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POV: AdrikThe smell of sweat, blood, and damp concrete hit me the moment I got to the club’s basement.Matteo was slumped in the chair, his wrists bound behind his back with coarse rope, blood trailing from his busted lip and the gash above his brow. Sergei and Yuri stood on either side of him, breathing heavily, their knuckles red.“It didn't take long for him to start crying,” Sergei muttered, wiping his hands on a rag. “Like a bitch, he screamed the second we broke his ribs.”Matteo groaned, trying to lift his head, but I stepped forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me.“Eyes on me.”He blinked slowly, blood pooling in his mouth. “I—I didn’t want to hurt her.”My jaw flexed. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have played her.”I let go of his chin with a shove. He wheezed, slumping again. I circled the chair slowly, the click of my boots echoing off the concrete walls.“You were getting close to my wife. You showed up around Diana. And now you’re going to tell me exactly
SERAPHINA’S POV Diana and Matteo had arrived a little over twenty minutes ago. She had introduced us and it was good to finally meet the man my best friend has been obsessing over. Diana’s voice was the first thing I heard when I stepped out of the kitchen with a tray of fruit and pastries. “I told the man, if you ever try to explain how to use an IV drip to me again, I’m going to insert it somewhere less than ideal.” Matteo laughed, low and amused, his head tilted back as he sat comfortably on our couch. “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Bella.” “Oh, you already have,” she quipped, sipping her tea. I set the tray on the coffee table with a smile. “Play nice, you two.” “I am playing nice,” Diana said, tossing me a playful glance. “This is the nicest I’ve been to him in months.” Matteo grinned at me, his dimple flashing. “I’m trying to win her over again. Clearly, it’s working.” “I’m not that easy,” Diana muttered, crossing her legs. But she didn’t pull
Adrik’s Pov Sergei slid the folder across the table like it was just another dossier. But we both knew it wasn’t. I didn’t reach for it. Not yet. “What do you have for me?” “We confirmed it,” he said, his tone was quick and to the point. “Matteo Ricci. A camorra soldier. Former foot soldier. He’s been climbing the ranks for years. He kept his nose clean on paper, but he’s one of theirs.” I opened the file slowly, flipping through photographs, phone logs, surveillance records. Pages of Matteo’s activity from the last six months. Then one image hit like a gut punch. It was Matteo walking into that café in the mall. The same one Sera, Irina, and Diana had visited months ago. My jaw clenched. “That day…” I murmured. “When a man bumped into Sera. She found a letter slipped into her bag warning her not to trust me.” Sergei tapped the photo. “He’s the one who planted it. We traced a burner phone he used. He made a call less than an hour later. That number is tied to Viktor P
SERA Adrik’s lips were soft against mine. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t angry. It was slow. He kissed me so sweetly that my toes curled. When he finally pulled away, his eyes stayed locked on mine. That familiar icy gaze softened, just a little. He brushed a thumb over my cheek and then down to my jaw. “Get dressed, Zolotse, in as much as I'd like to tear you apart right now. I don’t want your food getting cold,” he murmured. I felt my cheeks heat up and I nodded. My heart trembled with more emotion than my body could hold. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He said before leaving the room. I didn’t even change out of the silk. I simply slipped a robe over it, tied it gently, and padded down to the dining room barefoot. The lights were low. The candles flickered across the table I’d set. And Adrik was already seated, his sleeves rolled up, his eyes on the wine bottle he’d just uncorked. He looked up as I entered. “You made pasta.” “I know how much you love eating mine.”
SERA It had been three days since Adrik found out about the letters. Three days of him giving me half-hearted nods and distance. He still spoke to me. Technically. But every word was clipped. Every glance, cold. Like he was forcing himself to remain civil. Like the quiet war inside him hadn’t yet decided whether to forgive me—or shut me out for good. This morning, I caught him swimming laps in the rooftop pool. His strokes were sharp, methodical, and angry. With each stroke, his muscles flexed and I couldn't help but admire him. I padded in quietly, my robe wrapped tight around me. My fingers twisted the sash nervously as I stood at the edge of the water. “Adrik?” I said gently. He didn’t stop. “Can we talk?” He came up for air, pushing wet hair out of his face. “Oh wow. Someone suddenly wants to tell her husband things,” he said sarcastically. “Please,” I said, stepping closer. He rested his arms on the edge, water dripping down his shoulders. “You shou
Sera (A week later) The sky was still a deep gray when I slipped out of bed, my heart pounding like a warning bell in my chest. Adrik’s arm was draped over my waist, his breathing even and steady beside me. Safe. Solid. Warm. And yet the guilt that gnawed at my insides didn’t care about warmth or comfort. It chewed through everything, relentless and cold. It had been a little over a week since I spoke to Diana and with each passing day, I felt like I was digging myself into a hole I might not be able to crawl out from. I tiptoed out of bed and padded toward the kitchen, wrapping my robe tighter around myself. The penthouse was silent—except for the soft hum of the espresso machine as I prepared his coffee, the way he liked it. Strong, no sugar, splash of cream. My fingers trembled as I carried the mug back upstairs. He was still lying on his side, bare chest half-buried beneath the comforter, his dark hair tousled from sleep. He looked peaceful. I hated that I