หน้าหลัก / Romance / Kiss The Enemy / CHAPTER THREE: Shadows and Distractions

แชร์

CHAPTER THREE: Shadows and Distractions

ผู้เขียน: Lordess Chan
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-05-31 15:54:19

Kai sat behind his massive oak desk in the Castellano Syndicate’s headquarters, a converted old warehouse on the edge of the city’s industrial district. The dim glow of a single lamp barely cut through the smoke curling from his cigarette. The office smelled of leather, bourbon, and something colder, power.

But Kai wasn’t here. Not really.

His sharp blue eyes stared blankly at the map sprawled across the desk, dotted with pins marking territories, safe houses, and shipments. Yet his mind wasn’t tracking routes or numbers. It kept drifting back to the green eyes of Alessio’s daughter, the way she had smiled, that razor-edged smirk that promised war, or something even more dangerous.

Marsh’s voice cut through the haze, practical as always. “You’re zoning again.”

Kai flicked ash into the tray, irritation flashing. “I’m not zoning. I’m thinking.”

Marsh leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “About what? The price on Alessio’s head, or the fact you’re basically giving him free reign just by thinking about his daughter?”

Kai said nothing. He wasn’t denying it. Gianna Moretti was the last thing he wanted to admit was consuming his focus, and the hardest to shake.

Outside the office, the Syndicate buzzed with its usual controlled chaos. Kai was the heir, the commander, the cold heart steering an empire built on blood and silence. His phone buzzed, orders, reports, problems, relentless.

A knock came at the door. “Boss, the new shipment from Marseille just arrived. The docks are secure, but the French guys want to meet.”

Kai nodded sharply, forcing himself to focus. “Set up a meeting in the war room. I want full details. No mistakes.”

His second-in-command, Luca Moretti—not related to Alessio, stepped in. Tall, lean, eyes like sharp knives, Luca had earned his place beside Kai after years in the trenches. Loyal, ruthless, and the perfect foil to Kai’s icy composure.

“Got it, Boss. And the new muscle you asked for?” Luca added, smirking slightly. “They’re ready and hungry.”

Kai cracked a rare smile, just a twitch. “Good. We’ll need every edge if Alessio keeps poking.”

Luca’s smile faded. “He’s poking more than that. He’s playing chess, and we’re the pawns.”

Kai’s jaw tightened. His father’s lessons echoed in his mind. “A Syndicate isn’t a family if it can be toppled by fools.” Lorenzo Castellano had built this empire from nothing, each alliance forged with fire and blood. He’d ruled from the shadows, a ghost who whispered fear into the city’s veins. Now it was Kai’s turn. But Alessio Moretti was no fool, and Gianna… well, she was a wild card Kai hadn’t expected.

He pushed his thoughts aside and strode out into the main room. The Syndicate’s lieutenants awaited, men and women who had bled and schemed for the Castellano name. Faces hardened by loyalty, betrayal, and survival.

A woman stepped forward—a new player in the game. Her name was Rosa “The Viper” Vivaldi. Slim, quick, and deadly with a razor-sharp mind and a reputation for getting things done quietly and efficiently.

“Boss,” Rosa said, dropping a dossier on the table. “The Moretti front businesses are moving more money than usual. They’re cleaning cash faster than we can trace.”

Kai leaned over, scanning the reports. “So Alessio’s preparing for a big move.”

“Exactly,” Rosa confirmed. “We can’t let them catch us off guard.”

Kai nodded slowly. “Then we hit them first. I want our teams tightening on all routes. Surveillance on Moretti’s key people. No slip-ups.”

Marsh stepped forward, handing Kai a tablet. “I hacked into Moretti’s encrypted channels. We’ve got chatter about a possible shipment next week, bigger than anything before.”

Kai took the tablet, scrolling quickly. The hours bled on. Plans. Counter-plans. The chess game Alessio loved so much.

But even as Kai plotted, his mind’s eye flickered back to Gianna. The way she’d called him out. The way she’d challenged him. The way she’d walked away and left something behind, a promise, a threat, a spark.

“Best not to get distracted,” Luca muttered. “You’ve got a lot on your plate.”

Kai’s voice dropped low. “She’s not a distraction. She’s a problem.”

Marsh chuckled darkly. “A problem with killer eyes.”

Kai shot him a glare but didn’t deny it.

Later that night, when the Syndicate’s headquarters finally quieted, Kai found himself alone in the war room. The maps still sprawled, the phone silent. The weight of his legacy pressing down like a stone in his chest.

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through contacts, then locked the screen. His fingers trembled just a fraction, a rare crack in his otherwise unbreakable armor.

Outside, the city breathed beneath a veil of night. A world where power was currency, and trust was the most dangerous gamble of all.

Kai’s eyes closed briefly.

Gianna Moretti was a thorn, wrapped in silk, and she was going to bleed him dry.

And somehow, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting more.

อ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้ต่อได้ฟรี
สแกนรหัสเพื่อดาวน์โหลดแอป

บทล่าสุด

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 77: The Traitor’s End

    London’s east side was a labyrinth of rusted warehouses, the fog thick with the stench of betrayal. Kai Castellano moved through the shadows, his black jacket blending with the night, his icy blue eyes locked on the Order of Cinders’ safe house where Derek Vieri, the traitor, hid. The Architect’s shadow, linked to Luca’s encrypted comms, threatened their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera—with a plan to seize global ports. Alessio’s death in an Order hit and Lorenzo’s betrayal, tying him to their mothers’ murders, fueled Kai’s rage. Gianna’s grief, her trembling touch in the safe house, anchored him. His jaw clenched, their love a flame that burned through his anger.Gianna Moretti crept beside him, her leather jacket unzipped, her emerald eyes sharp but heavy with Alessio’s loss, her braid tight. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. She gripped her knife, her voice low, fierce. “We take Derek alive

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 76: The Cyber Strike

    London’s city center pulsed with chaos, its neon-lit streets a battlefield under the fog’s heavy veil. Kai Castellano moved through a derelict data hub, his black jacket blending with the shadows, his icy blue eyes scanning for the Order of Cinders’ servers. The cyberattack, intercepted by Rosa, threatened to drain mafia finances globally, endangering their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera. The traitor in their London team, revealed by Marsh, gnawed at Kai, but Gianna’s heated kiss in the alley anchored him. His jaw clenched, their love a flame that burned through his fear of betrayal.Gianna Moretti moved beside him, her leather jacket unzipped, her emerald eyes blazing with focus, her braid tight. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. She checked her gun, her voice low, fierce. “We shut down the servers, Kai. No more games.”Kai’s hand grazed hers, his voice raw, resolute. “We end this, Moretti.

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 75: London’s Underbelly

    London’s underbelly pulsed with danger, its fog-choked alleys a maze of deceit. Kai Castellano moved through a shadowed nightclub, posing as a Sicilian buyer, his tailored suit sharp, his icy blue eyes scanning for Julian Harrow’s lieutenants. The Architect’s shadow, revealed by Irina Kohl’s taunts, loomed over their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera—his global reach threatening chaos. Lorenzo’s betrayal, tying him to their mothers’ deaths, haunted Kai, but Gianna’s desperate kiss in the safe house anchored him. His jaw clenched, their love a flame that burned through the city’s treachery.Gianna Moretti glided beside him, her sleek black dress a disguise, her emerald eyes gleaming with focus, her braid hidden under a chic updo. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. She flashed a smile at a rival lieutenant, her voice honeyed, charming. “We’re here to talk business—Harrow’s terms.”Kai’s hand tensed

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 74: The Architect’s Shadow

    The safe house’s interrogation room was a cold vault, its concrete walls echoing Irina Kohl’s defiant silence. Kai Castellano stood before her, his black jacket unzipped, his icy blue eyes burning with resolve. Irina’s capture at the coastal safe house had revealed The Architect, the Order of Cinders’ shadowy global leader, but her taunts and the looming warehouse attack threatened their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera. Lorenzo’s betrayal, tying him to their mothers’ deaths, haunted Kai, but Gianna’s stolen kiss anchored him. His jaw clenched, their love a flame that burned through his fear.Gianna Moretti leaned against the wall, her leather jacket loose, her emerald eyes sharp, her braid tight. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. She stepped forward, her voice fierce, low. “Talk, Irina. Who’s The Architect?”Irina’s gray eyes glinted, her voice cold, taunting. “A myth, Moretti. He’s everywhere

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 73: The Hunt for Irina

    The coastal safe house crouched against a jagged cliff, its weathered walls battered by the sea’s relentless pulse. Kai Castellano crouched behind a dune, his black jacket blending with the night, his icy blue eyes scanning the Order of Cinders’ stronghold. Irina Kohl’s escape from the summit, her vow of revenge, burned in his mind, threatening their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera. Lorenzo’s betrayal, confirmed by documents linking him to their mothers’ deaths, haunted Kai, but Gianna’s love, sealed in their penthouse confession, anchored him. His jaw clenched, her fierce resolve a flame that burned through his fear.Gianna Moretti knelt beside him, her leather jacket unzipped, her emerald eyes blazing with focus, her braid tight. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. She checked her gun, her voice low, fierce. “We take Irina alive, Kai. She’s the key to the Order’s endgame.”Kai’s hand brushed h

  • Kiss The Enemy    Chapter 72: The Summit’s Trap

    The Grand Hotel’s ballroom pulsed with power, its chandeliers casting light on global mafia leaders—Russian, Japanese, South American—seated in a tense circle. Kai Castellano stood at the center, his tailored suit sharp, his icy blue eyes blazing with defiance. The Order of Cinders’ trap, revealed by Valentina’s intercepted message, loomed, their plan to frame Kai and Gianna for chaos threatening their empire—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera. Lorenzo’s betrayal, confirmed by documents linking him to their mothers’ hits, haunted Kai, but Gianna’s rooftop kiss anchored him. His jaw clenched, their love a flame that burned through the summit’s danger.Gianna Moretti stood beside him, her sleek black dress commanding, her emerald eyes fierce, her braid hidden under an elegant updo. Her leadership of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their shared pain binding them closer. Their alliance shocked the room, whispers rippling among the leaders. Gianna’s voice was

บทอื่นๆ
สำรวจและอ่านนวนิยายดีๆ ได้ฟรี
เข้าถึงนวนิยายดีๆ จำนวนมากได้ฟรีบนแอป GoodNovel ดาวน์โหลดหนังสือที่คุณชอบและอ่านได้ทุกที่ทุกเวลา
อ่านหนังสือฟรีบนแอป
สแกนรหัสเพื่ออ่านบนแอป
DMCA.com Protection Status