Dusk

Chapter 20 - The trace

Vanessa's POV

"Believe me I don't enjoy seeing your depressed face, but my father wants us to join them. I am not in the mood to explain him why my wife didn't accept his invitation," Jack said, bored, tightening his grip around my wrist, pulling me towards him. "You have fifteen minutes to get yourself presentable," Jack added, pushing my arm away angrily, and stormed out.

I heaved a loud sigh and stood up to get ready for dinner. Once I put on a beige midi dress and brushed my hair, I went downstairs. As soon as Jack saw me, he walked out of the mansion without waiting for me.

Jack grabbed my arm and dragged me towards his parents' mansion as we got out of the car.

After greeting each other, we started having dinner. I was picking at my food, lost in my thoughts. I didn't have an appetite.

"Are you okay?" my mother asked in a low tone, leaning towards me.

"I don't know," I mumbled sadly. She sighed, giving me a sympathetic look.

Suddenly, we heard gunshots.

"Lie down!" Jack's father shouted in panic as they were shooting through the window.

After a while, finally, the gunshots stopped. We straightened carefully.

"Castelli?" my father and Jack's father mumbled in union while pointing their gun towards the ten armed men.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I remembered the man who was standing in the middle of the armed men. It was the same man who I talked in the park. Tony.

"What the hell is going on, Antonio?! How dare you to barge in my house and attack my family?!" Jack's father, Charles barked angrily. 

So he was the famous Antonio Castelli?!

But why did he approach me? What did he want from me? I am sure it wasn't a coincidence.

"Did you really think I won't do anything when you dared to hurt my dearest person?" Antonio asked, frustrated, still pointing his gun at Charles.

"What? I didn't do anything," Charles said, puzzled.

"Your bastard did. This idiot doesn't know that he shouldn't have messed up with me," he replied furiously, pointing to Jack with his gun. "You will pay with your life as well as your family. I will destroy you. How could you think I will leave you alive after what you did to my son?!"

"What?" Charles and Jack asked in unison and looked at each other, confused.

"We didn't do anything to him. We haven't even seen your son who you keep hidden," Charles stated firmly.

"Riccardo Castelli, my heir," Antonio informed them.

"We have never met him," they said in confusion.

"Maybe I should call him Rick Adams?! It may help you to remember," Antonio commented sarcastically and gave them a murderous look.

I looked at Antonio in shock. Rick... is Castelli?!

As soon as my father, Jack and his father heard about Rick, they got pale.

"Your imbecile son will pay with his life," Antonio declared in an authoritative tone and glanced at me while I was staring at him, frozen.

"I didn't know," Jack said in panic.

"I don't care. You will pay what you have done to my son. Believe me it will be torturous. You will beg me to kill you. It is just the beginning," Antonio warned him, giving him an intimidating glare, and stormed out.