Chapter 314: He’ll Burn This City Down To Find Me

"I mean necessary leverage," Luca corrected. "Dante wants Dimitri to understand things. Wants him to understand what it feels like to have the person you love more than anything be completely out of reach. Wants him to understand that power isn’t infinite. That even the strongest men have limits."

"And what makes you think Dimitri will negotiate?" Eve asked, her mind racing. "What makes you think he won’t just come in guns blazing and kill everyone?"

"Because you’re worth more to him alive than dead," Luca said simply. "And we’re going to make sure he understands that. Every hour you’re with us, we’re going to send him a message. A photo. A video. A reminder of what he’s lost. And each message will include a deadline. Demands. Instructions for what Dimitri needs to do to get you back."

"He’ll never surrender," Eve said with absolute certainty. "He’ll never give Dante anything. And he’ll burn this city down to find me." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"I know," Luca said, and there was something almost sad in his voice. "That’s what makes this so tragic. Because Dante’s not asking for the impossible. He’s asking for acknowledgment. For surrender of his pride. For admission that Dimitri was beaten. And Dimitri will never be able to give him that. Which means you’re going to be with us for a very long time."

The van navigated through what sounded like traffic. Eve tried to track the turns, tried to understand the direction they were heading, tried to gather any information that might help Dimitri find her.

But the van was soundproofed. The windows were sealed. There was no way to see outside, no way to communicate, no way to do anything but sit and wait.

And think about what was coming next.

***

10:03 AM

The van finally stopped.

Eve heard the engine cut off. Heard the sound of a garage door closing. Heard the muffled voices of Luca and the extraction team communicating through encrypted channels.

"We’re secure," Luca said. "Target is contained. No incidents during transport."

Then the rear doors of the van opened.

They were in an underground garage. The space was concrete and industrial, dominated by vehicles and security cameras. It took Eve less than a second to understand that this was a professional operation. Not some hastily thrown-together safe house, but a real facility designed for exactly this kind of operation.

"Ms. Thorne," Luca said, gesturing to the open doors. "Welcome to your new home."

Eve climbed out of the van slowly, taking in every detail.

Four additional security personnel were positioned around the garage. All armed. All trained. All focused on her.

Luca led her toward a door marked "Secure Access."

They entered an elevator that descended deeper underground.

"How far down does this go?" Eve asked, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her.

"Three levels," Luca said. "You’re currently at level minus-two. Your quarters are on level minus-three. Completely secure. Completely soundproof. Completely escape-proof."

"And Dante? Where is he?"

"On level minus-one. The operations center. He’s probably already calling your boyfriend by now, making the first demand."

The elevator descended further.

When the doors opened, Eve found herself in a corridor that looked more like a hotel than a prison. Neutral colors. Modern design. Doors spaced evenly along both sides.

"Through here," Luca said, leading her to one of the doors.

Inside was a suite. A bedroom. A bathroom. A small living space with a television and a desk.

Everything except a way out.

"You’ll have three meals a day delivered," Luca explained, his tone carrying a note of genuine courtesy that was somehow more unsettling than aggression would have been. "You’ll have access to books, television, entertainment. You’ll be allowed exercise and bathroom access. The only thing you won’t have is communication with the outside world."

"And if I try to escape?" Eve asked.

"Then we contain you using whatever force is necessary," Luca said. "But it won’t come to that. Because you’re intelligent. Because you understand that your best chance of survival is cooperation. And because you know that Dimitri is working on getting you back."

He paused at the door.

"One more thing," Luca said. "Dante wants you to know that Isabella is here. She’s in the adjacent suite.

Then he was gone, and the door closed.

Eve heard the sound of multiple locks engaging.

She tested the door. Locked, as expected. She tested the windows. Reinforced glass, sealed shut. She tested the walls. Solid concrete.

She was trapped.

But Eve had learned something from Dimitri, being trapped was only half the battle. The other half was figuring out how to survive the captivity, gather intelligence, and create opportunities.

She sat on the bed and took a breath.

Dimitri should have discovered that she was gone by now, and that he had been outsmarted by Dante.

Eve closed her eyes and waited.

***

10:31 AM

In his operations center on level minus-one, Dante was reviewing the extraction footage.

Real-time video from the basement cameras showed Eve being escorted into the van.

Isabella was standing beside him, watching the footage with an expression that mixed satisfaction with something darker.

"He doesn’t know yet," Isabella said quietly. "Dimitri. He still thinks you’re going to take her from the penthouse."

"He’ll figure it out soon enough," Dante said, replaying the basement footage one more time.

Luca appeared in the doorway.

"Target is secured and contained," Luca reported. "No resistance beyond the initial physical altercation. She’s intelligent. She’ll try to escape eventually. We should move her to a more secure location within 48 hours."

"Do it," Dante said. "And Luca? You did good work today. This operation was flawless."

"Thank you, boss," Luca said. "What’s the timeline for the first message to Valentino?"

"Thirty minutes," Dante said. "We let him discover she’s missing first. Let him mobilize. And then we remind him what he’s dealing with."

Dante turned to Isabella.

"I need you to deliver the message," he said.

Isabella nodded, understanding exactly what he wanted.