"Don’t make a sound unless you want him dead."The voice on the other end of the line was crisp, clear, and soaked in malice. Jean.The air in the room turned acidic. Everyone stood frozen as the speaker call ended with Jean dropping his location like a sword to the throat."He wants us to come alone," Vincenzo said, phone still in hand, jaw tight with fury."It’s obviously a setup," Francesca snapped, pacing.Noel was quiet. The tension in his fingers betrayed him as he clutched the fabric of Vincenzo's sleeve."I’m going," Noel said."No," Lucas cut in. "That psycho wants you there for a reason.""Exactly. And that’s why I have to go."Aria stepped forward. "Vince, we can plant backup. You two go in, but we won’t be far. We don’t have to play fair."Vincenzo met Noel’s gaze, their eyes locking in a wordless argument. Then, he exhaled. "Prepare the car. We leave in an hour."The location was a vineyard on the outskirts of the city…abandoned, beautiful, and perfect for a massacre.Noe
"You always did think too small, Jean."The voice crackled through the encrypted phone line, rich with disdain, clipped with power. Don Fausto Morvanti sat at the head of a long obsidian conference table, fingers steepled beneath his chin, flanked by Hydra’s most ruthless remaining heads. The villa’s war room was silent, save for the faint hum of security drones outside and the slow swirl of aged wine in Fausto’s glass.Jean Morvanti was on the other end of the line, seated in a dimly lit office of his own, surrounded by paper maps, surveillance feeds, and a bound, unconscious Sven in the adjacent room.“I’m thinking exactly the right size,” Jean replied coolly. “You’re just too arrogant to notice when your son outpaces you.”“Outpaces me?” Fausto chuckled low, leaning back in his throne-like chair. “You’re still cleaning up after Vincenzo’s scraps. Still chasing a boy who’s already chosen someone else. That’s not strategy, son. That’s delusion.”A flicker of something…hurt? Rage?...c
"Please, Vincenzo... I know he doesn’t deserve it, but no one deserves to vanish like that."Noel's voice was soft, but urgent. There was no pity in his tone, only a faint, troubling echo of guilt that made Vincenzo pull him closer.They stood in the main sitting room of the Howard family mansion, the air heavy with perfume, tension, and the stink of money. Gilded walls, velvet drapes, and marble floors. The kind of place meant to host scandals behind closed doors. This time, the scandal had walked out on its own..with no witnesses, no clues."I already have Francesca scouring the property with Lucas and Nico," Vincenzo muttered, his eyes sharp as blades as they darted across the room. "And Manuel is checking local traffic cams. We'll get something. We always do."Noel nodded, but he wasn't convinced. Something about the silence of the house was wrong…too clean and quiet.Backtrack: An hour AgoThe moment Francesca slammed Sven against the wall, bruising his ego and his cheek, she bac
Noel was already trembling when Vincenzo kicked the bedroom door shut."Please... Vincenzo... I need.. " Noel's voice was breathless, flushed, and desperate, the drug making his pupils dilated and his skin hot to the touch.Vincenzo dropped the coat from his shoulders, letting it pool at his feet as he crossed the room in long, purposeful strides. "I know, tesoro. I know. Come here."He reached for Noel, who had already begun unbuttoning his shirt with trembling fingers. "I didn’t drink that much," Noel whispered, his voice cracking. "It was him. It was Sven."Vincenzo's jaw tightened. His hands, however, were gentle as they cupped Noel’s flushed face. "Look at me. You’re going to be okay. I’ll get it out of your system. Just breathe. Just feel me."Noel surged forward, lips colliding with Vincenzo’s in a messy, needy kiss. Vincenzo steadied him, one hand at the back of his neck, the other pulling him in by the waist.Clothes fell away in increments… soft gasps, fabric rustling, the o
"I think we should go."Noel’s voice was soft but clear, interrupting the late morning quiet as sunlight spilled through the massive glass windows of the penthouse. He was perched on the edge of the bed, still in Vincenzo’s shirt, legs curled up, scrolling through his phone while Vincenzo shaved in the adjoining bathroom.Vincenzo stepped out, towel slung low on his hips. "Excuse me?""The party," Noel clarified, glancing up. "Sven’s father’s birthday. If he really did send Sven to invite you, I think it would be rude to ignore it."Vincenzo’s brow lifted, an amused expression creeping onto his face as he crossed to him, leaned down, and kissed his temple. "You want to go to a party hosted by the man whose son tried to seduce me away from you?"Noel shrugged. "We’ll take the whole crew. Aria, Francesca, Nico, Lucas... We'll make a grand entrance. And besides…"Vincenzo grabbed his waist and tugged him close, his smirk widening. "Besides what, amore?"Noel snorted, trying to keep a str
“You’re burning the toast,” Noel mumbled with a sleepy pout, lips brushing against Vincenzo’s neck.Vincenzo smirked, hands firmly locked around Noel’s thighs as the younger man sat on the kitchen counter, legs lazily dangling and wrapped slightly around Vincenzo’s waist. “That’s not toast,” he murmured back, mouth trailing from Noel’s collarbone up to his flushed cheek. “That’s your ass that’s getting grilled next if you don’t shut up.”Noel gasped, giggling despite himself, just as Vincenzo’s hand dipped too low.“That is not how you scramble eggs,” he muttered.“And yet, I’m doing a hell of a job turning you over easy.”Noel snorted, then suddenly went rigid.A knock. No…footsteps.And then…“Oh.”Isadora’s voice rang out like a chime. “Should we come back?”Noel froze.Vincenzo’s hand was still…on him.Still.On. Him.And his shorts were definitely still somewhere on the floor.“SHIT!”Noel slapped Vincenzo’s hand away and scrambled to pull his shorts up, nearly tripping over hims