Fourteen Deception
Carina’s POV
They threw me into a small, grey, empty room and locked the door behind them.
I stared at the bleak walls, knowing exactly what kind of place this was–a room meant for punishment. A chill ran through me. Minutes later, the door creaked open, and Javier entered, dragging someone behind
him.
It was Lorenzo. His face was bruised and bloody, one eye nearly swollen shut. He looked barely conscious, his head lolling forward, but then his gaze found mine. I swallowed hard, guilt clawing at me.
“Seriously?” Lorenzo rasped, his voice. mocking despite the obvious pain. “Javier Alarcón, is this your grand gesture? A woman as a farewell gift before I die?”
Javier‘ s jaw clenched, and without warning, he kicked Lorenzo hard in the
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stomach. Lorenzo doubled over, coughing,
but he laughed—a grating, painful sound that only made Javier angrier.
Javier kicked him again, this time even harder.
I winced as Lorenzo spat blood, but he still managed to chuckle weakly. The sight was pitiful, and yet, somehow, he kept his defiance.
“You‘ re going to die a slow, painful death, you bastard,” Javier hissed, signaling for his men to haul Lorenzo up. They forced him to stand, though his head hung low, his body trembling.
Lorenzo laughed again, his shoulders shaking.
“I think you’ve got the wrong man, Javier,” I interjected, crossing my arms and stepping forward.
Javier turned to me, his glare icy. “You think I’ll let him go just because you say so, Catalina? Kiton and Kallias confirmed
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- it. I even have recordings–don’t think
you can play me.‘
“”
“Yes, I talked to Lorenzo,” I admitted. “I asked for his help, but do you know what he did? He laughed in my face. He said he’d never trust the wife of a don. So, no, Javier, I didn’t rely on him. I sought help elsewhere-from Carina and Chris De
Verus.”
“You‘ re lying,” Javier snapped.
“Am I?” I countered, tilting my head. “Javier, you really don’t know me, do you? Why would I go to a mere police chief when I have my family?”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Your family?”
I smiled, bored by his ignorance. “I didn’t need the Italian police. I needed the men of Monaco.”
“You‘ re bluffing,” he growled. “Why would I fear anyone from Monaco?”
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I didn’t answer, but the tension in the room thickened. Then Javier’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, frowning, and answered.
“Hello?”
A moment later, his expression hardened. He ended the call abruptly and turned to me, his eyes burning with disbelief.
“You‘ re not Catalina. Who the hell are you?”
I laughed, throwing my head back. “Oh, Javier,” I said, wiping a fake tear from my eye. “You really thought I was Catalina? No, you’ve got the wrong woman. Did you speak with her on the phone? What did she say? Has she already started killing your men, one by one? The Monaco assassins are bloodthirsty, Javier, and one of them happens to be my twin–Catalina De Verus.”
He pointed a gun at me, his hands. trembling with rage. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe this? A
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prerecorded call isn’t proof. You‘ re just trying to confuse me.”
I sighed dramatically. “Believe what you want. It doesn’t change anything. My sister isn’t coming to save me–she’s coming to kill Sophia‘ s unborn child. You know, as payback for what that bitch did to hers.”
Javier‘ s face twisted with fury. “If anything happens to Sophia, I’ll kill you myself!” he roared.
“You can’t kill me, Javier, you see, my twin‘ s plan is successful, switching each other to play with you like you win, but sadly, you are the one rat in this game,” I remarked, and chuckled.
Just then, one of his men burst into the
room, panic written all over his face.
“Don! Sophia–she’s been taken by Catalina!”
He froze when he saw me standing there.
“But…but…how can this be? I just saw her
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take Sophia. Am I seeing double? Is there…is there two Catalinas?”
Javier shook his head, refusing to believe it.
“There’s no way…”
وو
“Then who took Sophia, boss?” the man asked, his voice trembling.
Javier stormed out of the room, leaving me
alone with Lorenzo and two of his men.
They turned their guns on me immediately.
“Really, Lorenzo?” I said, amused. “Did my sister order you to do this?”
One of the men fired, but I was faster. I threw a needle straight into his neck, hitting a vital point. He dropped to the ground instantly. The second man, terrified, bolted from the room. But I hit his neck enough to be stumble down,
unconscious.
“I agreed to help her,” Lorenzo muttered, struggling to sit up. “But damn it, I didn’t think she’d go this far. Is she trying to get me killed?”
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“She doesn’t care,” I said with a shrug, smiling. “As long as her plan works, nothing else matters. But hey, at least
you’ll get to have in your hand the
powerful syndicate. Consider it a front–row seat.”
With that, I turned and left the room.
