CATALINA'S PERSPECTIVE
NICO'S MANSION - OFFICE NIGHT The door clicks shut behind us, sealing off the outside world. Heavy curtains block any chance of being seen or heard. Only shadows and silence remain, thick with something unspoken but undeniable. Nico’s eyes lock onto mine, dark, steady, hungry but controlled. He moves slow, deliberate, like he’s honoring the moment, not rushing it. “You carry fire,” he says, voice low and rough. “Even when you move like a ghost.” I meet his gaze without flinching. “I’m here for business,” I say flatly. “But I’m not blind to what you want.” The dress clings to me like a second skin, thin and teasing. He steps closer, no hurry, just intention. “I’ve gathered everything,” he says, voice thick. “Every whisper. Every secret. It’s all for you. I follow you without question.” My fingers find his jaw, tracingDANTE'S PERSPECTIVE LUCCHESE MAIN HEADQUARTERS MORNING Malcolm steps inside, looking tight as hell, holding the folder like it’s a grenade waiting to blow. “Boss,” he says steady, careful. “La Rosa Nera was spotted entering Nico’s mansion last night. Stayed inside for almost four fucking hours.” I don’t even blink before I slam my fist down on the goddamn desk, wood groans under the impact, dust falling like dead skin. “Four fucking hours? What the hell do you think they were doing, Malcolm? Playing fucking checkers? That snake wrapped around Nico’s neck, and they’re sipping goddamn tea? I’m not some dumb asshole to buy that bullshit.” Malcolm’s eyes flicker, but he stands his ground. “We don’t know, sir. But when she left, we tailed the car, gunfire erupted. Shots fired like hellfire raining down. Our men had to pull back. We lost her.” My jaw clenches so
CATALINA'S PERSPECTIVE NICO'S MANSION - OFFICE Nico’s eyes sparkled with a dark amusement as he settled back against the couch, pulling me onto his lap without hesitation. The way he held me, firm, almost possessive, sent a jolt through me. I needed to know if I still had that grip on him, if this dangerous man still belonged to me, even if I was someone else’s wife now. His hands tightened around my waist, a little more than before, as if knowing I wasn’t his alone made him want to claim me more fiercely. “So,” Nico began, a crooked smile playing at his lips, “I’ve been obsessed with Dante’s wife all this time.” He paused, then laughed low and rough. “Sleeping with her behind Dante’s back, no less.” I met his gaze, steady, waiting for what came next. “Tell me,” he said, voice teasing but edged with something sharper, “does Dante even know you’re La Rosa Nera?” I let the questi
CATALINA'S PERSPECTIVE NICO'S MANSION - OFFICE AFTERMATH I finally had Nico’s full attention. No distractions, no hesitations. The room felt heavier now, thick with the weight of everything unsaid. I didn’t wait for the echoes of what just happened between us to fade. I needed answers, and I needed them now. “How much do you really know about me?” I asked, voice low but sharp, cutting through the silence. His eyes locked on mine, dark and steady, filled with grudging respect and something like fear. He inhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully. “La Rosa Nera… The name alone sent shockwaves through the Moretti domain five years ago. You weren’t just a ghost, you were a storm. You tore through their ranks, almost taking down some of the biggest names in that family. No one knew why, no one could predict where you’d strike next. Your reach… it spread across Italy like wildfire. Then, just as suddenly
CATALINA'S PERSPECTIVE NICO'S MANSION - OFFICE NIGHT The door clicks shut behind us, sealing off the outside world. Heavy curtains block any chance of being seen or heard. Only shadows and silence remain, thick with something unspoken but undeniable. Nico’s eyes lock onto mine, dark, steady, hungry but controlled. He moves slow, deliberate, like he’s honoring the moment, not rushing it. “You carry fire,” he says, voice low and rough. “Even when you move like a ghost.” I meet his gaze without flinching. “I’m here for business,” I say flatly. “But I’m not blind to what you want.” The dress clings to me like a second skin, thin and teasing. He steps closer, no hurry, just intention. “I’ve gathered everything,” he says, voice thick. “Every whisper. Every secret. It’s all for you. I follow you without question.” My fingers find his jaw, tracing
CATALINA’S PERSPECTIVE A WEEK AFTER LEAVING DANTE - NIGHT The night pressed heavy around us, the streets slick with shadows and silence. Every corner, every flicker of light felt like eyes, Dante’s eyes, watching, waiting. But my own eyes were sharper. Nikolai leaned in, voice low and steady. “Patrol’s shifted. We’ve got twenty minutes tops before the next sweep.” I glanced at the narrow strip of paper tucked in my jacket pocket. “Twenty minutes to vanish.” We moved through the bookstore’s back door, the soft creak swallowed by the hum of the city night. Just ahead, the gate to the next shop stood closed, an old tailor’s store, quiet at this hour. The owner, a wiry man with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor, was waiting. My ally. He gave a barely perceptible nod as we approached. “All clear on this side. Dante’s men just passed by five minutes ago.” Nikolai
DANTE'S PERSPECTIVE HOTEL ROOM The room was thick with smoke, whiskey, sweat, the scent of my failure drowning every corner. I slammed the door behind her before even sparing her a glance. She wasn’t a woman tonight. Just a body. A broken shape I needed to tear apart. I needed to shred every goddamn inch of whatever monster was clawing inside me. No softness. No mercy. No kindness. Only destruction. My hands slammed on her hips like they were weapons, claws ripping at flesh and memory. I knew the curve beneath my fingers. The softness I’d memorized like a goddamn prayer. But this, this was nothing like her. Cold. Silent. Too damn empty. I shoved my cock inside her cunt, trying to fill the void that's gn