Chapter 22 I Believe This Is Goodbye

• L A N A
• We step outside together, the late morning air feeling cool against my skin as the front doors close quietly behind us, and I immediately notice the black car parked near the entrance, its engine already running as if it has been waiting for this exact moment, which I suppose it has. The stone crunches beneath our shoes as we walk, Dante slightly ahead of me at first before slowing his pace so we are side by side, and I am aware of how close he is without looking at him, aware of the presence that has hovered around me since the moment he pulled me out of Ezio’s mansion. I tell myself that leaving is the right choice, that going back to my old life is necessary, yet with every step toward that car, I feel something in my chest tighten in protest...
• “Everything’s set, boss,” one of the men says as we approach, his posture straight as he stands beside the driver’s door, eyes briefly scanning me before returning to Dante.