Chapter 39: I won't stand by

Dante
The echo of my voice reverberated through the room as I paced back and forth, the phone glued to my ear. The call with the mysterious woman was driving me to the brink of despair.
"You can't be serious!" I shouted, gritting my teeth. "I won't let Ana marry Paolo!"
The cold, calculating voice on the other end of the line showed no compassion.
"Dante, we've already discussed this. The wedding must take place for our plan to work. Paolo is the key to consolidating power and the alliance between our families. If Ana marries him, we will have the control we need."
"I don't care about the damn plan!" I retorted, feeling anger bubbling inside me. "Ana can't marry Paolo. I... I love her."
There was a pause on the other end, as if she was considering my words. But when she spoke again, her tone was even more glacial.
"Your personal feelings are irrelevant to the success of the plan. If you refuse to cooperate, you will be considered expendable. And you know what that means."
I swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat on my forehead. I knew I was treading on thin ice, but I couldn't just let Ana marry Paolo without a fight.
"There has to be another way." My voice sounded more desperate than I would have liked. "Let me find an alternative solution. Give me time."
"Time is running out, Dante. The wedding is tomorrow. If you don't do anything, everything will go as planned. But if you dare to interfere, you will suffer the consequences," she threatened.
"Who are you?" I suddenly felt the need to get all the answers I wanted right now, maybe she wouldn't tell me anything, but I had to know for the first time who I was dealing with.
"What are you talking about, Dante?"
"Who are you? I insist." I knew she had a lot of evidence, things that gave her power over people, including me, she knew that the only reason I was still supporting her was because I wanted to see Ana well, but something told me that she did too, what did she want with Ana? What did she represent in her life?
"It's none of your business, focus on not messing up the plan."
"Then just tell me one thing, do you want her dead?"
"Never, think whatever you want about me, Dante, but I'm not the real villain here, I care about Ana as much as you do."
The call cut off abruptly, leaving me alone in my room with the weight of despair on my shoulders. I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I needed a plan, something that could change things without endangering Ana or myself.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind racing. Then, an idea began to form, one that could turn the situation around and avoid the wedding without it looking like direct interference. I smiled to myself, feeling like I finally had a chance.
First, I needed to create a distraction. Something big enough to divert everyone's attention, including the mysterious woman. I decided that a fake attack on our base could work. Make them believe that we were under immediate threat and that it was not safe to carry out the wedding.
Then, I would use that chaos to get close to Ana and get her out of there. I would tell her that her life was in danger and that we needed to hide until things calmed down. I knew Ana would trust me in the midst of a crisis.
Finally, I would find a safe place for us where I could explain the situation to her without the pressure of the impending wedding. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had to try.
I got out of bed and started making calls, arranging every detail of my plan. I spoke to some of our trusted men, making sure they were ready to create the distraction at the right time. Then, I made sure I had a vehicle ready to get us out of there quickly.
The adrenaline was pumping through my veins as everything started to take shape. I knew I was risking a lot, but I couldn't stand by while Ana married another man. Finally, everything was ready. Now all I had to do was wait for the right moment.
The wedding day arrived sooner than I expected. Everything was in place and all that was left was to execute the plan. I watched from a safe distance waiting for the perfect moment to approach Ana, I would also need a distraction for Paolo.
My men were positioned and ready. I just needed the signal. I saw Ana, beautiful as always and for the much-awaited day I guess she was nervous, although I knew she handled her emotions very well. I knew I had to act fast.
"It's now or never," I muttered to myself, giving my men the signal.
Chaos erupted in a matter of seconds. Controlled explosions and gunfire echoed through the air, causing the people protecting them to act quickly. I saw Ana and Paolo react, their faces full of surprise and fear.
I rushed towards Ana, dodging the panicked crowd. When I reached her, I grabbed her arm firmly.
"Ana, we have to go! It's not safe here!" I shouted over the noise.
"Dante? What's going on?" she asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
"No time to explain. Your life is in danger!" I told her, leading her towards the car I had prepared.
Paolo tried to follow us, but some of my men stopped him, giving us the time we needed. I managed to get Ana into the car and sped away from the chaos.
"Dante, what are you doing? Where are we going?" she asked, her voice filled with panic.
"I'm protecting you, Ana. I couldn't let you marry Paolo. There's so much you need to know, and this was not the place to do it," I said, focusing on the road.
Finally, we arrived at a safe place, a secluded cabin on the outskirts of town. I stopped the car and turned to Ana.
"Ana, listen. I know this is all confusing, but I had to get you out of there. There's something I need to tell you," I said, taking her hands in mine.
Ana looked at me, her expression softening slightly.
"Dante, I don't understand anything. But I trust you. Tell me what's going on," she pleaded.
I took a deep breath, knowing this was my last chance to save us both.
"Ana, I know you've been remembering things slowly. But the truth is, we were always meant to be together."
Ana looked at me, her eyes full of conflicting emotions.
"Dante..." she began, but before she could continue, the door burst open.
Paolo appeared in the doorway, his expression filled with fury and determination.
"How the hell did you find us?"
"I'm Paolo Di Marco, I always get what I want. Ana, don't be fooled by him!" he shouted, advancing towards us.
I stood up, placing myself between Ana and Paolo.
"I won't let you take her, Paolo. Not this time," I said, my voice firm.
Paolo glared at me, his eyes filled with hatred.
"We’ll see, Dante. We’ll see."
The tension in the room was palpable, and I knew this battle was far from over. But for now, Ana was safe. And that was all that mattered.
"Take your hands off my wife."
"She’s not your wife yet."
"But she will be, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it."
"Are you threatening me? Really? You couldn’t take me on."
"Yes, it's a threat. You have three seconds to get out of my way, or I’ll put a bullet in your head. Choose wisely."
I knew I had to do something. I wouldn’t let them take her, not again.