TRISTAN'S POVThe rhythmic thwack of my bullets finding their mark was a comforting melody. Three shots, each a perfect bullseye, nested deep within the dummy’s paper heart and brain. The faint smell of gunpowder hung in the air of the private shooting range, a scent I’d grown to associate with a strange kind of peace."Not bad," Vlad’s voice rumbled from beside me, a low, appreciative murmur that always managed to send a shiver down my spine, whether from annoyance or something else, I was never quite sure.I lowered the pistol, spinning it once on my finger before placing it back on the rack. I raised an eyebrow at him, a half smile twitching at my lips. "That's it? That's the highest compliment you can give? After I skillfully disemboweled that poor unsuspecting paper man?"Vlad chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated through the concrete walls. "Don't get it all in your head, Tristan. It would be your weakness if you let arrogance control you." His tone was lecturing, but his eyes he
GIOVANNI'S POVThe expensive silk of my all-black suit felt like a second skin, a testament to the power I was about to claim. In the mirror, my reflection stared back, a man on the precipice of everything he had ever strived for. The color was a deliberate choice for my wedding to Juliana, not just a preference, but a statement. Black symbolized control, an unspoken assertion of my dominance in this world, in this family, in this new union. My jaw was set. My gaze, sharp and unwavering. This day was a culmination, a victory.A rap on the door, then it swung open without waiting for my permission. Anastasia, my sister, stood framed in the doorway, her eyes like chips of ice. She wore a dress the color of twilight, a stark contrast to the celebratory white of the occasion, and her presence dimmed the already filtered light in the room."Brother, go down when you're ready," she said, her voice devoid of warmth, cutting through the silence like a sharpened blade. "Let's get
TRISTAN'S POVThe sound was rhythmic, deafening, and satisfying.Bang... bang... bang...I felt the recoil thrum through my forearm, steadying my aim for the next shot. Targets after targets flew backward, splintered into wood and metal dust when the high velocity rounds ripped through them. Cans flew everywhere, metallic bodies twisting in the air before clattering onto the concrete floor. This physical sharpness was the only thing that felt real to me anymore.I removed the heavy ear defenders, letting the sudden, dull quiet settle around me. I pulled the goggles off my face, blinking against the harsh fluorescent light of the indoor range. I was done for today’s session.Suddenly, I heard a few dramatic, short claps echoing across the empty space. I turned, wiping the sweat from my eyes with the back of my hand, and saw Vlad walking towards me, his expensive leather shoes silent on the smooth concrete.“Wow, just wow,” Vlad said, his voice laced with genuine admiration. He stopped
GIOVANNI'S POVThe scream was trapped in my throat, useless against the vast, indifferent expanse of the Atlantic. I did not scream. I yelled. I channeled every ounce of terror and denial into a furious, guttural sound aimed straight at the one man who insisted on injecting logic into my nightmare.“He is not dead, Dmitri! How dare you assume that?” I roared at my right hand, slamming my fist onto the metal table in the viewing deck. The gigantic cruise ship felt small, rocking violently, mocking my inability to control the situation.Dmitri stood his ground, his face a mask of grim loyalty. “Boss, I am stating facts. Logical possibilities,” he said, his voice measured but heavy. He was trying to calm me, and that infuriated me further.“No! He isn’t dead yet! Not until I see his corpse, I won’t believe it,” I yelled. The words were a shield against the crushing certainty that Tristan was gone. I wouldn't accept it until I had physical, undeniable proof.Dmitri s
TRISTAN'S POVMy body felt impossibly heavy, I tried to move my limbs, to twitch a finger, to even shift my weight, but it was useless. My muscles refused to obey, bound by an invisible force or perhaps a profound exhaustion I could not comprehend.I attempted to pry open my eyelids, to pierce through the encroaching darkness, but they were stubbornly glued shut, feeling as though small stones had been placed upon them. Despite this profound paralysis, my other senses seemed to amplify. My hearing sharpened, pulling in the muffled sounds of a distant, murmuring discussion."Did you stabilize him already?" a manly voice cut through the haze.The words were a low rumble, yet they vibrated through me. There was something familiar about that voice, a resonant quality that tugged at some distant corner of my mind, a place I could not quite reach.A cold wave of panic washed over me, though I remained physically inert. Why was I here? What happened? My mind was a blank slate, devoid of any
GIOVANNI'S POVThe sharp, stinging impact across my left cheek was less painful than it was humiliating. It wasn't the force that mattered; it was the sheer temerity, the violation of expectation.Anastasia, my quiet, delicate younger sister, had just slapped me... and the sound of the blow seemed to absorb all other noise in the sprawling, overly opulent hall.Juliana, who only moments earlier had been arguing fiercely with me about the consequences of my treatment of Tristan, seemed to have swallowed her own caustic tongue. She was frozen, eyes wide, looking not at me, but at Anastasia as if seeing a ghost.My blood ran cold for a second before the ferocious heat of indignation took over. I raised a trembling hand to my cheek. My skin was already throbbing, radiating heat."You... you slapped me? Anastasia what the heck?" I demanded, the words grating out through gritted teeth.I could still taste the metallic tang of shock. I analyzed her face, searching for the sister I knew, the