Chapter 3: The Secret Inside The Wreck
The tree screamed before it broke.
That was the only way I could describe the sound.
It wasn’t a normal crack.
It was a deep, violent groan, like the mountain itself was warning us that it was done carrying our weight.
Dante looked at me.
“Cara.””
I knew what he was going to say before he said it.
“Get out.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
His expression hardened.
“That wasn’t a suggestion.””
“And leaving you here isn’t an option.””
“You don’t understand what’s happening.””
“I understand enough.””
The wreck shifted beneath us.
Metal scraped against the tree.
The entire car moved several inches toward the edge.
My stomach dropped.
Dante’s face tightened as pain crossed his features.
His trapped leg was getting worse.
“We need to move you,” I said.
“You can’t.””
“I can.””
“You’re not strong enough.””
I looked at him.
“Do I look like I’m asking permission?””
For a second, he just stared.
Then, despite everything happening around us, something almost impossible happened.
Dante Moretti smiled.
It was barely there.
A brief movement at the corner of his mouth.
“You’re stubborn.””
“I’ve been called worse.””
“By who?””
“My landlord.””
That almost made him laugh.
Almost.
Then the car dropped again.
The moment disappeared.
I crawled toward the dashboard.
The inside of the vehicle was destroyed. The airbags had exploded. Glass covered everything. The smell of gasoline mixed with rain and smoke.
I grabbed the metal frame and pulled.
Nothing.
Dante watched me.
“Stop.””
“No.””
“Cara.””
“No.””
“You’re going to hurt yourself.””
I looked back at him.
“My hands are already bleeding.””
“That doesn’t mean you keep going.””
“It does when you’re trapped.””
Something flashed in his eyes.
Not anger.
Something else.
Something like he wasn’t used to someone fighting for him.
I grabbed a broken piece of metal and pushed it beneath the dashboard.
“On three.””
Dante looked confused.
“What?””
“Help me.””
“You want me to help you?””
“Yes.””
“You realize I’m the one trapped.””
“And I’m the one who has been lifting plates for twelve hours every day for five years.””
I tightened my grip.
“Trust me.””
The words came out before I thought about them.
Trust me.
A strange thing to say to a man like Dante Moretti.
But he did.
“One.””
The car groaned.
“Two.””
Rain poured into the broken window.
“Three.””
We pushed.
Pain shot through my arms.
Dante’s face went white.
The dashboard moved slightly.
Not enough.
Again.
“Again,” I said.
“Cara—”
“Again.””
We pushed harder.
The metal shifted.
Dante pulled his leg free with a sharp breath.
Then the tree cracked.
A massive section split away.
The car dropped.
I grabbed Dante’s arm.
He grabbed the door frame.
For one terrifying second, we were hanging above the ravine.
Then the tree caught the vehicle again.
Barely.
“Move!””
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I climbed out first and reached back for him.
Dante looked at my hand.
Then at the darkness below.
“You know,” he said quietly, “most people would have left me.””
I pulled harder.
“Most people don’t know you.””
His eyes met mine.
“And if they did?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know.
The truth was, I didn’t know who Dante Moretti really was.
I only knew what I had seen.
A man whose wife wanted him dead.
A man whose employee betrayed him.
A man who, despite being powerful enough to scare an entire city, had looked more alone than anyone I had ever met.
“Now,” I said.
He grabbed my hand.
Together, we climbed.
Every movement hurt.
Every second felt borrowed.
When we finally reached the road, I collapsed onto the wet pavement.
I couldn’t feel my fingers.
I couldn’t feel my legs.
I just stared at the sky.
The rain hit my face.
Alive.
I was alive.
A few seconds later, Dante pulled himself onto the road beside me.
He was breathing heavily.
Blood covered his shirt.
But he was alive too.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then sirens appeared in the distance.
Blue lights reflected against the wet road.
Emergency vehicles rushed toward us.
Dante looked at me.
“Before they arrive…”
I turned my head.
“What?””
“You cannot tell them everything.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“I mean the truth about Vanessa.””
My chest tightened.
“You think I’m going to lie?””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“I think you’re going to tell the truth to the wrong people.””
The ambulance stopped.
Paramedics jumped out.
“Stay where you are!””
They rushed toward us.
One of them looked at Dante.
“Sir, can you hear me?””
Dante nodded.
The paramedic turned to me.
“Are you injured?””
I looked at my hands.
At my torn clothes.
At the blood covering my skin.
“I’m fine.””
The paramedic gave me a look.
“You’re bleeding.””
“Not mine.””
That made everyone stop.
A police officer approached.
“What happened here?””
I opened my mouth.
Then stopped.
Because Dante was right.
I had no idea who could be trusted.
The officer looked between us.
“Miss?””
Dante answered first.
“Car accident.””
I looked at him.
A car accident.
That was the story.
For now.
The officer frowned.
“A car accident caused the vehicle to go through a guardrail?””
“Yes.””
“Any idea why?””
Dante looked toward the mountain.
His expression became unreadable.
“No.””
The officer wrote something down.
Then he turned toward me.
“And you?””
I swallowed.
“I was driving behind him.””
“Why?””
I hesitated.
Because I couldn’t exactly say:
I overheard your wife planning his murder.
Finally, I said the only thing I could.
“I thought something was wrong.””
The officer studied me.
“You followed him?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
I looked at Dante.
He was watching me.
Waiting.
I knew my answer mattered.
“Because I thought he was in danger.””
The officer stared for a moment.
Then his radio interrupted.
He stepped away.
Dante leaned closer.
“You handled that well.””
I looked at him.
“You sound surprised.””
“I am.””
“Why?””
“Because most people panic when they enter my world.””
I looked at the ambulance lights.
“I’m still panicking.””
His eyes softened slightly.
“You hide it well.””
Before I could respond, another officer approached.
“Mr. Moretti?””
Dante looked up.
“Yes?””
“We need you to come with us. There are some questions about the vehicle.””
Dante nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“Come with me.””
I blinked.
“What?””
“You’re involved now.””
“No, I’m not.””
“Yes, you are.””
“I’m just a waitress.””
His expression turned serious.
“Cara.””
The way he said my name made me stop.
“You are the only person who knows what happened before the crash.””
I lowered my voice.
“And Vanessa?””
His jaw tightened.
“We find out the truth.””
The ambulance doors opened.
A paramedic called Dante’s name.
But before he stepped inside, his phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
The color disappeared from his face.
I noticed.
“What is it?””
He didn’t answer.
“Dante?””
Slowly, he handed me the phone.
A message was open.
From an unknown number.
One sentence.
*You saved him tonight, Cara. Now let’s see how long you survive.*
My hands went cold.
I looked up.
“Who sent this?””
Dante took the phone back.
His expression had changed completely.
The wounded man from the ravine was gone.
The powerful man everyone feared had returned.
“I don’t know.””
He looked toward the darkness of the mountain.
“But they know your name.””
The ambulance lights flashed across his face.
And for the first time that night, I understood something.
May you like
I thought I had saved Dante Moretti.
But maybe I had only stepped into the same trap.
