The Devil In White
I entered the study, poured a glass of whiskey, and stood by the window, looking out at the dark horizon.
Betrayal has a scent. And I could feel it, even if I couldn’t see it yet.
By the time Luca was stabilized, my orders were already in motion. Silent purges. No warnings, no second chances. Every contact who hesitated, every lieutenant who flinched when I looked at them, vanished before dawn.
Somewhere deep down, part of me hated it — the necessity, the coldness — but the rest of me understood. Empires are not saved with kindness. They’re saved with fear.