تسجيل الدخولBut what The Covenant didn't know was that he had seen it coming. "Pause that," Dimitri said.Marco paused the audio."Play back the conversation from yesterday," Dimitri said. "The one where Angela specifically mentioned Eve's yoga class on Monday."Marco pulled up the recording from the previous day. The audio filled the penthouse.Angela: "So you're definitely going to that yoga class Monday morning? Even with everything that's been happening?"Eve: "I think I need it. I need some normalcy. Some routine. The 6 AM class at the studio in the West Village."Angela: "That's good. You need to take care of yourself."Eve: "You should come with me sometime."Angela: "Maybe I will."Dimitri stopped the playback."Monday morning," Dimitri said. "6 AM. West Village yoga studio. That's when they'll move.""How are you certain?" Mike asked."Because that's the perfect window," Dimitri said. "Early morning. Private studio. Limited security presence because Eve will be in a public space that se
POV: DIMITRI The penthouse was secure in ways that only Dimitri's resources could make secure.The windows were reinforced glass that couldn't be penetrated from the outside. The walls were soundproofed against external surveillance. The communications equipment was military-grade, encrypted beyond civilian capacity. This was the room where real decisions got made, the room where Dimitri Valentino decided how empires would fall.Dimitri was sitting in the leather chair, a tablet in his hands, monitoring the real-time audio feeds from Eve's phone, her Hermès bag, her diamond earrings, and the custom fabric of her clothing where the listening devices had been sewn so expertly that only someone looking for them would ever find them.Mike and Marco sat across from him.On the tablet's screen, the audio was playing through speakers set to low volume. Eve's voice came through clearly, warm and genuine and completely unaware that she was being recorded by the man she loved."I'm terrified,"
*A Week Later*Madison Avenue on a Tuesday afternoon was the perfect place to gather intelligence.Angela had suggested shopping, framing it as an opportunity to help Eve rediscover her personal style. What it actually was, was an opportunity to map Eve's routines, her preferred stores, her security protocols, and the gaps in her protection.They started at a boutique in Midtown, moving through racks of designer clothing. Angela played the role of stylist, helping Eve try on pieces, offering opinions, building the relationship one dress at a time.But while she was doing that, she was also noting everything.The security detail stayed back, two men positioned near the store entrance, communicating via earpieces. They gave Eve space but maintained clear sightlines. Professional. Competent. But not perfect."You have a gap when you're in the dressing rooms," Angela noted casually while Eve was changing. "Your security can't see you in there. That has to make you feel vulnerable.""I hav
The charity event was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of those carefully curated affairs where Manhattan's wealthy and connected gathered to feel good about themselves while wearing expensive clothes.Angela arrived at 8:15 PM, dressed in a floor-length black gown that suggested wealth without demanding attention. She moved through the crowd with the ease of someone who belonged in these spaces, even if she'd only recently been introduced to them.She'd been briefed on Eve's schedule. The event. The time she'd arrive. The people she'd likely speak with.Angela positioned herself near the wine bar, nursing a champagne flute, waiting for the moment when their paths would cross.Eve arrived at 8:47 PM.She was beautiful in the way that came from careful styling and absolute certainty, dark hair swept to one side, a sapphire gown that moved like water, the kind of quiet elegance that suggested someone who understood her own power.But there was also something else. A tension a
"You're facilitating," Luca echoed, and there was something heavy in his voice now. "Let's not pretend there's a difference."Dante felt something twist in his chest.Luca was right. There was no difference. Dante was giving the order that would lead to Eve's death. Dante was selecting the weapon that would be used against her. Dante was participating in murder the same way The Covenant was participating, just one step removed."How do we approach Angela?" Dante asked, pushing past the moral weight because he had to."Carefully," Luca said. "She's intelligent. She'll understand what she's being asked to do. She'll know that refusing means consequences. But we need to frame it in a way that gives her the illusion of choice.""How?" Dante asked."You tell her it's an intelligence operation," Luca said. "You tell her The Covenant is developing a weapon, and they need information about Dimitri's woman to create leverage. You tell her she's gathering intelligence, not facilitating murder.
Dante leaned back in his chair, processing the weight of what was being asked.He was no longer just creating chaos and distraction. He was now being ordered to actively participate in murder. To provide The Covenant with the weapon they needed to kill Eve."I need you to plant one of your people close to her," the voice said. "Someone trustworthy. Someone capable. Someone who can embed themselves in her daily life and become indispensable to her.""Where is she currently?" Dante asked."Still in New York. She's with Dimitri at their private penthouse. But she moves...restaurants, social events, charity galas, shopping. She has routines. We need someone who can integrate into those routines.""And what kind of person are we talking about?" Dante asked. "Age, gender, background?""A woman would be ideal," the voice said. "Women are less suspected of threatening other women. Someone who can become her friend. A confidant. Someone she'll trust completely before we use her."Dante was qui







