Page 319 of Valentino

Olivia dives into the back seat, she’s covered in blood. “My children,” she cries as she tries to look out the door. “Where are my children?”

Dtttt, dtttt continues to scream through the quiet neighborhood.

A siren sounds in the distance.

“My babies,” she cries. “I have to get to them.”

Bullets hit the car with force as terror rains down.

Round after round of ammunition.

Glass shatters. Windows break. Screaming, shouting…. Sheer fucking horror.

Hands over her ears, Oliva is on the ground on the back seat. Trying desperately to hide.

Her guards are both down.

Shot.

The bullets continue.

“Help,” she cries. “Somebody help us.”

3:05 p.m.

Milan.

Tiffany’s.

Francesca looks over the diamond earrings, perhaps a present for her mother’s birthday.

Her two guards are standing by the outside of the door.

She’s sitting at the desk in a booth as the sales assistant lays out the options.

“Hmm, they’re both lovely.” She twists her lips as she looks between the pairs. “Which one do you li…”

Dtttt dtttt. A semiautomatic weapon sounds, bullets smash the store windows. Dtttt dtttt.

“Get on the ground,” someone cries.

Everyone dives to the floor.

Dtttt dtttt. People scream in the shopping center.

Francesca lies on the floor, glass smashing all around her. Panting, crying.

Praying to God.

Dtttt dtttt.

“Where are the guards?” she whispers. “Where are my guards? Are they okay?”

But she can’t lift her head to look for them because bullets smash every window in every surrounding store.

People scream in the distance.

She puts her hand protectively over her stomach and grips her golden cross that hangs around her neck.