Her

The man's grip tightened around me, a knife placed against my throat, the cloth gag digging painfully into my mouth as I tried to twist free. I planted my heel onto his foot, desperate to make him loosen his hold, but he barely flinched before yanking back on my hair, forcing my head to tilt painfully. Tears stung my eyes as his fingers clawed deeper into my scalp. I couldn't scream, couldn't even speak-just struggle against the iron hold of this stranger who treated me like I was nothing.

I caught sight of their stepfather, that smug glint in his eyes as he leaned forward, his voice dripping with cold satisfaction. "Well, did you think we'd be unprepared for whatever shit you bastards were planning to pull?" His voice was a sneer, low and mocking.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natty, her gaze sharp and unyielding, fists clenched. But I could see the tightness in her stance, the frustration barely masked by her calm expression.

"What do you want?" Natty's voice cut through the air, strong but wary. It was like she was searching for any weakness in them, any hint of a way out. But their stepmother just laughed, the sound cold and echoing in the nearly empty room.

The woman's eyes gleamed with something dark as she sauntered closer, looking each of them over. "Want? We're beyond that point, sweetheart. Enzo made sure of that."

My heart pounded harder. They didn't even use his name-Dante wasn't Dante to them. He was still 'Enzo'. And the way she said it, like he was still the weapon they thought they owned, made my skin crawl.

She tilted her head, looking down at me with a cruel smile as she ran her fingers along my cheek. "Oh, don't worry, darling. We don't want your money or your begging. What we want is far simpler." She glanced up at Dante, and I could see her voice shift, like she was savoring every word. "We want you to come back. All of you."

There was a tension in the air, like a storm about to break, as their stepfather stepped forward, crossing his arms. "You walked away, thought you could just leave us behind and be free. We built you. Each of you owes a debt. And it's time to collect."

I looked at Dante, his face tense, jaw clenched. I could see the weight of what they were saying crashing into him, the hurt mixed with defiance. They wanted all of them, Dante, Natty, and Brian, bound to their control again. To them, none of this had ever been about freedom or choice. This was about power, and they were going to crush anyone who dared defy it.

Him

The tension was thick, like a coiled wire ready to snap. I stood there, taking in every cold word spilling from my stepfather's mouth, every sneer twisting my stepmother's face. Beside me, Brian and Natty were stone-faced, ready for whatever came next. The only thing missing was our chance-a sliver of a moment where I could turn this situation on its head.

I shifted my weight, feeling something odd beneath my foot. The ground gave just a bit, different in a way that shouldn't have been possible on solid concrete. My heel pressed down again, and I felt it-a strange hollow feeling, almost like a subtle shift in the floor. I didn't have time to analyze it, but a flicker of an idea sparked. It was a risk, a hell of a risk, but if I played it right...

"Come back?" I let out a dry laugh, injecting as much contempt as I could. "You really think we'd ever want a life tied to you two again? You must be more delusional than I thought."

The woman's smile vanished, replaced by a chilling glare. Good. Let them think I was just mouthing off, bluffing. I just needed them distracted, rattled.

"Brian, Natty," I said, my voice low and calm. I could feel the weight of their gazes, trusting me, waiting. They didn't know the plan-but they would follow me without a second thought.

I took a deep breath, feeling my pulse race as I prepared to make the first move.

Writer's perspective

Dante's eyes scanned every inch of the room, every hostile glare, every calculated sneer. His stepmother's gaze drifted down to Tara, bound and gagged, with a cold satisfaction that made Dante's blood boil. His hands itched for his weapon, for any chance to silence them once and for all.

Yet, he had to be smart. One wrong move could end it all.

Dante's foot pressed again onto that peculiar spot on the ground. The give in the floor was barely noticeable, but the irregularity sparked an idea. He didn't know what was beneath it, but any distraction could work in their favor. It was a gamble, a high-stakes play-but with Tara in the grip of one of his stepfather's men, he didn't have the luxury of overthinking.

He threw a look over his shoulder at Natty and Brian, the silent message clear. They each gave the slightest of nods, ready to act without question, without hesitation.

Dante took a steadying breath, his voice laced with scorn. "You want us to come back? To be your obedient puppet again? Maybe you've forgotten just how well that went for you last time."

The flash of anger in their stepfather's eyes told Dante he was on the right track. He was taunting them, forcing them to let their guard slip.

"Enough of this!" Their stepmother snapped, her cold facade cracking. "This defiance will be your downfall, Enzo. We're only giving you this one chance to make things right. Come back, willingly, or we'll remind you exactly how helpless you really are."

Behind him, he could sense Natty shifting subtly, her fingers inching toward her concealed weapon. Brian was doing the same. They were ready to move as soon as he gave the sign.

Dante's gaze darted back to Tara, who was struggling against the man's brutal grip, her eyes wide with fear and fury. He gave her a slight, reassuring nod. This would all be over soon.

His eyes fell to the floor one more time. A plan crystallized, half-crazy but doable. Dante shifted his stance, drawing attention to himself, letting his foot rest deliberately over the weak spot.

"Since you're so eager for my obedience," he sneered, "maybe I should start by kneeling." He pressed down hard with his heel, feeling the faintest creak beneath him, the tension building like a coil ready to spring.

Without warning, Dante dropped to one knee, pushing his full weight into that weak spot. The wood gave way, and a muffled crash echoed through the room as part of the floor panel snapped open, revealing a narrow compartment beneath. His stepfather and the guard holding Tara flinched, momentarily thrown by the sudden noise.

Natty took her cue. She lunged forward, slamming her fist into the nearest guard's throat, catching him by surprise as he staggered back, choking. Brian moved in sync, tackling another man to the ground and delivering a sharp, precise blow to his temple. The guard crumpled instantly.

Dante leaped to his feet, taking advantage of the chaos. In the split second of distraction, he drew his gun, eyes locked on the man holding Tara. The kidnapper's gaze flickered between Dante and the stepfather, hesitation flashing in his eyes. Dante seized the moment, advancing with cold, controlled precision.

"Let her go," he growled, his voice lethal.

The man's grip on Tara loosened slightly, enough for her to twist and step back. She stumbled, and Natty was there to catch her, guiding her swiftly out of immediate danger.

Dante didn't let his focus waver. He trained his gun steadily on the man who had dared lay a hand on her, then shifted it to his stepfather and stepmother. He was done running, done cowering.

"You've made a lot of mistakes," Dante said, his voice a dangerous whisper. "But thinking you could keep coming after me, after my love? That was the last one."