Chapter 154: The Empty House
Alessandro’s POV
When I got to the car, I jumped in and was about to start the engine when Rafael suddenly reached over and pulled out the keys.
“What the hell, Rafael!”
I snapped, glaring at him, my voice sharp with frustration.
“Alessandro,” he said calmly but firmly,
“I don’t think you’re in the right frame of mind to drive. Let me take the wheel.”
I shook my head stubbornly.
“No. I’m fine. I need to find her, Rafael. She needs me.
I promised her I’d protect her, that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and now this…”
Rafael gave a slow nod, his expression full of understanding but filled with concern.
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be driving. You’re too emotional right now, and I get it, brother.
But if we want to bring her back safely, we need to stay clearheaded.
Please… let me drive.”
He gestured to the driver’s side, waiting for me to move.
I hesitated, gripping the wheel tightly like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.
My chest was tight, my thoughts spiraling. The fear of losing Aurora was overwhelming, and whoever had taken her clearly wouldn’t hesitate to use her as leverage.
After a few tense seconds, I finally let out a shaky breath. Rafael was right.
With a heavy sigh, I pulled my hands from the wheel and stepped out of the driver’s seat, my heart pounding as I walked around the car.
Rafael got into the driver's seat, and I sat beside him. I was tense, staring straight ahead.
The car ride was quiet and uncomfortable. No one said a word. The silence was filled with fear, guilt, and worry.
When we arrived at the address Leonardo had given, I didn’t wait.
As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out. My wolf instincts took over, and I ran to the old, abandoned house.
The windows were broken, and the walls were covered in vines. I charged at the door, slamming my shoulder into it.
It cracked and splintered, and with a second push, it burst open with a loud crash.
“Stay behind me!” I shouted, storming inside.
The air inside was musty and dusty. Shadows filled every corner. I looked around frantically, but there was no one there.
No signs of life anywhere.
Gabriel, Rafael, and Leonardo followed closely behind as we spread out to search the building.
Room by room, we checked. Empty.
Nothing.
Not a soul in sight.
I stood in the center of what looked like a living room, my hands balled into fists, my breath shallow and fast.
Then the anger hit me like a storm.
I turned sharply, my eyes locking on Leonardo. I stormed toward him, grabbed his collar, and slammed him against the nearest wall.
“Where is she, Leonardo?!” I roared.
“Where is my woman?!”
Leonardo’s eyes widened, his guilt no longer hidden. He stammered, his voice weak.
“I... I don’t know… This was the place. This is where I met the cloaked figure… I thought… I thought he would be here…”
I pushed him hard against the wall, my hand holding his collar tight. I was furious.
"You brought us here for nothing?"
I yelled, my voice echoing through the empty room.
Leonardo's eyes went wide, and he shook his head quickly.
"No, this is the right place!
We talked here before. The mysterious person told me to wait here."
He looked desperate, his face filled with guilt and fear.
"I swear, Alessandro, I thought he'd be here. I thought this would lead us to her."
But all I could think about was the time we wasted and the danger Aurora was in.
I was angry at Leonardo for leading us on a wild goose chase, wasting time we didn’t have.
“You brought us all the way out here for nothing.”
I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Leonardo raised his hands defensively.
“Look, I didn’t know we’d find nothing here!
And for the last time, I never poisoned Father!”
“If you didn’t,” Rafael asked sharply, “then who did?”
Leonardo’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t know, damn it!
I only knew about the plan… But I wasn’t the one who actually did it.”
Rafael frowned, thinking hard.
“Wait… guys… Remember when we asked Father who poisoned him?
He refused to say anything.”
Gabriel and I nodded slowly, piecing it together.
I let go of Leonardo’s collar and took a step back, breathing heavily. He straightened his shirt, avoiding my eyes.
“Yeah,” I muttered, thinking aloud.
Rafael’s expression turned serious.
“So what if… what if Father knows it wasn’t Leonardo who poisoned him, but for some reason, he’s protecting whoever it is?”
A heavy silence fell over us as Rafael’s words hung in the air.
Gabriel crossed his arms, his voice low.
“But why would Father protect the person who tried to kill him?”
I clenched my fists. “Unless… it’s someone close to him. Someone he’s trying to shield.”
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed. “You think it could be someone in the inner circle?”
Rafael nodded slowly.
“It makes sense. If it was someone from the outside, Father would’ve exposed them immediately.
But if it was someone close, someone he trusted…”
Gabriel looked at each of us. “Then we have a traitor inside the pack.”
My jaw tightened at the thought. Betrayal from within was far worse than any outside threat.
It meant everything we believed in andeveryone we trusted was now a question mark.
Leonardo’s voice cracked slightly.
“When I was talking with the cloaked figure… his voice sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d heard it before.”
I nodded slowly, my jaw clenched.
“Then the only person who can tell us who poisoned him… is Father himself.”
Gabriel frowned.
“Do you really think he’ll reveal it?
I mean, he didn’t say a word when we asked him the last time.
What makes you think he will now?”
I looked at each of them, my eyes burning with determination.
“Because now it’s not just about him. Aurora’s life is on the line. Whoever did this is still out there, and we’re running out of time.”
Rafael crossed his arms. “Then we need to go back. We need to speak with Father. No more secrets, no more protecting anyone.”
Leonardo nodded quietly, guilt still heavy in his eyes.
“We need the truth. All of it.”
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