LOGINDario’s PovTwenty-four hours.That was how long my wife had been avoiding me.Twenty-four fucking hours, not that I was counting.I leaned against the bathroom sink and stared at my reflection. The man staring back at me looked exhausted. There were shadows beneath my eyes, tension carved into every line of my face.The war was growing uglier by the day. Problems stacked on top of problems.And somehow, the thing driving me the most insane wasn’t any of that.It was Fina, she barely spoke to me, barely looked at me.When she did, there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.Something cold, and distant. Something that made me uncomfortable.I splashed water across my face and exhaled slowly.She couldn’t know, nobody in this house would dare tell her about Angel.I had made that very clear, even Julio had agreed to keep quiet.Her mother had wanted her to know; desperately. But the timing was wrong.Everything happening around us was already volatile enough.If Fina
Dario’s pov EarlierWar was exhausting, but it was not the bullets, not the blood. Not even the bodies.Those things were familiar, and predictable.What exhausted me were the people hiding in the shadows, beaming while plotting.Thiago Gaten was one of them.I sat in the backseat of the car, staring through the tinted window as the city blurred past.Thiago was Julio’s brother, which was the only reason he was still breathing.Any other man, from the Gatens caught meeting with Bird would have been buried before sunrise. Julio had pleaded on the bastard’s behalf, claiming they were already old allies before the fallout. Bullshit! Bird; the Leader of the Dead Ravens.A gang that had spent years trying to crawl into territory that didn’t belong to them.Unlike the old bloodlines, the Dead Ravens had no history, no roots.Anyone could join them.American. Russian. Asian. French. It didn’t matter.As long as they could hold a gun and follow orders, they weren’t built on legacy.They we
Fina’s PovI looked at Elena through tears that refused to stop falling.My chest was hurting; everything was hurting. The room felt too small, too hot, too suffocating.Elena tightened her grip around my trembling hands.“I know a lot has happened these past few months, Fina,” she whispered. “More than anyone should have to endure.”I swallowed hard. My throat burned.“But going against his will right now, would only enrage him further.”“So what do I do Elena? Huh.. What?” My eyes lifted to hers, desperate and hopeless all at once.“I have a picture of Angel,” she said, and my desperate eyes met hers, “Courtesy of Marco,” she explained.“Please.” My voice cracked. “Show me my brother. I need to see him. I need to know how bad it is.”The silence stretched between us, then Elena slowly nodded.Three minutes later, she unlocked her phone. I watched her fingers shake.And somehow that terrified me more than anything, she turned the screen toward me.The moment I saw the picture, my wo
Fina’s povI barely slept. The conversation with Aria from the previous night kept replaying in my head.The whispers, and he way Rita couldn’t look me in the eyes.The way Marco had practically run from the room.And the way everybody seemed determined to keep me in the dark.My instincts were screaming at me. Something had happened.Something serious. And somehow, deep inside, I already knew it had something to do with Angel.Surprisingly, Dario never came home that night. A part of me was relieved.I didn’t know how to face him.Not when I could feel a secret sitting between us like a loaded gun.The moment morning arrived, I made a decision. I needed answers.And there was only one person I trusted enough to give them to me.Elena.I picked up my phone and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring.“Fina!”Her cheerful voice filled the room.“Hey babes, it’s so good to hear from you.”I swallowed. “Elena, I need a favor.”“Anything.”“I need you at the mansion.”There wa
Fina’s povWhen I woke up from my noon nap, the mansion felt unusually quiet.For a moment, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling.The conversation with Dario earlier kept replaying inside my head.The way he had looked at me, and had avoided answering my questions.A sigh escaped me. I pushed the blanket away and climbed out of bed.Outside, the sky had already started turning orange.Evening was here, and I had slept longer than I intended.After changing into something comfortable, I left the room and headed downstairs.The mansion felt strangely empty. One of the maids hurried past me carrying fresh flowers.“Have you seen the Don?” I asked.She stopped immediately. “The Don left a few hours ago, Donna.”A few hours ago? I frowned.“With his men?”“Yes, Donna.”I thanked her and continued walking. The strange feeling in my chest refused to leave.I hadn’t seen Rita all afternoon either, and for some reason, that bothered me.As I approached the kitchen corridor, voices drifte
Aria’s povI woke up before sunrise. It was something I had always done.Back home, whenever life became too loud, I ran. Whenever my thoughts became too much, I ran.And after everything that had happened since arriving at the Severo Estate, I desperately needed a run.So before my grandmother could find chores for me, I pulled on a pair of shorts, a tank top, my running shoes, and slipped outside.The morning air was cool, and fresh. Perfect for a run.For almost an hour, I jogged around the estate grounds.The place was ridiculously huge.There were pathways, gardens, fountains, and sections I hadn’t even explored yet.Honestly, if somebody abandoned me here, it would probably take me three days to find my way back to the mansion.By the time I finished, sweat coated my skin. My breathing was heavy.But my head felt clearer. At least until I entered the gardens.The moment I rounded a corner, my feet stopped. I saw Laro.Why was it always him?He stood a few feet away talking to tw







