The Don's Favorite lover Vanished (by Melissa Z) novel Chapter 3

**TITLE: The Story of a Girl Who Loved a Man Made Entirely of Secrets 3**
**CONTENT: Chapter 3**

The dinner had come to a close, the clattering of plates and the murmur of conversation fading into the background.

“Chiara, you’re coming too,” Vincenzo’s voice rang out from the top of the grand staircase, cutting through the remnants of our evening.

My gaze lifted, and I found him assisting Katerina into her coat, his hands moving with a tenderness that felt foreign to me. It was as if I were swallowing a bitter pill, the taste of jealousy burning in my throat.

“Of course,” he replied, his eyes locking onto mine, cold and unyielding like ice. “You’re my best intel specialist. Time to get familiar with your new boss.” The words dripped with an authority that left no room for argument.

Outside, the armored car stood waiting, its imposing presence a stark reminder of the world we inhabited.

I instinctively gravitated toward the front passenger seat, the familiar urge to claim my space. But a single, piercing look from Vincenzo halted me in my tracks.

“In the back,” he commanded, his tone brooking no dissent.

Katerina, ever the obedient one, took his arm and gracefully slid into the spacious middle row, leaving me to squeeze into the corner of the back seat. I felt like an afterthought, an unnecessary appendage in a scene that was meant for two.

As the car pulled away into the shadowy embrace of the Chicago night, a sense of foreboding settled over me.

Without warning, the first bullet struck, shattering the windshield into a thousand glimmering shards.

“Get down!” Marco shouted, his voice a mix of panic and urgency as he yanked the steering wheel to the side.

Gunfire erupted from every direction, bullets hammering against the vehicle like a torrential downpour.

“Shit!” Vincenzo cursed, pulling his gun free with a practiced ease. “It’s the Torrino family!”

In a surge of adrenaline, I drew my Glock and fired back through the shattered rear window. Katerina screamed, curling tightly in Vincenzo’s protective embrace as he returned fire, his body acting as a shield for her.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m here,” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm amidst the chaos.

The back tires blew out with a deafening pop, and the car spun wildly, careening toward a concrete wall.

Then, I spotted him—a hitter lurking in a side tunnel, raising an RPG to his shoulder, a grim harbinger of death.

“Rocket!” I screamed, the word tearing from my throat as time seemed to stretch into an agonizing eternity.

In that fleeting moment, Vincenzo made a choice that would haunt me forever.

He grabbed Katerina, pulling her beneath him, using his body as a human shield.

And then, in a swift motion, he lifted his foot.

With a forceful kick, he propelled me from the car. Not toward safety, but away from him.

His boot connected with the door beside me, and I was launched into the night, hitting the asphalt hard, my body tumbling as the world blurred into a cacophony of pain and concrete.

“No—” I gasped, the sound barely escaping my lips.

BOOM.

A fireball erupted behind me, consuming everything in its wake.

The shockwave slammed into me, throwing me against the tunnel wall.

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