CHAPTER 75: FIGHTING BACK TOGETHER(PART III)

The city had never looked so haunted. From the blackened skyline to the ash drifting like snow over the harbor, everything bore the scars of war. Luca’s convoy tore through the streets at dawn, the low growl of engines echoing between buildings that had once belonged to their enemies and now, maybe, to no one. Aria sat beside him, her wounded arm bound tightly in a strip of his shirt, her eyes reflecting the smoldering horizon.

The adrenaline of the night before had faded, leaving behind exhaustion and an eerie stillness between them. The chapel, their almost-wedding, their brief glimpse of peace, all of it had been turned to smoke. But neither spoke of loss. Their silence wasn’t defeat; it was resolve.

"We’ll regroup at the port," Luca said finally, voice rough from hours of shouting orders. "Enzo’s men are already sweeping the docks. If Matteo’s still alive, that’s where he’ll strike next."

Aria nodded, jaw set. "Then that’s where we end it."

Luca looked at her, almost smiling despite everything. "You sound like me."

"Maybe I’ve been spending too much time with a mob boss."

He chuckled softly, a rare sound lately. "You make that sound like a bad thing."

Their banter was a thin layer of warmth against the cold that had settled in both of them. The closer they got to the docks, the thicker the fog became, rolling off the water like ghosts. Every shadow felt alive. Every sound could be an ambush waiting to happen.

When the convoy halted, Luca gave a signal. His men fanned out, weapons ready. The air smelled of oil, sea salt, and blood. Aria stepped out, the hem of her ruined gown dragging through puddles. Somewhere deep down, she realized she’d never be that girl again, the one who wore white and dreamed of normalcy. The woman standing here was something else entirely.

"Stay close," Luca said again, though his voice had softened this time. "If Matteo’s desperate, he’ll use anyone and anything against us."

Aria’s gaze swept the empty pier, her heartbeat steady. "Then he’ll find we’re not easy targets."

They advanced together, flanked by Enzo and a handful of loyal guards. The warehouse ahead loomed like a sleeping monster, its rusted doors half-open. Inside, faint light flickered.

Luca raised his hand, a signal to halt. He listened. Then, faintly, came the sound of footsteps. Not running. Pacing. Someone waiting.

Matteo.

Luca motioned for his men to surround the building. "He’s mine," he murmured.

Aria grabbed his arm. "No. He’s ours."

He looked at her, saw the fire in her eyes, and realized there was no arguing. She wasn’t just part of this story anymore, she was the story.

They stepped inside.

The warehouse smelled of gasoline and damp wood. Matteo stood at the center, one arm in a sling, his once-charming face now shadowed and gaunt. Around him, a few surviving soldiers lingered, their weapons trembling. But Matteo didn’t look at them. His eyes were locked on Luca and Aria.

"Well," he said, his voice echoing through the hollow space, "the happy couple returns."

Luca said nothing. His gun remained steady, trained on his brother’s chest.

Matteo smiled bitterly. "I should’ve known she’d turn you against me. You were always too easily swayed by love."

Aria’s voice cut through the tension. "Don’t blame me for your failures. You betrayed your own blood long before I came along."

Matteo’s eyes flicked toward her, burning. "You think you’re better than us, princess? You’re just like your mother, crawling out of one empire to poison another."

Her breath hitched. "You know nothing about her."

"I know enough," Matteo sneered. "She destroyed everything she touched. And now you’re doing the same."

Luca stepped forward, fury barely restrained. "This ends now, Matteo. You’ve made your choice. You sided with the enemies who want us both dead."

Matteo laughed, a dry, broken sound. "Us? There’s no us anymore. You’re blinded, brother. You’d burn the entire world for her."

Luca didn’t blink. "Maybe I would. But at least I’d burn it for something real."

The tension shattered when Matteo raised his gun. The warehouse exploded into gunfire. Aria ducked behind a stack of crates, returning fire as Luca advanced. Bullets tore through wood and metal, sparks flying. The echo of every shot was deafening.

Enzo’s men stormed in, pinning down Matteo’s guards. But Matteo himself moved like a shadow, circling closer, firing wildly. He shouted over the chaos, "You can’t save her, Luca! They’ll never accept her, she’s the enemy now!"

Aria darted from cover, her pulse hammering. "You’re wrong!" she shouted back. "I’m not the enemy, I’m the future!"

For a moment, Matteo hesitated, just long enough. Luca emerged from the smoke and tackled him to the ground. Their guns skidded away, clattering across the concrete. The brothers fought brutally, fists slamming, years of rage exploding in every strike.

"After everything we built!" Matteo roared, blood running from his mouth. "You chose her!"

Luca pinned him down, panting, eyes blazing. "I chose peace! Something you never understood!"

Matteo twisted violently, throwing Luca off. Both scrambled for their guns. Aria saw Matteo reach first and without thinking, she ran forward. The shot rang out, and she screamed.

But it wasn’t her.

Luca stood behind Matteo, his gun still smoking. His expression was unreadable, sorrow, fury, love, all tangled together. Matteo staggered, looking down at the blood spreading across his chest.

"You..." he gasped, eyes wide. "You actually did it."

Luca caught him before he hit the ground, lowering him gently. "You left me no choice."

Matteo tried to laugh, but the sound came out wet, broken. "She’ll... destroy you too... just like...."

He didn’t finish. His head fell back, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Aria stood frozen, her hand over her mouth. Luca didn’t move for a long time, just stared at his brother’s lifeless body, rain dripping through the broken roof onto both of them.

Finally, he rose, his shoulders heavy but his eyes clear. "It’s over," he said quietly.

Aria stepped closer, trembling. "No, Luca... it’s just beginning."

He looked at her, at the strength in her gaze, the sorrow she carried like a crown and he knew she was right. Matteo’s death wasn’t the end of the war. It was the spark that would ignite the next one.

Outside, Enzo approached, blood splattered across his jacket. "The docks are secure. No survivors from Matteo’s side."

Luca nodded, his expression unreadable. "Burn it all. Every trace of this place."

As the warehouse went up in flames, Aria watched the fire dance against the dawn. Matteo’s betrayal, her mother’s secrets, their stolen wedding, it all seemed to dissolve into the smoke. Yet beneath the ashes, something new was forming, an empire reborn.

She turned to Luca, her voice soft but certain. "We can’t hide anymore. They’ll come for us now, every family, every rival."

"Then we meet them head-on," he said. "As equals."

The firelight glowed in their eyes, hers sharp with determination, his steady with purpose. For the first time, they were no longer just lovers fighting to survive. They were rulers preparing to reclaim everything that had been stolen.

Luca reached for her hand. "You ready for this, principessa?"

Aria squeezed his fingers, her lips curving into a fierce, tired smile. "I was born for this."

And as the first light of morning broke over the burning docks, they stood side by side, king and queen of the ruins, knowing the battle wasn’t over, but neither were they. Not now. Not ever.