.
So did Victor.
The mansion was dark.
Family portraits lined the hall.
Roman passed Lorenzo’s image.
For one second, he stopped.
His father looked young in the painting.
Strong.
Confident.
Roman whispered, “I’m trying.”
Elena heard.
She squeezed his hand.
They found Isabella in the ballroom.
The same room where Roman’s parents once hosted weddings, political dinners, and funerals.
Victor stood beside her.
Gun in hand.
Isabella looked irritated.
“You took long enough.”
Roman almost laughed.
Victor pressed the weapon closer.
“Still impossible.”
Isabella snapped, “I’m seventy-four. I’m allowed.”
Elena whispered, “I love her.”
Roman looked at his wife.
“Everyone does eventually.”
Victor’s face twisted.
“This is touching.”
Roman faced him.
“It’s over.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
Victor looked around the ballroom.
“You think federal warrants erase fifty years?”
“No.”
“You think becoming legitimate makes you clean?”
“No.”
Victor smiled.
“At least you understand something.”
Roman stepped forward.
Victor aimed at Isabella.
“Stop.”
Roman stopped.
Victor looked toward Elena.
“You.”
Elena stiffened.
“Come here.”
“No,” Roman said.
Victor smiled.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Elena looked at Roman.
He shook his head.
Victor cocked the gun.
Isabella rolled her eyes.
“If you kill me, Victor, I swear I will haunt you.”
Even Victor looked confused.
Roman nearly smiled.
“Elena,” Victor repeated.
She stepped forward.
Roman caught her hand.
“Don’t.”
She whispered, “Trust me.”
Those words again.
Roman released her.
Elena walked.
Victor pulled Isabella aside and grabbed Elena.
Gun against her neck.
Roman’s body tensed.
Victor smiled.
“There.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
Roman frowned.
Victor continued.
“Kneel.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
“Roman, no.”
Victor pressed the gun harder.
Roman knelt.
Matteo swore behind him.
Victor looked triumphant.
“All these years.”
Roman stared up.
Victor laughed.
“Lorenzo’s son on his knees.”
Roman remained calm.
Victor’s smile weakened.
“You expected anger,” Roman said.
“What?”
“You always expect anger.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
Roman continued.
“You killed my father because he threatened your power.”
Silence.
“You tortured Gabriel because he wouldn’t give you information.”
Roman looked at Elena.
“You threatened my wife because you think love makes people easy to control.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“And yet here you are.”
“Yes.”
Roman looked at him.
“Because I would kneel for her.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
Victor smiled again.
“That proves my point.”
“No.”
Roman stood slowly.
Victor aimed.
Roman stopped.
“It proves I am not ashamed of loving someone more than power.”
Victor’s expression changed.
Roman continued.
“You could never understand that.”
Victor’s hand tightened.
“You think Lorenzo understood?”
“Yes.”
“I killed him.”
“And twenty years later, I am doing exactly what he wanted.”
Roman looked around the old mansion.
“I’m ending this.”
Victor laughed.
“You cannot end blood.”
“Watch me.”
Victor fired.
Elena moved.
Roman heard the shot.
For one horrific second, history repeated itself.
Elena fell.
Roman screamed.
“Elena!”
Chaos erupted.
Federal officers entered.
Matteo fired.
Victor disappeared behind a pillar.
Roman crawled toward Elena.
Blood spread near her side.
“No.”
She gasped.
“It grazed me.”
Roman looked.
The bullet had torn across her upper arm and side.
Not deep.
Alive.
He pulled her close.
“You are banned from bullets.”
Elena laughed weakly.
“Reasonable.”
Isabella crawled behind cover.
“I’m fine too, if anyone cares.”
Roman shouted, “Matteo!”
“I have Victor!”
Roman looked.
Victor had reached the staircase.
Matteo aimed.
Victor fired back.
Then escaped toward Roman’s father’s old study.
Roman handed Elena to a medic.
“Stay.”
Her fingers caught his sleeve.
“Roman.”
He looked down.
“Don’t become him.”
Roman nodded.
Then followed.
Victor stood in Lorenzo’s study.
A fire burned in the fireplace.
Papers scattered across the floor.
Roman entered alone.
Victor held a gun.
Roman’s weapon remained lowered.
“This room,” Victor said. “Your father died because of decisions made in this room.”
Roman looked around.
“My father died on a road.”
“The decision happened here.”
Victor smiled.
“He asked me to leave.”
Roman said nothing.
“He said there was no place for men like me in the future.”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“He thought legitimate business would save you.”
Roman looked at him.
“He was right.”
Victor’s expression hardened.
“You’re weak.”
“You keep saying that.”
“You kneel for women.”
“Yes.”
“You surrendered territory.”
“Yes.”
“You gave evidence to the government.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed the Duca name.”
Roman smiled.
“No.”
Victor stopped.
Roman continued.
“I finally separated the name from men like you.”
Victor raised the gun.
Roman did not move.
“Shoot me.”
Victor stared.
“You want to?”
Roman shook his head.
“You want me to shoot back.”
Victor’s breathing changed.
“You need me to prove your worldview.”
Roman stepped forward.
“Fear. Violence. Revenge.”
Another step.
“That is all you understand.”
Victor’s finger tightened.
Roman stopped.
“So if I kill you, you win.”
Victor screamed and fired.
Roman moved.
The bullet hit the wall.
Matteo entered from the side and tackled Victor.
Agents followed.
Victor fought.
Cursed.
Demanded Roman kill him.
Roman simply watched.
Officers cuffed Victor.
As they dragged him away, Victor shouted, “You owe everything to me!”
Roman looked at him.
“No.”
He turned toward the doorway.
Elena stood there despite the medic’s protest.
Bandaged.
Alive.
Roman walked toward her.
Victor continued shouting behind him.
Roman no longer listened.
He reached Elena.
“You were told to stay with the medic.”
“You were told to stop ordering me around.”
Roman sighed.
“This marriage is exhausting.”
“So leave.”
He looked at her.
Never.
The word came before thought.
“I won’t.”
Elena smiled.
Roman touched her face.
“Not unless you ask.”
Her expression softened.
“I’m not asking.”
He kissed her forehead.
Behind them, Victor was taken from the house.
The man who shaped Roman’s life for twenty years left in handcuffs.
Roman expected triumph.
Instead he felt peace.
Quiet.
Strange.
Real.
May you like
The empire was ending.
His marriage, finally, was beginning.
