MasukNicoThe underworld changed faster than anyone expected once Aurelio was gone.Word traveled through the city within days, spreading from one district to another until every remaining piece of his organization understood there was nothing left worth protecting. Some of his men scattered, disappearing into other cities where nobody would recognize their faces or ask questions about who they used to work for. Others made the smarter choice and folded quietly into the alliance Dante and Valeria had built during the war, accepting new leadership rather than risk becoming irrelevant.Captains who had once openly questioned whether they could follow a woman now deferred to Valeria as naturally as they deferred to Dante. That shift did not happen because they feared the name people had given her during the worst weeks of the conflict. It happened because they had watched everything she sacrificed to keep the empire standing when Dante was gone. Fear could force obedience for a while, but it
Valeria and DanteThe room became completely silent after Valeria stepped into Maria's study. For several seconds, no one moved. Dante remained standing where he was, his attention fixed on Valeria. Aurelio stood across from them, watching the two people who had become the greatest threat to everything he had spent years trying to reclaim.There was no fear on Valeria's face. There was no hesitation in Dante's expression. And somehow, that seemed to anger Aurelio more than any weapon pointed at him could have. For the first time, he looked at the two of them and seemed to understand that everything he had done had not created the separation he wanted. He had wanted Dante isolated. He had wanted Valeria broken. He had wanted them both desperate enough to make choices that benefited him. Instead, every attempt to destroy what they had only forced them to rely on each other more.Aurelio's expression hardened as he looked between them. But even then, even at the end, he refused to accept
DanteThe silence inside the estate bothered me more than the gunfire had. For the past several minutes, every step I took deeper into the building felt heavier. The sounds of fighting had almost disappeared completely, leaving behind only the occasional movement of my men clearing rooms and confirming that Aurelio's remaining soldiers were no longer a threat.I had expected another trap. That was the only thing that made sense. Aurelio had never been a man who accepted defeat quietly. Every move he made had been calculated, every person he used had served a purpose. The idea that I would walk into the heart of his operation without another obstacle felt wrong. Too easy.My hand remained close to my weapon as I moved through the hallway, my eyes carefully scanning every corner. The estate was different from the places I had seen him occupy over the years. This was not just another hideout. It was personal. The walls carried memories that I had spent years trying not to remember. Photo
ValeriaThe estate had gone quieter than I expected. After everything Aurelio had done to prepare for Dante's arrival, I had expected my path to be filled with resistance. I had expected traps, more guards, and another attempt to slow us down. A man like Aurelio did not surrender territory easily, especially when that territory contained the last pieces of control he still believed he had.But as I moved through the eastern side of the estate, the reality became clear. He had used most of what he had left against Dante. Every explosion that echoed through the building, every gunshot that came through the communication line, every desperate attempt to hold the front entrance had been designed to keep Dante occupied. That meant Lorenzo had been nothing more than a hidden piece on the board. Aurelio had never planned to defend him. He had planned to use him.The thought made my jaw tighten as I moved through the dim corridor with my weapon raised. Two of Nico's men followed closely behin
DanteThe resistance was heavier than I expected. The moment our vehicles reached the estate, I already knew Aurelio had been prepared for us. That realization did not surprise me. If there was one thing I understood about my father, it was that he never moved without considering every possible outcome. He was arrogant. He was cruel. He was obsessed with control. But he was not careless.The attack had been expected. The number of guards stationed around the estate proved it. The additional weapons proved it. The fact that they had fortified every possible entrance proved it. Aurelio knew we would come. He knew I would come. And that meant there was a reason he wanted us here. That thought stayed in the back of my mind as the first shots were fired."Dante, we have movement on the eastern side," Nico's voice came through the communication device."How many?""More than expected."I looked toward the building ahead. The estate was larger than I remembered. It was not just a place to hi
ValeriaThe call came before dawn.I knew something was wrong before Nico even finished saying my name. There was something different in his voice. Nico had always been controlled. Even during the worst situations, even when everything around him was falling apart, he maintained a calm that made people believe he had everything handled. But this time, there was hesitation. And that scared me more than panic would have."Valeria."I sat up immediately. "What happened?"There was a pause. A small one. But long enough."Your brother's safehouse was compromised."The room became completely silent. For a moment, I did not process the words. Not because I did not understand them. Because I did. Too quickly."What do you mean compromised?"Nico exhaled. "Aurelio's people were there."My grip tightened around the phone. "Is Lorenzo hurt?"Another pause. That was when my heart started beating harder."Valeria...""Is Lorenzo hurt?""No bodies."The answer confused me. "What?""There are no bod
DanteI turned fully toward them now with my voice calm, but that made it even more terrifying, and I knew it did because I saw the fear in their eyes. "You're all fools," I said slowly as my hand went to my side and I pulled out my gun with the metal feeling cool against my skin. I did it slow on
ValeriaI stormed out of Dante’s office shaking and broken. I wasn’t going back to the house, no. I couldn’t. If I got into that car now, my breakdown would be before them all and that’s not what they deserved… to see me just lose it while he smirked on.I kept my head down and walked through the
DanteThe sound of my cellphone ringing on my nightstand, woke me up. The loud noise broke the silence in the hotel room. I snatched it, glanced at the screen and answered. “Yeah?” with a hoarse, and sleepy voice.“Boss, we got a situation with the shipment,” Nico’s voice answered through the line
Valeria“We can’t wait for a doctor here. Take her to the hospital now!” a guard yelled.I was lying on the ground, my body shaking from pain. My arm burned where the dog’s teeth had bitten me, and my side stung from the deep scratches. Blood soaked my dress, making it stick to my skin and my head







