Chapter 54: Flames of Trust

The safe house was a secluded fortress in the city’s northern hills, its stone walls a refuge from the underworld’s restless pulse. Kai Castellano stood by a window, his black shirt unbuttoned, his icy blue eyes tracing the darkened forest beyond. The gala’s assassin attack had tightened their empire’s alliances, but the cloaked figure’s meeting, echoing the pier ambush, loomed—a shadow tied to Lorenzo’s past and Kai’s mother’s death. Their united empires—Castellanos and La Rosa Nera—held strong, but tonight, Kai craved Gianna, their love a sanctuary amidst the storm. His jaw tightened, their alcove passion, her fierce trust, a flame that burned through every threat.

Gianna Moretti slipped into the room, her black sweater soft, her emerald eyes gleaming with warmth, her braid loose. Her command of La Rosa Nera, a defiance of mafia tradition, was a spark that ignited Kai, their marriage a fire that anchored them. Lorenzo’s hit on her mother, a shared wound, deepened their bond, their l