The villa slept under a bruised sky.
Ana stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair into a loose braid. Every movement was calculated. Her heart pounded, but her face—her face remained calm.
Just like Hayden had taught her.
She was learning from him now. Learning how to lie, how to smile through secrets, how to wear love like a disguise.
The map was folded inside her boot. The forged documents Sofia had quietly slipped into her drawer the night before were tucked into her coat pocket. A second phone—untraceable, unlocked—rested in her bra.
And beneath her heartbeat pulsed one truth:
She had to do this alone.
*But someone already knew.*
There was a knock at the door.
She turned quickly, expecting a guard. But when she opened it, it was Sofia—her eyes sharp, her black curls pulled back into a tight knot.
"You're leaving tonight," Sofia said, not asking, just knowing.
Ana nodded slowly. "How did you—"
"I saw the way you looked at him after the cellar. You weren't afraid. You were finished."
Ana swallowed. "He'll come after me."
Sofia handed her a leather satchel. "Then don't leave a trail."
Ana opened the bag. Inside were clean clothes, cash in euros and dollars, a burner phone, and a sleek black switchblade.
"Sofia…" Ana looked up. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because you deserve to know the truth," Sofia said. "Because he won't give it to you. And because once upon a time, I loved someone like him too."
Ana blinked, startled. "What happened to him?"
Sofia's smile was sharp and bitter. "I stopped loving him before it destroyed me."
She took Ana's hand and squeezed it. "Don't let him choose who you become."
Ana hugged her, suddenly and fiercely. "Thank you."
Sofia stepped back. "The boat leaves in twenty minutes. Small dock behind the orchard. I bribed the night guard. You'll have one hour to get out of the city before the next shift takes over."
Ana nodded, her throat tight. "Does he know?"
Sofia hesitated. "Not yet."
Ana stepped into the hallway like a ghost. The villa was quiet. Hayden was nowhere in sight.
She moved fast.
Past the paintings he'd bought her. Past the silk-draped hallway where he'd once pressed her against the wall and whispered sins into her mouth. Past the study door where he'd first said she belonged to him.
And then she was outside.
The air was sharp, cold with salt from the sea. The path behind the orchard was barely lit. But the boat was there—a small speedboat, engine purring.
The driver wore a black cap and no expression.
Sofia had thought of everything.
Ana climbed in. Her hands shook, but her voice didn't.
"Go."
The boat peeled away from the dock and vanished into the velvet darkness, leaving behind Hayden Moretti's empire, his hands, his rules.
For the first time in weeks, Ana felt like she could breathe.
She was free.
But freedom wasn't safe.
Not when the truth still lived in a vineyard outside Palermo.
Not when Hayden Moretti would wake and find her gone.
---
Back at the villa, the storm hit exactly as Hayden opened his eyes.
He reached across the bed, expecting warm skin and breath against his throat.
But the sheets were cold.
His chest tightened.
He sat up. The room was silent. Too silent.
"Ana?" he called once.
No answer.
He moved fast—barefoot, shirtless, heart already hammering. He checked the hallway. The studio. The library.
Nothing.
He stormed into the office. Pulled the drawer. Her sketchbook was gone.
So was the note.
"Fuck."
He slammed his fist into the wall, shattering the wooden frame of one of her paintings.
Glass crunched beneath his feet as he turned to the monitor above his desk.
Security footage flickered. He rewound to 2:13 a.m.
There she was—wearing black, moving quietly, slipping into the trees behind the orchard.
With help.
His jaw clenched as Sofia's face appeared on-screen.
"You really thought I wouldn't find out," he muttered.
He picked up his phone and dialed.
"Dante," he growled. "Mobilize. She's gone."
Pause.
"Yes. I want her found."
Another pause.
"No. I don't want her hurt."
He hung up and poured himself a glass of water instead of scotch.
For the first time since Ana had entered his life, Hayden felt something crack inside him.
She wasn't just running.
She was searching.
And this time, if he didn't get to her first…
She might not come back at all