LOGINRhea's Pov The ornate doors of the private parlor clicked shut behind us as we entered and I found Laziel exactly where I expected him to be: lounging in his favorite armchair near the fireplace. The fire had burned down to a low, comforting amber glow, casting long shadows across his sharp features. His leg was draped carelessly over the arm of the chair, a thick leather-bound book resting in his lap.Without a word, Neveah and I approached. We didn't wait for an invitation; we both plopped down on the wide seat next to him, sandwiching Neveah right in the middle. Laziel didn't look annoyed by the intrusion. Instead, a genuine smile touched his lips. He leaned forward, closing his book with one hand while the other reached out to affectionately ruffle Neveah’s hair, messy as it was from the night's scuffles."How are you holding up, little bird?" he asked, his voice low and smooth. "That was quite the show you and Rhea put on tonight. Are you okay?"Neveah shook her head slightly, s
Rhea's Pov Neveah searched my eyes for a long moment, looking for any sign of hesitation. When she found none, she gave a slow, solemn nod. "Okay," she said, “Then I have two dads and a mother." She turned back to Marcello and reached out, her small hand patting his cheek in a gesture of comfort that almost brought the man to his knees. "Don't cry. You're here now."Marcello let out a soft sob, pressing his face into her small shoulder. I looked at them, not saying anything. If I could, I would give them space but now, I couldn't leave Neveah alone here. After a few minutes, Marcello pulled back, wiping his eyes and standing up. I glanced over at the sofa, where Sally and Beatrice lay slumped in their terrified, psychological stupor. The sight of them made my skin crawl."What are you going to do with them, Marcello?" I asked, my voice turning cold. "The police are waiting outside. There’s more than enough evidence on that screen to ensure they spend the rest of their lives behind
Rhea's Pov Marcello stepped forward, the aura radiating from him was cold and filled with anger. “During my investigations, I came across a man who told me everything that had been done to my wife, Hillary. How she was raped, beaten, forced to do things beneath her, forced to do things that no human nor woman is supposed to do. My wife was treated like a dog, she was treated like a beast, like someone who wasn't even human. She was your daughter! A human being born out of your flesh and you dared treat my wife like this?!” He stopped just inches from Sally, looming over her. The shadow he cast swallowed her whole. Sally, who had once carried herself with such arrogance, was now curled into herself on the sofa, her hands over her ears as if she could shut out the sound of his judgment."You sat at my table," Marcello hissed, his face contorting with a fury so raw it was terrifying to witness. "You drank my wine, you spent my money, and all the while, you knew. You knew she was being
Rhea's Pov "Mr. Morrieti," I said, my voice steady despite the rush of adrenaline coursing through me. I dipped my head in a respectful greeting, acknowledging the man who had been a ghost in his own life for far too long. Up close, Marcello Morrieti was striking, a man whose features were carved from the same hard, uncompromising stone as his reputation. Even after years of supposed decline, he possessed a magnetic, dangerous handsomeness that made it easy to see why a woman like Hillary would have been drawn to him. Marcello turned his gaze toward me, and for a fleeting moment, the lethal intensity in his expression softened. "Miss Rhea," he said, his voice deep and raspy, as if it hadn't been used for anything more than whispers in a long time. "I owe you a debt I can never truly repay. Thank you for your help during all this time. Thank you for protecting my daughter when I couldn't. Thank you so much, from the bottom of a father's heart."The weight of his gratitude was heavy,
Rhea's Pov Sally let out a sharp scoff, she looked like a woman who still believed she held the strings. She straightened her spine, pulling herself up from Beatrice’s side. "Ending?" Sally repeated, her voice dripping with a venomous mockery. She brushed a stray, silver-blond hair from her face, her eyes narrowing into slits of pure malice. "You truly are a naive little girl, Rhea. Do you think a video and some digital numbers on a screen are enough to bring down the Taylors? Do you think the foundations I’ve built over decades can be toppled over by a commoner like you?” Sally laughed again, her eyes rolling. “Nothing is going to end for us. Not tonight, not ever. We will get what we want, the Giovanni estate, the Morrieti legacy, all of it, no matter what we have to do. We’ve survived worse than you, and we’ll survive this."I shook my head slowly, my gaze sweeping over the two of them, the mother clinging to a dying fantasy and the daughter staring at me from the floor."You’re
Rhea's Pov As the guards reached out to grab her arms, the paralyzing shock finally broke, replaced by a desperate, screeching voice. "Get your hands off me!" Sally shrieked. She struggled against the guards. "Rhea, you common girl! You’re going to regret this! You'll regret this!” Beside her, Beatrice was even louder. "This is a setup! You’re all witnessing a kidnapping!" she screamed at the crowd, her eyes bulging. "Laziel, how can you let this trash do this to us? She's nothing but trash! A commoner!” I stood perfectly still, my expression a mask of cold indifference. I didn't trade insults with them, it would be beneath me. I simply watched them as they were dragged toward the exits. I took a deep, steadying breath and turned my attention back to the center of the room. Monte was still standing there. Unlike Sally and Beatrice, he hadn't resorted to screaming. He stood with a stiff, brittle dignity, his hands clenched so tightly at his sides that I could see the tremors trave







