Vincenzo


    Being in a cell was a type of punishment I had never imagined for myself. Although it was reserved for people of high standing, which meant I had morefort than amon prisoner, the feeling of imprisonment was suffocating. The walls were a cold gray, and the only sound I could hear was the echo of guards'' footsteps and asional distant murmurs.


    I sat on the metal bench, resting my elbows on my knees and running my hands through my hair in frustration. I should have been by Rachel''s side right now, protecting her. Instead, I was here, imprisoned for usations I knew were only half true. Part of me wished I were in the filth of amon cell, surrounded by criminals like me. Maybe then I would pay for the mistake that ate away at me the most: having underestimated Veronica.


    Veronica had always been unpredictable, dangerous, but I never imagined she would cross all limits. I should have learned my lesson years ago, but something in me, a small, hopeful part, believed she would never get in my way again. I was wrong.


    My jaw clenched as I thought about her. Veronica was a ruthless woman, and everyone who knew her knew it. She didn''t love, she didn''t empathize; she owned. People, possessions, everything. And for some sick reason, she thought I was one of the things that should belong to her.


    She never loved me. Her interest in me was pure control. When she realized I wouldn''t bend to her will, she became obsessed with destroying me. I knew she wouldn''t hesitate to use anyone against me, and now Rachel was in her hands. Rachel. Just thinking about her made my chest tighten. I could see her clearly in my mind, with that stubborn, defiant look in her eyes, as if she were willing to take on the entire world if necessary. She didn''t deserve to be in the middle of this. She was a force, yes, but not someone who should carry that weight. Veronica had made a mistake by involving Rachel in this story, and she would pay for it.


    My breathing became heavy. I wanted to scream, punch the walls, do something, anything, but the helplessness was paralyzing. My hands clenched into fists. I needed to get out of there. I needed to save her.


    As I sank into these thoughts, something outside the cell caught my attention. There was an unusual movement in the police station, quick footsteps, voices that seemed tense. I stood up slowly, trying to grasp what was happening. "He needs to hear me!" a female voice, muffled by the distance, echoed through the hallway.


    I frowned. That voice... There was something irritatingly familiar about it, but I couldn''t immediately ce it.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    "I need to speak to Vincenzo Morette, now!" the voice insisted, louder this time.


    My body tensed. At first, I remained silent, waiting for more information to emerge. Whoever it was, sounded desperate. Then, suddenly, her words hit me like a punch. "Rachel has been kidnapped by Veronica!"


    My heart raced. A shock ran through my body. I took a step forward, gripping the bars of the cell tightly, as if I could propel myself out of there by sheer force of will. "Nancy!" I shouted, finally recognizing the voice.


    The guards looked at me, confused by my sudden reaction. I shouted again, louder this time.


    "NANCY!"


    Nancy''s figure appeared at the end of the hallway, trying to convince the officers to let her pass. When she saw me, she ran towards me, but was stopped by the guards.


    "Let her talk to me!" I demanded, my voice sounding more like an order than a request.


    The guards hesitated, but eventually allowed Nancy to approach. She came running towards my cell, her face pale and her eyes wide, but with that glint of determination that I had noticed before.


    "Vincenzo!" she said breathlessly. "It''s Veronica. She took Rachel." My head was spinning. Even though this was a possibility I had already feared, hearing it confirmed was a blow. "How did this happen?" I asked, trying to stay calm as my blood boiled inside. Nancy began to exin quickly, her wordsing out in a rush. She told how they were in the car on their way to the police station when they were intercepted by one of Veronica''s henchmen. She told them about the kidnapping and how Veronica took them to a ce that looked like an old factory or abandoned warehouse. "How did you manage to escape?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Nancy hesitated for a moment before answering. "Veronica let me go. She said I was no use to her." Her voice was shaking, but there was something else there. Something she wasn''t saying. "She just let you go?" I asked suspiciously. Nancy looked away, but not for long. "I... I can exin thatter." Now we need to save Rachel.


    My mind was working a mile a minute. It didn''t make sense for Veronica to release Nancy without a reason. Ha I could see something else going on there, but I didn''t have time to figure it out now. "Listen, Nancy. You need to tell me everything. Every detail about where they are, what the ce looked like, anything you noticed."


    She began to describe the ce, trying her best to remember the details. As she spoke, I was already making a n in my mind. I needed to get out of there, and fast.


    "Don''t worry, Vincenzo. I did something that can help us," Nancy said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts.


    "What did you do?"


    She hesitated again, then reached into her pocket and pulled out something small. A strand of hair.


    "It''s Veronica''s," she said, almost triumphantly.


    I looked at the strand of hair, confused.


    "And what will that do?"


    "DNA, Vincenzo. We can use it against her."


    I admired Nancy''s audacity for a moment, but I didn''t let it distract me from the immediate problem: Rachel was still in Veronica''s hands.


    "That''s good, but it doesn''t help right now. I need to get out of here, Nancy. And you''re going to help me."


    Nancy nodded, looking ready to do anything.


    I nced around at the guards, weighing my options. I knew that as a high-profile inmate, my every move would be closely monitored, but maybe this could work in my favor.


    "Listen, Nancy. You''re going to tell the officers that Veronica has Rachel and that she''s in imminent danger. Use that to pressure them to release me temporarily. Tell them I''m the only one who can fix this." Her eyes widened, but she didn''t hesitate.


    "Okay. I''ll do it."


    As Nancy walked away to speak to the officers, I stood, taking a deep breath to prepare myself. I didn''t know how it would end, but there was one thing I knew for sure: Veronica had crossed the finish line. And she would pay for it.