LOGINI spent the rest of the morning answering emails, reviewing quarterly budgets for Cipher Core, and approving new hiring requisitions for our software engineering team. It was clean, straightforward, normal work, no drama, no threats, just running my company.Around noon, Leo looked up from his monitor "Scrub's complete, Nyxara. Zero digital traces left on the routing channels. Clean as a whistle.""Good work, Leo," I said, taking a sip of my coffee. "Let's grab lunch."I pulled into the driveway just after six in the evening. The house was quiet when I walked through the front door, slipping my heels off by the entryway.Upstairs, I found Dario in Aria’s room. The dim nightlight cast a warm glow across the room as he gently rocked our daughter back and forth, humming softly until her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm. He carefully laid her down in her crib, pulling the light blanket over her shoulders before stepping out into the hallway and softly clicki
It was loud, simple, and comfortable, the exact kind of night we all needed. After dinner was cleared away, the family started scattering to different parts of the house. Mom and Bianca went upstairs to put Aria down for the night, while Grandfather and Vincenzo settled in the living room with the late news.Dad, Uncle Pascal, and I headed down the hall into the den. Dad kicked off his shoes, dropping onto the leather sofa with a deep sigh and stretching his legs out. Uncle Pascal grabbed two glasses, poured a couple fingers of whiskey for himself and Dad, and handed one over before slumping into the armchair across from him."You feeling alright after that flight?" I asked, leaning against the edge of the desk."I'm fine, kid," Dad said, taking a slow sip. "Chest is still a little tight if I move too fast, but the doctors said the tissue is healing fine. I'm just glad to be out of that bed." Dario walked past the open doorway, stopping for a second when he saw us inside. He had his
The monthly southern flight always brought a different kind of energy to the Valteri estate. By Friday afternoon, the kitchen was already buzzing with activity. Mom was directing the staff, making sure every dish on the menu matched my dad’s favorite recipes, while Bianca set the large dining table with crisp linens and heavy silver.Upstairs in our bedroom, I was buttoning up my blouse when Dario walked out of the walk-in closet, adjusting his watch around his wrist. He glanced out the bedroom window toward the private landing pad near the edge of the property line."They're touching down," Dario said, a slight, easy grin forming on his face.I walked over to the window, looking out just as my dad’s black helicopter lowered smoothly onto the asphalt, kicking up a light swirl of autumn leaves. The door slid open, and a second later, Dad stepped out onto the tarmac, followed closely by Uncle Pascal and two of their trusted guards. Even after taking two bullets to the chest a month ago,
Aria buried her face in my shoulder, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck and letting out a happy little sigh that melted every ounce of stress left in my body. She smelled like baby powder and warm milk, and holding her felt like the absolute best thing in the world."She missed you like crazy," Bianca smiled, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking relieved. "Dario was about to charter a private search party and fly down there himself last night.""I wasn't far off," Dario admitted, walking up behind me and sliding his arm around my shoulders, pressing a kiss to Aria's cheek and another to mine.Grandmother and Grandfather walked out of the sitting room, smiling warmly as they saw us all gathered by the front door, while Ella peeked out from the top of the stairs, flashing me a huge, secret grin and giving me a quiet thumbs-up.I was standing there in the center of the hallway surrounded by my husband, our baby girl, and the noisy, chaotic, loving family that had ta
I reached inside my jacket, pulled out a heavy black velvet pouch, and tossed it right onto the center of the table. It hit the surface with a loud, metallic clatter that made two of the younger captains jump in their seats. Dominic stared at the pouch, his eyebrows pulling together. "What's this?" he asked."That," I said, leaning forward and resting my forearms on the table, "is Tony Lion's hard drives, his local encrypted server chips, and his personal ledger."Dominic’s eyes widened in genuine shock. "Lion's... wait. You got Lion's drives?" he asked in disbelief."I paid Lion a quick visit at his Ninth Street warehouse last night while you guys were sitting here drinking whiskey and planning how to split my father's empire," I said, keeping my tone flat. "His entire operation is gone. I purged his offshore bank accounts, wiped his local supply logs, and seized every piece of leverage he had on the southern routes."Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket. The captains star
On the bed, Dad moved his head slightly against the white pillow. His brow furrowed, a faint groan slipping past his dry lips as his eyes flickered open, wincing against the dim overhead light. His right arm was bandaged tight, held still in a sling across his ribs, but his left hand twitched against the crisp bedsheets."Dad?" I said softly, standing up and stepping right beside the mattress.His eyes took a second to focus, shifting around the room before settling right on my face. A slow, weak breath let out from his nose, his grip tightening just a fraction against my fingers as I reached down to take his hand."Nyxara..." his voice was barely a rough whisper, scratchy from the breathing tube they had removed hours ago. "What... what are you doing down here?""Where else would I be?" I gave him a small, gentle smile, squeezing his hand tight. "You got hit, Dad. I took the jet down last night."Uncle Pascal stirred on the sofa, dropping his feet to the floor with a heavy thud as he







