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Chapter 80

Author: Samantha Ely
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-11 01:54:56

Aristide

The gates of the estate groaned open as our convoy pulled inside. The engines died, one by one, leaving only the echo of metal cooling in the night air. The mission had been quick, precise, brutal, exactly as it needed to be. But precision didn’t erase the weight of it. It only concentrated it.

I stepped out first, Marco at my side, the smell of gunpowder and sweat still clinging to us both. The guards standing at the entrance straightened, but their eyes weren’t on me. They were on the house, waiting, knowing.

She was already there.

Bella stood at the top of the steps, her hair pulled back, her frame cloaked in a dark wrap that made her look both regal and severe. Elena hovered at her shoulder, posture sharp, but the tension in her jaw betrayed her worry.

The moment Bella’s eyes locked on mine, something inside me eased—and tightened all at once.

She came down the steps quickly, not running, but close to it. I met her halfway, and she didn’t hesitate. Her arms wrapped around
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