The rain came in slow sheets, pattering against the tall glass windows of the estate like whispers of a warning. It was just past midnight when Camilla received the message.A burner number. One line.Meet me. Or the truth burns.She didn’t need to guess who sent it.Camilla stood at the edge of the conservatory, staring into the dark expanse of the estate’s gardens. Somewhere beyond the hedges, danger lurked. Not in the form of bullets or blades—but in the shape of a man who knew too much.Elias Black.He was back with leverage. And she knew exactly what secret he wanted to wield.Not hers.Riccardo’s.And that made everything more complicated.She left a message for Isadora to monitor the estate’s perimeter but not to interfere. Then she slipped out through the side entrance, dressed in black, her hair coiled into a bun, no heels this time—only soft soles and silence.The meeting place was a quiet chapel ruins on the outskirts of the Romano territory. The kind of place Elias would
The storm came not with thunder, but with a phone call.Camilla was in the west wing library, going over estate ledgers when Luca burst in—face pale, shirt blood-splattered.“It’s Elias,” he said. “He made his move.”Camilla stood instantly, the ledger forgotten. “What did he do?”Luca’s jaw flexed. “Carlo. One of our shipping lieutenants. Found dead in the docks. Shot twice. Execution style. And there was a message.”Her stomach twisted. “What message?”He handed her a folded piece of paper. She opened it with trembling fingers.“For every door you close, I’ll burn down two.”The handwriting was unmistakable.Elias wasn’t bluffing anymore.He was declaring war.The war room was chaos. Phones buzzed, men shouted, and digital maps of the city lit up with pulsing alerts. Camilla entered with Luca, her calm demeanor belying the storm inside her.Riccardo was already there, standing like a general in the heart of a battlefield.“What’s the fallout?” she asked, bypassing the pleasantries.
Elias had made his move.Now it was time for Camilla to make hers.The morning after the estate breach, the Romano compound was under lockdown. Extra guards patrolled the grounds, surveillance drones hovered above, and the war room operated on a 24-hour cycle.But the real weapon wasn’t steel or bullets.It was information.Camilla stood before the estate’s digital command screen, the flickering lights of newsfeeds and social channels reflecting in her eyes.“We’ve compiled every traceable link to Elias,” Isadora said, handing her a dossier. “Old aliases. Known associates. Shell companies. He’s been careful—but not perfect.”Camilla flipped through the photos and documents. One picture stood out—a surveillance still of Elias exiting a black car in Venice three years ago. His face was mostly obscured, but the distinctive burn scar across his jaw gave him away.“Is this enough?” Camilla asked.Isadora’s smile was razor-sharp. “With the right spin? It’s more than enough.”Riccardo watche
The silence was worse than the storm.For forty-eight hours, Elias vanished.No sightings. No communications. No retaliations.The city’s criminal underbelly buzzed with paranoia. The sudden vacuum left by his absence felt unnatural—too quiet, too clean, like the pause before a predator pounced.Camilla didn’t trust it.From the second she opened her eyes that morning, something inside her coiled with unease. The day felt off. The air was too still. Even the guards at the Romano estate walked a little faster, checked corners more carefully.Riccardo noticed it too. He sat in the war room, flanked by Luca and Isadora, his posture rigid as intel streamed in from every contact.“Nothing,” Isadora muttered. “No chatter, no encrypted signals, no dead drops. It’s like he blinked out of existence.”“He didn’t,” Camilla said, pacing near the monitors. “He’s waiting. Watching. Planning something.”Riccardo’s gaze sharpened. “And we’re going to find out what.”By noon, the first sign arrived—wr
War had a rhythm.A pulse that beat beneath the city’s skin—throbbing louder each day as Riccardo and Camilla moved their pieces into place. Every phone call, every coded message, every silent nod across a room was another step toward a confrontation that couldn’t be avoided.But in war, it wasn’t just bullets that killed.It was trust.And trust, Camilla was learning, was far more dangerous.The Falcone estate turned into a hive of controlled chaos. Teams of mercenaries were rotated in every six hours, supplies stocked in hidden compartments, escape routes secured. Luca worked double shifts, barking orders as if preparing for a siege.In the war room, Camilla stood before a wall of digital projections—Elias’s known associates, money trails, warehouses, shipping containers flagged for inspection. A red string web of everything he touched.Riccardo entered quietly and moved beside her. “You’ve built a map of his empire.”“I’ve built a noose,” she corrected, her eyes never leaving the b
The cracked chess piece sat on Camilla’s desk like a taunt.She hadn’t moved it since last night. Every time she glanced at it, her stomach coiled. Not out of fear—but fury. Elias had found her weakness, or at least what he thought was weakness.Emotion.Memory.The past.She swept the queen into a drawer and locked it. The past would have to wait—because the present was on fire.Camilla descended into the security wing just as Luca stormed down the hallway, a file clenched in one hand.He spotted her and shook his head. “You’re not going to like this.”“That’s becoming a pattern,” Camilla muttered.He handed her the file. “We found something in Marcus’s personal effects. A burner phone. Wiped mostly clean—except for one outgoing number.”“Let me guess. Elias.”Luca’s jaw tightened. “No. Worse. It’s a number linked to the courthouse district. And we traced the name on the contact to someone unexpected.”He opened a photo.Camilla’s heart stuttered.“No…” she whispered.The picture sho
The Falcone estate was quieter than usual.Not silent—never that. But quieter. As if the walls were holding their breath. As if the house itself sensed the tension threading its halls like a live wire.Camilla felt it the moment she stepped out of her room. A hush in the corridors. Eyes that watched and then looked away too quickly. Something was brewing.And she needed to know what.She found Riccardo in the study, the door half-shut, voices leaking through like heat through a crack. She paused just long enough to hear two words—blood oath—before she pushed the door open and walked in.Riccardo was behind the desk, Marco and Isadora standing nearby. They didn’t flinch at her entrance.“Am I interrupting?” Camilla asked, eyes narrowing.Riccardo’s gaze met hers, calm and unreadable. “Not at all. You’re part of this now.”“Part of what?”Isadora stepped aside so Camilla could move closer. On the desk lay an old leather-bound book, its edges singed and worn. In the center was a symbol s
The city of shadows stretched out before Camilla as she stood at the balcony, watching the lights twinkle against the dark sky. The evening had fallen into a quiet hum, but inside her mind, it was anything but calm.Since her arrival in Riccardo’s world, nothing had been simple. Every day had brought new challenges—new alliances to navigate, new enemies to face, and the constant pressure of proving herself worthy of her place by Riccardo’s side. She could feel the weight of the eyes on her, both allies and adversaries, all waiting for her to stumble.But Camilla wouldn’t. She couldn’t.Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching, steady and deliberate. She turned, already knowing who it was before he entered her line of sight. Riccardo.He stood in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the light, his sharp eyes studying her. “You’re still awake,” he observed, his voice low, but there was an edge to it, a slight tension she hadn’t noticed earlier.“I c
The battle at the warehouse had been won, but Camilla knew that it wasn’t a victory. It was merely the opening salvo in a war that was only just beginning. Cane wouldn’t take this defeat lightly—she knew him well enough by now. He was ruthless, strategic, and calculating, and he would retaliate in ways she couldn’t yet predict.The tension in the air around the estate was palpable. Every person working under her had seen the stakes increase, and Camilla could feel the weight of their expectations. She wasn’t just fighting for herself anymore—she was fighting for everyone who had put their faith in her. And the consequences of losing were too great to fathom.Riccardo had been strangely quiet since the warehouse attack. Camilla had noticed it, though she didn’t comment on it. He had become more withdrawn, even as he continued his regular business dealings. She wondered if it was his own way of dealing with the escalating conflict, or if there was something more—something she hadn’t yet
The weeks that followed were filled with tension. Camilla could feel the undercurrent of change rippling through the empire, as if every decision she made was building toward a storm. The whispers of Darius Cane’s involvement were growing louder, and every night she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering what his next move would be. It wasn’t just about power anymore—it was about survival.Riccardo had kept his distance at times, his instincts telling him to give Camilla space to learn the ropes of her new role. He could see her growing stronger with every passing day. She no longer hesitated, no longer second-guessed herself. She was becoming the leader he knew she could be, but it also made him nervous. The more confident she became, the more dangerous she was to the world around her.But Riccardo wasn’t the only one watching. Darius Cane was out there, lurking, waiting for the right moment to strike.Camilla was seated in her private office, a glass of red wine resting on the
The morning after Bellamy’s death, the world still turned as if nothing had changed.But Camilla knew better. The game had shifted. The board had been rearranged. And now, the question wasn’t whether she would survive—but what she would become.The vineyard, once a symbol of secrecy and shadows, now stood at the heart of an empire reborn. Its rolling hills, rich with life, reflected the promise of a future yet to be written.Camilla stood at the window of her office, looking out over the land she had inherited. Riccardo had given her the space to grow, to build something lasting. The air smelled of grapes, of wealth, of power.But it also smelled of potential.Riccardo entered the room behind her, his presence as commanding as ever, though his gaze softened when it landed on her.“How does it feel?” he asked, his voice low, as if daring the question to be answered.“Different,” Camilla replied. She didn’t turn to face him, still lost in the view. “I thought I’d feel lighter, but there
The first rule of war:Take out the enemy’s eyes before you strike.Camilla understood that now better than ever.Bellamy still had resources. Still had men, money, secrets tucked away in vaults no one could trace. But he couldn’t protect what he couldn’t see coming.And he would never see her coming.The next morning, the vineyard buzzed with movement.Luca compiled a master list of Bellamy’s offshore accounts, hidden properties, and blackmail material. Each file was a dagger waiting to be driven into his heart.“We hit his accounts first,” Luca explained, eyes sharp behind his glasses. “Freeze them. Seize them. Starve him of power.”Riccardo studied the list grimly. “How long until he notices?”Luca gave a humorless smile. “He’ll feel it by sunset.”Camilla leaned over the table, tracing Bellamy’s empire with her finger like a general marking battle lines.“And after that?”Riccardo’s mouth curved into a brutal smile.“Then we take the rest.”By noon, Bellamy’s personal accounts in
The old rules didn’t apply anymore.No more silent deals in smoke-filled rooms.No more threats hidden behind fake smiles.Camilla was about to wage a different kind of war—a public one. One fought in headlines, courtrooms, and boardrooms.A war where the truth was the most dangerous weapon of all.And Riccardo?He was ready to burn the world down beside her.The team assembled in the vineyard’s underground command room—a space Riccardo had renovated years ago for emergencies exactly like this.The room buzzed with low conversation as Marco pinned a map to the wall, lines connecting names and faces.Luca typed furiously at a bank of laptops, hacking into Bellamy’s inner circle, compiling files, cross-referencing accounts.Camilla stood at the center of it all, her presence magnetic.She was no longer the girl who had been sold off like a piece of property.She was the woman plotting the downfall of kings.“We have three major points of attack,” Luca announced. “The media, his finances
The safe house Riccardo brought them to was hidden deep within the countryside—an old vineyard turned fortress, surrounded by thick woods and iron gates.The ride there was a tense blur, adrenaline refusing to release its grip on Camilla’s body.Even when they pulled into the circular driveway and the heavy iron gates clanged shut behind them, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the ground was still moving under her feet.Inside, the house was dimly lit, with low ceilings and thick walls that seemed to swallow sound.Perfect for hiding.Perfect for regrouping.Marco and Luca immediately began sweeping the property for threats, speaking in terse, clipped Italian over their radios.Riccardo led Camilla upstairs to a small sitting room, where a crackling fire offered a faint warmth.Only then, when they were finally alone, did he speak.“You were brilliant tonight,” Riccardo said, his voice low.Camilla met his gaze, her fists still trembling slightly from the aftermath.“I had to be,” s
The air inside the Bellamy Estate crackled with a strange kind of electricity.Every polished laugh, every whispered deal was a layer of deceit stretched taut over a powder keg—and Camilla could feel it ready to blow.Riccardo moved through the crowd with predator-like precision, while Camilla, poised and deadly, made her way toward the back of the ballroom where the private auctions were taking place.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she slipped into character.Not Camilla the pawn.Not even Camilla the survivor.No.Tonight, she was Camilla Falcone.A queen.And she would burn anyone who thought they could use her.She flashed a smile at a passing security guard, her presence so disarming he barely noticed when she palmed the access card from his jacket.She made her way to the staff corridors, heels clicking sharply on marble, adrenaline sharpening her senses.She wasn’t just part of Riccardo’s plan.She was the plan.Meanwhile, Riccardo cornered a man near the open bar—a wea
Camilla stared into the darkness long after the Broker’s car disappeared into the night.The cold wind sliced through her jacket, but she barely felt it. Her mind was racing, struggling to process what she had just seen.It couldn’t be him.It shouldn’t be him.But it was.Someone she thought had vanished from her life—someone she never wanted to see again.Her hands trembled slightly as she touched the transmitter hidden under her shirt.“Riccardo,” she whispered, voice tight. “It’s someone I know.”“We’re coming to you,” his voice snapped through the earpiece. “Stay put.”Seconds later, headlights flooded the parking lot. Riccardo’s black SUV screeched to a halt, the door flying open as he jumped out, gun in hand, eyes scanning the empty space around her.He was at her side in an instant, gripping her arms.“Are you hurt?” he demanded.She shook her head numbly.Marco and Luca flanked them, weapons raised, covering the perimeter.But the threat was already gone.“He knew me, Riccard
The night air was thick with the salt of the nearby ocean as Camilla and Riccardo pulled up to the abandoned docks. Warehouse Twelve loomed ahead of them, a crumbling skeleton of rusted metal and broken glass.It felt like walking straight into the jaws of a beast.But Camilla didn’t flinch.She had Riccardo at her side—and more importantly, she had a mission.The black SUV came to a smooth stop a few blocks away. Marco was behind the wheel, stone-faced as ever. Luca sat in the passenger seat, double-checking his gun.“Radio check,” Luca said. “You’re both wired. We’ll be listening.”Camilla nodded, adjusting the tiny earpiece in her ear. Her fingers brushed the sleek black holster hidden beneath her leather jacket, the weight of her pistol a familiar comfort.“Try not to get killed,” Marco said gruffly, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to meet Camilla’s gaze.She smirked. “No promises.”Riccardo opened the door and stepped out, hand instinctively reaching for Camilla’s as she fol