ANMELDENAfter he left I buckled my seatbelt, a few minutes later, the cabin door sealed shut, and the jet taxied down the runway before lifting off into the grey morning clouds. As the Valteri estate shrank into a tiny dot beneath us, I leaned my head against the cool window and let out a quiet sigh of relief. The past few weeks had been a non-stop rotation of poisoned coffee, fake smiles, and wedding planning madness. Escaping to my father's city felt like stepping out of a suffocating room and finally getting a lungful of cold air.The flight was short, barely two hours, but by the time we started our descent, the landscape below had completely changed. Instead of the quiet, rolling hills and sprawling historical manors surrounding the Valteri property, the city below was a sprawl of concrete, steel, and heavy industrial docks stretching out toward the dark water of the harbor. This was Pedro's turf. Everything down there ran on cash, muscle, and absolute, unquestioned loyalty.When the jet
The ride back to the Valteri estate took less than twenty minutes. The security detail parked right outside the main door, and I hopped out before the guys could even reach for the door handle. I pushed my way inside, kicking off my shoes by the front door, and headed straight toward the main living area.I could hear them arguing before I even turned the corner. Elena's voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet of the house. "I am telling you, the midnight blue is too dark for the reception hall. It makes everything look like a mob summit instead of a wedding.""Midnight blue is classic," Grandmother shot back, sounding unbothered. "It sets the tone. We want people to know the family isn't playing around."I walked into the room, shoving my hands into my pockets. They were sitting at the long table surrounded by a literal mountain of thick, glossy paper, fabric swatches, and heavy ring binders. Elena looked up first, her eyes locking onto me with a look of pure urgency."Nyxara," sh
Dario kept his hand on the small of my back, his thumb rubbing a slow circle against my shirt. The black van carrying Nysa had already turned the corner and disappeared down the street, leaving nothing behind except the hum of the car engines from the security details my dad brought along. The air outside felt sharp, and I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, trying to shake off the lingering weirdness of watching my own sister get hauled away by the same men she had hired.Dario looked down at me, his face tight. "Let's go home, Kitten. You've had enough excitement for one morning." he said.I shook my head, stepping out from under his hand. "No. I'm not going back to the home yet. I need to go see Carlton."He frowned, crossing his arms. "You want to go talk to him right now? After all that?" he asked."Yes," I said, meeting his eyes. "I need to check in on him. Make sure he's settled before everything else drops."My dad stepped up beside Dario, his eyes fixed on me with that h
Dario stopped sipping his coffee and looked down at the screen. My dad leaned over, his eyes scanning the text, and let out a dry, humorless sound. Uncle Pascal just shook his head, a small, knowing smirk hitting his face."She's up to something," Dario said, stating the obvious. "Nobody texts out of nowhere trying to play sweet unless they're sweating.""Obviously," I muttered, grabbing a napkin. "She's probably panicking because of the anonymous text from yesterday, or she thinks she can fix whatever mess she's in by twisting my arm.""You aren't going alone," my dad said, his tone leaving zero room for argument."I wasn't planning on it," I told him, rolling my eyes a little bit. "I'll take security. Plus, you guys are probably going to follow us anyway."Uncle Pascal laughed out loud, leaning back in his chair. "We wouldn't miss it, princess." he said.By nine, I was out the door but not before being lectured by the entire Vlateri clam about being careful. My dad came with two of
I looked between them, my voice dropping into a casual, matter-of-fact tone as I explained the setup. "I had my lead tech, Eli, fire off a timed anonymous ping straight to their phones. Just twenty minutes after we sat down. It didn't need a massive paragraph or a long threat. Just a simple wake-up call to let them know the clock is ticking."Bianca let out a low whistle, her eyes lighting up with absolute approval. "God, that is brilliantly vicious. What did it say?""Just six words," I replied, a cold smile touching my lips. "I know your secret. I know who Nyxara really is."Ella burst out laughing, sinking back into her chair with a shake of her head. "Oh, that is poetry. Look at them, they built their entire lives on a mountain of lies, and now they're realizing someone is standing at the bottom with a match." she said.Dario reached over, his hand resting warm and heavy on my hip as he looked down at me with a faint, dark spark of amusement in his eyes. "You're a menace," he said
After the last plates were returned to the kitchen, and the dining room finally emptied out. Vincenzo stood up, clapping a hand on Carlton's shoulder and steering him toward the patio doors to talk about local zoning. Elena smoothly guided Caroline out toward the cool night air of the garden, pretending to admire the late-summer flowers while keeping her away from the action. Grandfather and Grandmother excused themselves to the sitting room to escape the noise.That left Nysa sitting right where she was in the living room, completely cornered. Bianca and Ella had moved in fast, flanking her with matching, razor-sharp grins and dropping endless, casual digs about her fading social status and empty life.I stayed quiet for a minute, watching Nysa start to sweat under the pressure. Then I stood up, offering a polite, innocent little smile."Excuse me for just a second," I murmured. "I need to use the washroom."I slipped down the quiet hallway toward the guest bath, pulling my phone ou







