The Glass Rose
Two families at war. One marriage for peace. Many lies to hide the truth.
Alessia Moretti did not marry Lucien Valenti because she loved him; she married him to get information. As the daughter of the Moretti leader, she believes the Valentis killed her brother, Enzo. Now, she is living in their home, ready to destroy their business from the inside.
Lucien Valenti is a man of secrets. He knows his wife is a spy, and he is ready to play her game—until a person from the past returns with a warning: the real enemy is not the husband she lives with, but the father who forced her into the marriage.
When a stolen file reveals "Project Veil"—a terrible medical plan paid for by her own family, Alessia is forced to work with the man she wanted to kill. From the expensive parties in Manhattan to the dark hallways of secret labs in Italy, Alessia and Lucien must deal with many betrayals.
In the world of the Syndicate, the truth is more dangerous than a lie. And the truth is: some secrets are better left hidden.
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Chapter: Chapter 61Alessia’s POVThe green mist was spilling out from the cracks in the ancient stone floor of the Forum and it looked like the ground itself was breathing out poison, and I stood there with my hand over my mouth while I watched the vapor curl around the base of the broken marble columns. The sound of the pumps was a deep and heavy thumping that I could feel in the soles of my boots and it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, and Lucien was standing next to me with his rifle raised while he scanned the shadows for any sign of the Architects' guards. We couldn't just walk through the front entrance because the main gates were swarming with drones and armored vehicles, so we had to find another way into the guts of the city through the old drainage systems that most people had forgotten even existed."We can't stay out here in the open for more than a minute because the air is getting thick and my eyes are already starting to sting from the concentration of the agent," Lucien sai
Last Updated: 2026-03-10
Chapter: Chapter 60Lucien’s POVThe drywall exploded in a cloud of white powder as the first spray of bullets ripped through the bedroom door and I had to tackle Alessia to the floor while the sound of the suppressed rifles felt like a hammer beating against my eardrums, and I could hear the mercenaries from the Legacy Council shouting orders in the hallway but there was a second set of sounds coming from the balcony that was much worse. It was the heavy, rhythmic thud of the Architects' bio-augmented cleanup crew landing on the terrace and I knew we were being squeezed between two different armies who both wanted the ledger and our heads, so I grabbed the rappelling gear from the emergency bag and signaled for Nico to cover the main entrance while I kicked out the remaining glass in the window."We can't hold this floor because they have the numbers and the high ground so we are going down the outside of the building and swinging into the fourth-floor terrace where the service stairs are still clear,"
Last Updated: 2026-03-09
Chapter: Chapter 59Alessia’s POVThe drive back to the penthouse felt like we were navigating a graveyard because the streets were so quiet and the only sound was the low hum of the engine and the distant, rhythmic thumping of military helicopters circling the city center, and when we finally stepped through the heavy reinforced doors I saw Matteo standing by the floor-to-ceiling window and looking out at the green glow of the Roman skyline. He wasn't shaking anymore and the gray tint had left his skin but there was something wrong with the way he was standing because he was too still and his eyes didn't even blink as he watched a flock of birds plummet toward the Tiber river, and when he turned to look at us his expression was so flat and disconnected that it made the hair on my arms stand up."You’re back and you have the book, so I suppose we can finally stop talking about the past and start focusing on how many people we have to kill to get into the primary pump room at the Forum," Matteo said and h
Last Updated: 2026-03-09
Chapter: Chapter 58Lucien’s POVThe glow from the fountains was still burning in the back of my eyes as we stumbled away from the Piazza del Popolo and I pulled my phone from my pocket to make the one call I had been avoiding since the night the palace burned down, and I waited through four long rings before a voice that sounded like cold silk answered and told me to meet her at the Temple of Aesculapius inside the Villa Borghese gardens. Alessia was still clutching the Black Ledger to her chest and her knuckles were white from the strain and she looked at me with a question in her eyes but I just shook my head because I didn't have the words to explain why we were meeting my mother in the middle of a biological war zone. We walked through the dark park and the grass felt damp beneath our boots and the air was getting colder and I could see the silhouettes of at least a dozen armed men moving through the trees long before we reached the stone temple at the edge of the lake."You look like you’ve been
Last Updated: 2026-03-02
Chapter: Chapter 57Alessia’s POVThe morning sun was reflecting off the white stone of the Spanish Steps and the plaza was crowded with tourists who were laughing and eating gelato as if the world wasn't about to end in a few hours, and I felt like a ghost walking through a dream as I kept my hand on the hidden pistol in my coat while Lucien walked beside me with his hat pulled low. We had left Matteo in the care of Nico back at the penthouse and I could still see the boy’s pale face in my mind, but I had to focus on the task at hand because the bank vault was only a few hundred yards away and the Widow was waiting for her prize."Look at them just sitting there taking selfies by the fountain while the water in the pipes is turning into a death sentence, and they don't have a single clue that the air they are breathing is about to become a poison," Lucien whispered as he leaned toward me to avoid being overheard by a group of students passing by us."They think the green tint in the water is just algae
Last Updated: 2026-03-01
Chapter: Chapter 56Lucien’s POVThe drive from Trastevere to the Parioli district was tense because the streets were nearly empty except for the military patrols, and I kept my foot heavy on the gas of the stolen sedan while Alessia sat in the back with Matteo’s head in her lap. We arrived at the base of a high-security glass tower that looked out over the Villa Borghese and I had to punch a code into the intercom that I hadn't used in three years, and after a long silence the gates buzzed open to allow us into the underground garage. I helped Alessia carry Matteo toward the private elevator and my back was screaming at me with every step but I couldn't stop now because the penthouse above was the only place in Rome where the Architects wouldn't dare to kick in the door. The elevator opened directly into a living room that was filled with white marble and modern art and a woman with silver hair was sitting on a velvet sofa with a glass of dark wine in her hand."I expected you to show up at my door eve
Last Updated: 2026-02-28
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