He gently tapped my hand. "If that's your choice, I'll respect it. Just remember, you'll always be welcome here. Always."
I didn't know where to go yet, but staying here, even in one of the Moretti properties, wasn't an option. Not when I'd see Dante with my sister.
Then my eyes landed on a real estate magazine on the side table. Without thinking much, I went straight to a broker that afternoon.
"Signora Moretti, here are some available properties," the broker said, handing me a brochure. "Pick whichever you like."
I scanned through the options and found it. A piece of land far from the city, far from any turf the families controlled. East, remote, quiet. A place no one could find me. A place where I could finally be free from Dante. From everyone who never cared.
I paid half up front and agreed to pay the rest once the land was officially transferred to my name. Then I returned to the compound, feeling the pity in everyone's eyes. The soldiers at the gate dipped their heads as I passed, but I caught the way they looked at each other after.
I was still weak from the procedure. And from the blood I'd given to save Elena.