Chapter 8: A Dog or a Wolf

The drive back to the Vincenzo mansion was filled with an unsettling silence. Axe's grip on the steering wheel was tight, his bloody knuckles getting pointy as his mind continued to replay the events of the evening.

The car seemed to glide through the empty streets, the city lights passing by in a blur, but Axe's focus remained solely on the road ahead.

As they reached the grand gates of the mansion, Axe glanced at the three women in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Ember, her usually vibrant green eyes now clouded with worry, stared out the window with a cold expression. Mrs. Vincenzo, her face pale and lips pressed into a thin line, clutched her daughters' hands tightly. And then there was Leia, her stormy hazel eyes filled with unshed tears, her jaw set in a firm line.

Minutes later, once they entered the mansion, Axe escorted the women inside, his protective instincts on high alert.

for almost an hour, Axe personally made sure every room was checked, every window sec