Dante glanced over his shoulder at Amelia, his eyes softening despite the tension in his jaw. "No matter what happens, Amelia, stay here and trust me."
But as he moved toward the door, her voice stopped him. "Dante, wait."
He turned, his brow furrowing at the urgency in her tone.
She hesitated before stepping closer. "You don't have to do this alone. Whatever's out there, we face it together."
Dante gave her a half-smile, though worry lingered in his expression. "Amelia, this isn't just about me anymore. It's about keeping you safe."
She grabbed his hand, her grip firm. "I don't know what's out there, but I do know one thing: 'God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.'"
Dante froze at her words, the scripture piercing through the cloud of chaos in his mind. For a moment, the weight on his shoulders seemed to lift. He nodded, squeezing her hand before stepping outside.
Dante walked out into the dimming light, his sharp gaze scanning the driveway. A sleek black car idled a few feet away, its tinted windows hiding the occupants.
The car door opened, and a man stepped out one Dante recognized immediately. Luca.
Dante's tension eased slightly as Luca approached, hands raised in mock surrender. "Relax, boss. It's just me."
"Why the theatrics?" Dante snapped.
Luca shrugged, his usual smirk in place. "You weren't answering your phone. Thought I'd check in."
Dante narrowed his eyes. "Check in? Or spy on me?"
Luca's grin faded slightly, replaced by a flicker of seriousness. "Look, Dante. Things are heating up with your father's old enemies. Vincent and I thought you'd want a heads-up."
Dante's jaw clenched. "This isn't the time or place, Luca."
"It never is," Luca retorted. "But you can't keep ignoring the past. It has a way of catching up, no matter how fast you run."
Back inside, Amelia paced nervously, her heart pounding as she overheard snippets of the conversation. She clutched the stack of letters tighter, her eyes drawn to a verse scribbled in the margin of one: "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."
The words gave her a sense of calm, a reminder that even in the midst of danger, they weren't alone.
When Dante returned, his face was a mix of frustration and determination. "Luca has information we need. But first, I need to make sure you're safe."
Amelia straightened her shoulders. "I told you, I'm not hiding. Whatever this is, we face it together."
Dante sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're stubborn, you know that?"
"And you're impossible," she shot back, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Luca stepped inside, his usual playful demeanor tempered by the gravity of the situation. He noticed the letters in Amelia's hands and raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting reading material you've got there," he said.
Dante shot him a warning look. "Not now, Luca."
But Amelia held up the letter with the verse. "Actually, now might be the perfect time. If this is about your past, Dante, maybe it's time we brought it into the light."
Luca glanced between them, his expression unreadable. "She's got a point, you know. Secrets only fester in the dark."
Dante hesitated, the walls he had built around himself beginning to crack. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. But we do this on my terms."
That night, as Amelia and Dante prepared to leave the estate, she reached for his hand. "Whatever happens, Dante, remember that we're not in this alone. God has a plan, even if we can't see it yet."
Her words lingered with him as they drove back to the city, Luca following close behind. For the first time in years, Dante felt a glimmer of hope not just in their fight against the shadows of his past, but in the possibility of a future rooted in love and faith.