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Flames engulf the Marchetti Mansion, casting a sinister glow across the night sky. The once-imposing structure now crumbles to ash before my eyes, each lick of fire tearing away at its grandeur like a ravenous beast.
Smoke billows upwards, suffocating the stars and tainting the air with the acrid stench of destruction. Panic seizes me as I stand rooted to the ground, unable to tear my gaze away from the chaos unfolding in front of me. I told Dario to run. I told him I'd handle this. What do I do from this point over?
"Jasmine! Snap out of it!" Elena's voice shatters through the haze clouding my thoughts. My handler is nothing if not practical, her sharp eyes missing nothing as she surveys the scene. "We don't have time for this. Where is Dario?" Her tone is urgent, betraying the slightest hint of fear that sends a shiver down my spine.
I blink hard, forcing myself to focus on the woman standing before me. Elena is tall and imposing, her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun, her face etched with concern. She's been my rock throughout this entire ordeal, guiding me through the treacherous world of mafia politics and bloodshed, but even she seems rattled by tonight's events.
"Jasmine, talk to me," she urges, her voice gentle yet insistent. "The mansion is burning, and we need to find Dario before it's too late."
"I... I don't know where he is," I admit, my heart aching at the thought of him being captured. It's good I told him to run, and never asked where to.
Memories of our stolen moments together flash before my eyes – his chiseled jawline, those piercing grey eyes that always seemed to see right through me, and his hands with their pianist's fingers, marred by the scars of violence. Despite everything, I can't shake the conviction that he doesn't deserve the fate awaiting him if he's caught.
"Jasmine, you need to be honest with me," Elena presses, her gaze never wavering. "To what extent is Dario guilty? Where is his father? What happened tonight?"
I swallow hard, trying to gather my thoughts amidst the chaos surrounding us. The truth is a dangerous weapon, one that could destroy any chance of a future for Dario and me. But Elena deserves to know what transpired within those burning walls.
With a deep breath, I begin to recount the night's events, praying that my words will be enough to protect the man I love.
Elena sighs, and stares at me in shock. "So you're saying, The Don is dead?"
"Dead."
"And he tried killing his wife?"
"No. He believed he had killed his wife."
"But she's alive."
"Alive," I repeat, like a robot.
"And Dario just found all this out."
"Poor guy never had a clue."
"Jesus," Elena whispers, almost sounding empathetic to Dario's plight. I take this as my chance and dive right in.
"Listen, Elena," I say, desperation lacing my voice. "Dario isn't the monster everyone makes him out to be. Yes, he's killed people tonight, but they were criminals trying to hurt us. He only did it in self-defense."
"Jasmine, you can't seriously believe that," Elena scoffs, shaking her head. "He's a mafia don. It's his business to kill and extort."
"Murder is still a crime, no matter who the victims are," she continues, her voice firm. "And you know as well as I do that Dario has blood on his hands. He needs to face justice for what he's done."
I clench my fists, refusing to back down. "You didn't see what I saw tonight, Elena. Not just tonight, but since I met him. You didn't witness the way he protected me, how he fought off those men who wanted to hurt us both."
Elena clenches her jaw, looking disappointed.
"Please," I beg, tears filling my eyes. "You have to trust me when I say that Dario isn't like the other men we hunt. He's different."
Elena's gaze softens, but her resolve remains unwavering. "Even if that's true, Jasmine, it doesn't absolve him of his crimes. The law is the law, and we cannot make exceptions."
"Think about how many lives he could've taken, but chose not to," I counter, trying to appeal to her sense of empathy. "If you knew him like I do, you'd understand why I'm fighting so hard for him."
"Jasmine," Elena says, her voice heavy with worry. "I care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt because of this man. But my duty is to uphold the law, and that means bringing Dario to justice."
I take a deep breath, knowing I may be about to lose the one person who's always had my back. But my love for Dario, and the life we could have together, drives me to fight for him.
"Then I'm sorry, Elena," I say quietly, my voice cracking with emotion. "But I won't let you take him away from me."
