Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Snake in Silk

Raven’s POV

Sienna couldn't find her, it's like she just disappeared.

I hold the champagne flute like it’s a live grenade.

Even now, the sharp tang of poison still clings to the rim,masked poorly beneath bubbles and imported fruit notes. My hand trembles slightly, not from fear, but from fury.

In this house, someone wanted me dead.

And I’m starting to suspect I was never meant to leave it alive.

Sienna trails behind me, barefoot, her sundress flapping around her knees as she jogs to keep up.

“Raven, just stop for a second—”

“No.” My voice is ice. “Where is he dammit?”

“He’s might not even—”

I slam open the double doors of Leon’s study without knocking. The wood smacks against the wall with a satisfying thud.

Leon is there. Leaning against the window in one of his pristine three-piece suits, collar unbuttoned just enough to feign humanity. He turns slowly, a tumbler of whiskey in hand, and looks at me like I’ve tracked blood across his marble floors.

“Well, good morning, Mrs. Vitali,” he says smoothly. “To what do I owe the—”

I throw the champagne flute.

It shatters against the bookshelf behind him, spraying broken glass and poisoned liquid across the shelves.

The only reaction he gives is a slow blink.

"That’s quite a feisty good morning"

I take a step forward. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

Leon lifts the tumbler to his lips and takes a lazy sip. “Is that so?”

“You tell me,” I snap. “That was from your private collection, wasn’t it? One of your precious French bottles?”

His eyes sharpen slightly. “You’re speaking in riddles, Raven. And frankly, I don’t have the patience for games this morning.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” I say, stalking closer. “I’m not playing. I almost drank that shit this morning. It smelled wrong. Too bitter. Sienna confirmed it.”

Sienna, to her credit, stays near the door, her expression a mix of worry and disbelief. She hates to seeithis version of me,vicious, wired, one second from detonation.

Leon sets the glass down, finally moving. “You’re accusing me of trying to poison you? That’s bold, even for you.”

“Someone in this house did,” I growl. “And this house has your name on the gate.”

He walks around the desk, slow and deliberate, like a predator calculating distance. “You're upset. Understandably. But if I wanted you dead, Raven…” His voice drops. “You’d be dead.”

For a second, we stare at each other in a terrible, seething silence. Something unspoken passing between us,mutual loathing… or something darker.

This is the exact opposite of what Jack wants from me.

I tilt my head. “So who then? Who slipped a toxin into a bottle in your cellar? Your maid? Your butler? Or maybe your dear consigliere?”

“Careful,” he says quietly. “Accusing my men is a dangerous habit.”

“Then give me a name,” I snap. “Or I’ll burn this house down brick by brick until I find out myself.”

Leon’s jaw tightens. He turns back to the window. “The bottle… who opened it?”

“The maid,” Sienna says from behind me. “She dropped one, then brought another.”

Leon’s silence stretches. His reflection in the glass is unreadable.

“I’ll handle it,” he says finally.

“No,” I say. “I’ll handle it. You’ll just cover it up.”

"That isn't your place, you're an housewife here, not a weapon, not a strategist, whatever you were in the Caruso mafia, whoever you were, is dead"

"Fuck you"

He turns to me again, and this time the mask slips,just for a moment. There's something in his eyes. Not guilt. Not concern.

Possession.

“You think because I don’t touch you, I don’t watch you?” he says softly. “You think I don’t see you sneaking around, Raven?”

My stomach clenches.

This isn't about the poison anymore.

He takes a step closer. “You disappear at odd hours. You glare at me every time I enter a room. You don’t even pretend to like being my wife. So before you accuse me of betrayal,maybe ask yourself what you’ve already done.”

The accusation hits like a slap. Not because it’s wrong. But because it’s close enough to the truth to draw blood.

My lips curl into a smile that feels more like a warning. “You want to start this war, Leon? Fine. But don’t be surprised when I finish it.”

He steps so close I can smell the whiskey on his breath. “You think you’re the only one with secrets, Raven? You have no idea what game you just stepped into.”

“I was born in the game,” I whisper. “I just stopped to play nice.”

Behind me, Sienna clears her throat awkwardly. “Okay… maybe we should all take a breath—”

“Get out,” Leon says, eyes still locked on mine.

“Excuse me?” she blinks.

“Both of you,” he says, calm and cold. “I need to make a call.”

Sienna opens her mouth to argue, but I catch her wrist. “Come on,” I say, my eyes still on Leon. “Let the king make his moves.”

We walk out, but before I close the door behind me, I throw one final glance over my shoulder.

Leon is already dialing.

He may not have tried to poison me.

But he’s definitely hiding something.

And in this house of masks and marble, the truth is the most dangerous weapon of all.