Rafaelle's POV
The mansion itself was brightly lit up with a flashy display of lights which only seemed to tease and mock me. It stood as a solid representation of Campani’s power his arrogance and the privilege he had over others.
“This will come to an end tonight.” I quietly said to myself my voice sounding like a deep growl that resonated with the intense anger I felt inside my heart. “This… will be over starting now.”
I moved quietly trying to blend in with the dark shadows around me. I carefully planned each step as I got closer to where I wanted to go. I was very focused as I made my way through the complex network of security cameras.
I knew the layout of the mansion very well which helped me navigate my way through the tricky areas of my enemy's territory. My heart beat faster as I got closer to the back of the mansion.
This area was not as well protected and I hoped I could find a place that was not being watched which would allow me to enter safely into the dark world that awaited me inside.
To my complete surprise and disbelief, I found that the back door was unlocked. This was a major mistake in terms of security and it only made my anger grow even stronger. Without taking any time to think about it I quietly entered the house my body almost disappearing into the darkness that surrounded me as if the shadows were eager to take me in.
Inside the air was heavy with the strong smell of expensive perfume mixing with the unpleasant scent of old smoke that had been left behind. The mansion which usually buzzed with laughter and the sound of glasses clinking together felt like a creepy tomb filled with an overpowering silence that was quite unsettling.
“Campani,” I shouted letting my voice echo through the wide space around me. It felt like I was both scared and bold at the same time. “I'm right here. Show yourself and confront me.”
A strange and uncomfortable silence surrounded me at that moment. It made the deep feeling of sadness inside me feel even stronger as if it wanted to tear apart my strong will to keep holding on.
My patience was running out and it was starting to feel fragile like an old tapestry that was beginning to come apart. Even though I was getting frustrated I kept moving forward through the large and impressive hallways of the mansion.
I held my pistol tightly in my hand feeling the cold metal of the gun against my skin which felt very different from the warmth of my heart was beating quickly and strongly. With every step I took my footsteps made loud sounds that bounced off the walls making the quietness around me feel even heavier.
This silence only added to the growing sense of tension and unease that was building up inside me as I continued my journey through the mansion.
Out of nowhere and as if my intense anger had somehow called him forth a door at the far end of the hallway slowly creaked open. From behind that door emerged a big strong man who worked for Campani and was known to be one of his tough enforcers. His face was partly hidden in the shadows and he looked serious and stern.
“Rafaelle Tommaso,” he said with a sneer his voice full of disdain and contempt. “You have quite a lot of nerve to show up here.”
“Where is he?” I asked firmly not paying attention to the way he spoke with a mocking tone that dripped from his lips like poison. “Can you please tell me where my daughter is?”
“You definitely will not be able to find her in this place,” he answered letting out a quick and piercing laugh that made me feel a cold shiver run down my spine. “She has been gone for a long time just like you should have already left.”
My heart stopped and I felt a shiver run through my entire body as if my blood had turned to ice. I was filled with a rush of panic that felt so intense it was as if it was squeezing my heart tightly in a way that made it hard to breathe.
I looked directly at the person in front of me and said firmly “I need you to be serious and not joke around. Where is Iris? I need to know where she is!”
“You are the one who chose to run away Rafaelle,” he said in a mocking tone his breath coming in heavy gasps. “You left your family behind when they needed you. Do you honestly believe that you have any right to know where she is now?”
Overwhelmed by a powerful sense of anger I suddenly rushed forward without thinking. I reached out and tightly grabbed the man around his throat feeling a mix of urgency and rage swirling around me like a fierce storm.
“You need to tell me what I want to know you horrible person!” I shouted my voice breaking and trembling because of how intense my fury was. “Please just tell me where is Iris?”
He started to struggle to breathe and his face changed to a very worrying purple color. He managed to say “She’s with... with....”
“WHO ARE YOU WITH?!” I yelled loudly my anger spilling out as I squeezed my grip tighter. It felt like the walls around me were getting closer and closer and the heavy feeling of my fury was pressing down on both of us making the air feel thick and tense.
“With Campani,” he said his voice was so quiet that it was almost hard to hear. There was a twisted kind of pleasure in his tone as if he was enjoying the situation. “He... he wanted to... to reveal something to you...”
I was overwhelmed by a sudden feeling of shock that felt as cold as ice water rushing through my body. Campani had her in his control. He was engaging in a cruel game with me making me feel helpless and tormented by the awareness that she was nearby.
It was as if he was a wicked puppet master toying with my emotions and dangling the uncertainty of what might happen to her in front of me just to cause me more pain.
“He's going to pay for what he did,” I said with anger in my voice letting go of the man. He fell to the ground struggling to breathe and looking around in fear with his wide eyes. I felt no sympathy for him at all.
My thoughts were completely focused on Iris. I was determined and unwavering in my goal to bring her back to safety no matter what it took.
I turned my body around and it felt like my feet were almost moving by themselves. They seemed to be drawn towards the beautiful sound of music that was playing nearby. This music had been quietly floating in the background almost like a siren's song calling out to me. I realized that the lovely melody was coming from the main ballroom…