Desperation coursed through Natalie as she forced herself to sit up, despite the pain that surged through her body. "Please, stop—don't hurt her," she managed, her voice a hoarse whisper. "Sophie didn't betray us. It was me. I… I was the one who hurt her."
Giovanni and Alex exchanged incredulous glances. "What are you saying?" Alex asked, confusion etched on his face.
Natalie took a shaky breath. "I didn't know at first, but David—he was Sophie's fiancé. She'd been so excited for me to meet him, and I... I didn't realize who he was when we… when I…" Her voice broke. "I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. Sophie caught us together that night, and I never got to explain. She's innocent, Alex. She didn't know anything about David's connection to the rival gang."
A tense silence fell over the room as her words sank in. Giovanni's face darkened with anger and confusion, while Alex's expression shifted from shock to horror.
"You mean to tell me… you were the one who betrayed her?" Alex's voice was cold, disbelief laced in every word. "And we've been making her pay for your mistake?"
Natalie nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I was going to tell her everything, but then the accident… I didn't have the chance." Her voice trembled as she pictured Sophie, alone, tortured, and blamed for something she hadn't done. "You have to stop. Please. She doesn't deserve this."
Giovanni turned away, jaw clenched, grappling with the weight of her confession. Alex's eyes burned with a mixture of anger and guilt. He took a deep breath, his fists clenched tightly. "If what you're saying is true, then we owe her more than an apology."
As they processed the revelation, Natalie could only hope it wasn't too late to make things right with Sophie—the friend she had betrayed, the woman her family had unknowingly punished for her own actions.