Grace's pov“No, hear me out. If I go with you and I stay in the secured wing. I won’t get involved in anything. I will just be there, and I will have more protection than this place, while you can work better.There, you have men, cameras, guards, and you will also be there, it will be safer there,” I said at once.He didn’t say anything immediately. His thumb started rubbing his jaw the way it always did when he was calculating risk.“I can also help,” I added. “I am still a nurse. If someone gets injured, I can assist. It won’t be much of a problem, but it is something. Let me help, Vano. Please”His brow furrowed. “You don’t understand what that place could turn into if this goes further. If the Raven Syndicate escalates, the main house might not feel safe. It might become a battlefield.”“Then all the more reason to keep us all in one place. Dispersing doesn’t make us harder to hit, it just makes us easier to pick off,” I said, my voice firmer now.“But look at it this way. You c
Grace's Pov I knew he was lying.Not in a careless or hurtful way, but in that quiet, protective tone Silvano always used when he thought something was too heavy for me to carry. But I had learned something about men like him, they carried the weight alone until it broke them.And I wasn’t going to let that happen.After dinner, I cleaned up the plates while Luca and Harper disappeared into the study. Silvano stayed on his seat, phone in hand, probably waiting for another message. His jaw was tight, eyes distant. His food might have filled him, but it hadn’t brought him peace.I dried my hands, walked over, and sat next to him again. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t move away either. That silence told me enough.“There is danger, isn’t there?” I asked quietly.His gaze shifted to mine, just for a second, and then back to his phone.I sighed. “I know you are trying to protect me, but you don’t have to do it alone. I can handle more than you think.”That made him pause.Finally, he loo
Silvano's pov There was nothing we could do but wait. We have to wait for anything they might want to do.All of us couldn't be going to the house all out once anymore. I couldn't risk them finding Grace.So only Luca and I were going back and we were taking a different car. The drive back to the house was quiet. Luca kept his eyes on the road, and I watched the rearview mirror, scanning for any signs of a tail. We took a different route, winding through side streets and alleys, avoiding main roads. We couldn't afford to be predictable.As we approached the house, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Grace was inside, unaware of the storm brewing around us. I had to keep her safe.We parked a block away and walked the rest of the distance, blending with the shadows. The house looked the same, quiet and peaceful, but I was afraid of it not being safe enough for Grace.We knocked on the door and waited a few minutes before Grace opened the door for us. Grace greeted us with a smile
Silvano's pov We had used longer hours trying to tighten security around that we lost track of time. I quickly sent a message to Grace, telling her we would be late. The compound was unusually quiet as dusk began to creep in, casting long shadows across the courtyard. The other men had either retired to bed or they were training.The upgraded cameras blinked silently in their new corners, sensors active, and guards rotated at tighter intervals. It was still, but far from peaceful. This was the kind of silence that made your instincts sharpen.I stood by the window in Antonio’s office, watching two of our men cross the lot. Alert and Armed.I punished the man who was meant to be on guard that day and I don't think he would be able to stand for a few days. They knew what was at stake now.The Raven Syndicate wasn’t just a name anymore; it was real, and it was an immediate threat. And I didn’t like playing defense.Antonio entered the room, tossing a manila file on the table. “That
Silvano's pov The drive to the main house was quiet. Luca sat beside me, scrolling through his phone, probably checking for updates we already knew. I kept my eyes ahead and my jaw tight. Something in me was uneasy and I couldn't explain it.We arrived at the gates, and as soon as the guards saw the car, they opened them without question. I parked close to the front entrance and stepped out.Antonio was already waiting by the door, sipping coffee and looking like he hadn’t slept much. “You are late,” he said.“You are lucky I showed up at all,” I replied, brushing past him.Inside, Valentina was pacing the hallway, speaking quickly in Italian to someone on the phone. She glanced up when she saw me, ended the call, and walked over.“We have a situation,” she said quietly, walking over to me. “The CCTV footages are all gone but the hidden car camera is still working so far, so we might have something,” she finished, her voice low and tense.I stiffened. “Gone? As in completely wiped?
Grace's pov“Well?” I asked.She hesitated, chewing the inside of her mouth. “I met someone,” I raised my eyebrows. “You met someone?”“Yes, at the club,”“And?” I asked. “And what?” She asked. “You are the one telling me you met someone. So I am asking you to tell me everything,” I rolled my eyes at her. “Oh,” she said in realization. I almost chuckled but I didn't. She might not just tell me again. “After meeting at the club, we exchanged numbers and we have been talking. He is working with real estate, he is handsome and has a nice build, like a model body type of body.”“You like him but don't know what to do,” I said and she looked at me. “How do you know?” She asked.I shrugged my shoulders, “Because when a girl starts telling another girl about the guy she met, she doesn't know whether to tell him she likes him, accept him or just keep him as friends,”Harper let out a small groan, dropping her head back dramatically. “Ugh, why is it so complicated?”I smiled. “It is not.