Chapter 13

"Lines in the Sand"

Valeria's POV

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It's been a week.

A full week since I landed in the lap of the Moretti family, a family I'd been trying my damned hardest to ignore, but something about them was... weirdly comfortable.

They were... something else. They were loud, chaotic, and annoyingly easy to like. Sophia had practically adopted me, Lucifer was a teddy bear disguised as a mafia patriarch, and the twins were small tornadoes of sugar and chaos. Even Marco, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody teenager, had started warming up to me.

I was supposed to be spying, right? Taking notes on their every move, figuring out their deep, dark secrets to sell to the highest bidder—or at least to Raymond, who'd probably double-cross me the second I handed him anything of worth. Bitch.

But here I was, playing the part of "recovering patient," getting used to their chaos, their constant chatter, their weirdly charming family dinners.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

But here I was, tucked into a massive bed in a mansion that might as well have been a palace, with my side still sore but healing—thanks to Sophia Moretti, who somehow turned me into her favorite medical project.

And, yeah, I was staying in a freaking mansion. But the price was steep.

I had to keep up the act. I had to let them think I was just another broken person they saved. The thing is, they didn't ask for anything. They just... let me be. And for the first time in my life, I wasn't constantly looking over my shoulder.

Which, for someone like me, was terrifying.

But I couldn't let it get to me. I couldn't let myself get too comfortable, not when Raymond was texting me every damn night with orders to stay close to Ren Moretti and his family, to keep an eye on them for his purposes.

So yeah, I played the role of the grateful guest—mostly—but that didn't mean I wasn't keeping an eye on every single one of them.

And sure, they made it easy to stay, mostly. Ren's smirk was the least subtle thing about him, and his eyes always had this annoying way of dragging me in, like they were telling me secrets I didn't want to know.

Still, it was easy to pretend I was living in some sort of luxury until the clock hit midnight, and the hacker in me took over. I worked my job under the cover of darkness, my fingers flying over my laptop, decrypting files, tracing back potential threats, and pretending like I wasn't getting sucked into this whole world of privilege and power.

But I had my boundaries.

I wasn't about to let myself get attached.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I missed Lily, though. It was like an ache I couldn't shake, even though we'd only been apart for a week. I used to run my fingers over the bracelets she gave me for comfort when things got too heavy. But right now, all I had was an overwhelming sense of isolation despite being surrounded by the Morettis. They were kind, welcoming, and weirdly fun to be around, but I couldn't forget that they were all dangerous, and I was playing a very dangerous game by staying here.

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It was late, and I was hunched over my laptop, still in my pajamas—because who was gonna stop me?—when my phone buzzed. A message from Raymond.

"Stay close. You're still my eyes on the inside. Don't forget your mission."

I didn't even flinch. I had been expecting this.

Fuck it, I thought.

I hit reply. "I'm not your damn spy, Raymond. Stop pretending like I don't know how this game is played."

I shoved my phone aside with a sigh. He wouldn't respond right away, and honestly, I wasn't looking for a response. I was just stalling. I didn't know what I was doing anymore.

But I couldn't stay here forever. And I couldn't stop feeling like I was waiting for something to go wrong.

And then it happened.

There was a sudden crash, followed by shouting and the unmistakable sound of glass shattering.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest.

I grabbed my phone, already dialing Ren's number.

"Vee?" Ren's voice was strained. "Get to my room, now. They're here. The estate's been breached."

I didn't need to be told twice.

I slammed my laptop shut, grabbed the gun I'd stashed under my pillow—because, let's be real, I was always ready—and bolted out the door.

I sprinted through the hallways, my pulse racing. The entire mansion felt like it was closing in on me, like the walls were closing in with every second I wasted.

I didn't know who was attacking, but I didn't care. I was going to make them regret ever setting foot on this property.

Ren's voice echoed down the hallway, giving orders like a man who had been born to command. "I want every exit covered. Dante, you're with me. Marco, Felix, stay inside, take the twins to the safe room."

I found my way to his room, where I was met with Ren, looking deadlier than ever. He was wearing a black jacket, his expression sharp as he loaded a magazine into his gun.

"You're here," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos.

"Yeah," I said, looking around. "Guess I'm not getting out of here that easily."

He gave me a look, something between frustration and admiration. "Stay close," he ordered, his voice low. "We're getting you to safety."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think you're underestimating me, Moretti."

"I'm not worried about you," he said, his lips twitching slightly. "I'm worried about the people trying to kill you."

His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "Stay here. I'll handle it."

"Handle it?" I echoed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh sure, let me just sit here and knit while you play action hero."

"Vee," he said, his tone dangerously low. "I'm serious."

"So am I," I shot back, pulling out my phone. "Give me two minutes and access to the security system, and I'll make sure these assholes regret ever showing up."

For a moment, he just stared at me, like he couldn't decide whether to strangle me or kiss me.

"Fine," he said finally, his jaw tight. "Two minutes."

I didn't hesitate. My fingers flew over my phone, tapping into the security system. Within seconds, I had their movements on my screen.

"I got this," I said, my voice calm. "You guys handle the rest."

I could feel Ren's gaze on me as I worked, and I hated how much that bothered me. I was in my element, moving fast, calculating, and taking down their systems like a pro.

"Vee," Ren said, his voice thick with urgency. "Don't play with fire. Get to cover now."

"I'm not playing," I shot back, hitting a few more keys to block the mercenaries' signals. "I'm the fire."

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The next two minutes were a blur of adrenaline and caffeine-fueled brilliance. I tapped into the mansion's security cameras, tracking the mercenaries as they moved through the property.

"They're coming in from the east wing," I said, my fingers flying over the keyboard. "Looks like six—no, seven of them."

"Can you block their comms?" Ren asked, his voice steady despite the chaos.

"Please," I scoffed, already shutting down their channels. "This isn't amateur hour, Moretti."

He didn't respond, but I caught the faintest hint of a smirk before he slipped out of the room, gun in hand.

"Be careful," I called after him before I could stop myself.

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The battle raged on, but Ren continued to fight. He'd cornered one of the mercenaries in the hallway, but every time I glanced at him, I saw that calculating ruthlessness in his eyes. There was no hesitation in his movements, no doubt. This was a man who had fought before—and would kill to protect what was his.

I wasn't sure what bothered me more: the fact that I admired it or the fact that I couldn't stop watching him.

"Vee!" Ren called, pulling me out of my thoughts. "We need to move. Now."

I looked at him, feeling the weight of the moment settle into my bones. "Fine. But don't think I'm your damsel in distress."

His eyes softened, just for a split second. "I never thought you were."

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By the time the mercenaries had been taken down, the house was in disarray. It was a mess of broken glass, blood, and tension. Ren was standing beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. I could feel the heat of his body even through the chaos.

"You're staying with me," Ren said quietly, his voice low, as if the rest of the world didn't exist in that moment. "I won't let them come after you again."

I raised an eyebrow, the words catching in my throat. "You think I need protection?"

"I think you need me," he said, and there was no smugness in his tone. It was raw, honest, and the weight of it made my heart do a weird flip again.

"I don't need anyone, Moretti," I muttered, trying to shake the feeling that was growing inside me.

Ren didn't respond, but his eyes never left me. And for the first time, I wondered if maybe—just maybe—I didn't mind staying a little longer.

Wait a second.

Oh.

Oh.

I fucking hacked in front of Ren Moretti.

Triple fuck.

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˗ˏˋ Author's note ˎˊ˗

Heyy (✿◡‿◡)

Some action!

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Question of chapter:

Batman or Spiderman?

Spidey of course.

See you next Sunday!

You are worth more than your second thoughts and maybes <3

*kisses*

Byeeee

Izel

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