Chapter 18 ANNETTE'S POV The rush hit me the second I pulled that trigger. Sharp. Hot. Like fire tearing through my chest No guilt. No trembling hands. No second thoughts. Just justice. Sweet, sharp justice. I smirked as I walked away like nothing happened. If I wanted Maisie gone, I would've put a bullet between her eyes. But not yet. Death was too easy. I wanted her to feel it. To live with it. Her laugh from my dream echoed in my head-the way my little girl cried for me. And now watching Maisie clutch her stomach, bleeding out on her wedding day, it felt like balance. "Eye for an eye," I whispered under my breath. "Now you know what it feels like." Cameras flashed, guests screamed, the world spun in chaos, but me? I melted into the shadows heart steady. Lips curling. Satisfaction pumping through me. My car was waiting, plates swapped, everything clean. I slid in, slammed the door, and disappeared into the night. - The hideout was dark, smell of gun oil and smoke. I didn't even flinch when the door slamme open. Vincenzo stormed in like a beast unchained, his voice colder than steel. "You reckless little fool," he spat, stepping right in front of me. "What if you got caught? You went to the Anderson wedding as a sniper." I leaned back in my chair, calm, smug even, letting him see I wasn't afraid. "She killed my baby Now I killed hers." His fist slammed down on the table so hard the wood split. "This isn't revenge. This is suicide To take down your enemy, you need a plan. If you act reckless again, you will lose your head Annette!" I tilted my chin, eyes burning. "I already lost my head, Vince. The day they tried to shoot me dead. The day I found out they killed my innocent daughter. So don't talk to me about losing anything. It's already gone." His gaze sharpened, but I saw something shift, just a flicker, like he understood. He exhaled slowly, his tone still deadly but softer around the edges. "I know you're hurting. Anc that hurt, that fire in you, that's power. But power without a plan is just a blade turned or yourself. Next time, you include me. You hear me? I won't stop you, you know that. But enough of this madness tonight. Pack your things." I frowned. "Where are we going?" He stepped closer, shadows swallowing his face, voice low, dangerous. "Europe. Tonight. It's time you meet your father. Don Edwardo Lombardo." The name punched through me, leaving my chest tight, breath caught. The man I never knew. The father I'd imagined my whole damn life. Vincenzo's eyes locked on mine. "You are his greatest gift. His blood. His heir." My throat went dry, I whispered, "You think my father will welcome me?" His lips curved into something dark, unreadable. "Let's see." Dear Husband I Don't Love! 603 11:42 am - Hours later, as the plane cut through the night sky, I pressed my forehead to the cold window The lights of New York faded behind me. Rufus. Margaret. Maisie. Still alive, still breathing, still clinging to their golden palace like nothing could touch them. I smiled. A sharp, hungry smile. "This was only the beginning," I told the stars outside. "Once I claimed my place as Lombardo.. I'll finish what I started. The Andersons will burn." The Lombardo villa looked like it came straight out of a nightmare and a dream at the same time. Cold marble walls, tall iron gates, silence thick as smoke. Guards lined every corner, rifles in their hands, eyes like hawks. I felt them weighing me, measuring me, deciding if I belonged or if I was just another intruder who wouldn't leave alive. Vincenzo walked ahead of me, shoulders squared, voice low like a warning bell. "Stay close. No matter what, don't flinch." I lifted my chin higher. "I don't flinch." His lips curved but not into a smile. "Good. Prove it." Inside, the air smelled of cigar smoke and power. And then I saw him. Don Edwardo Lombardo, Older. Sharp lines carved into his face, eyes burning like fire behind the smoke of his cigar. Jus standing there, he looked like the kind of man who could crush empires with a word. My father. Vincenzo's voice cut through the silence. "Father, I bring you your missing daughter. The Lombardo heiress." Don Edwardo didn't rush toward me, didn't break down instantly. No. He stared, heavy and slow like he was looking through my soul. Then his voice, rough like gravel. "The nape. Show me." My hands trembled but I forced them steady. I pulled my hair up, baring the back of my neck. I felt his stare like a blade cutting through skin. "Light," he barked. His men scrambled, bringing some kind of UV lamp. The beam hit my nape, and there it was. The mark. Ace-shaped. Burning red under the light. I heard his breath catch. Saw his hands shaking. The cigar nearly slipped. Then Miranda stepped in, calm as ever, placing a sealed envelope in his hands. "Father, I ran the DNA test myself. The results are 99.9 percent. She's your daughter." He ripped the paper open with desperate fingers. His eyes scanned the results. And then the impossible happened. The Don of the Lombardos, the man even nightmares feared, dropped the cigar, tears spilling down his face. "My blood," he whispered, voice breaking. "My child." I froze. My chest tightened, and for a second I forgot how to breathe. For years I believed I was nothing. An orphan. A mistake. Abandoned by people who didn't want me. And here he was. The father I never knew. He stepped forward, arms trembling, and then he pulled me into him. His embrace was rough, desperate, breaking him apart in front of everyone. Chapter 18 11:42 am "My daughter," he choked, pressing his hand to my hair. "Forgive me... forgive me for all the years I wasn't there." The men stared in silence. His foster children looked like the ground just fell out beneath them. Vincenzo stood still, arms crossed, but there was a flicker of pride in his eyes. Miranda bowed her head respectfully. Peter... poor Peter was wiping his tears like a little kid. And me? I cried too. For years I hardened myself, told myself no one would ever come for me. But here he was. My father. Flesh of my flesh. Inside, though, I whispered to myself: If I am truly Lombardo, then the Andersons don't stand a chance. They wanted me broken, orphaned, forgotten. Now I rise as blood. As fire. As heir. 11:42 am S In "Someone Loved is Never Lost" by CrushReel, readers are immersed in a captivating CEO drama that explores the intricacies of love, loss, and redemption. Set against the backdrop of corporate power struggles and personal relationships, this ongoing novel delves deep into the lives of its characters as they navigate the complexities of both the boardroom and the heart. Themes of ambition, betrayal, and resilience intertwine with complex character dynamics, making for a compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. 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