e and Ava's shaky breaths. I could still feel Matteo's call bur

st and wouldn't let me breathe. My mother's betrayal, Matteo's relentless pursuit, and

pulled to her chest, watching me like I

ed at her, You think I haven't considered that? "Yes," she whispered, But we need help. P

haunted and seduced me in Milan, the same resolve that

one in mind?

s me, someone who doesn't know yet that we're a

eone from our past in a worl

teo gave us twenty four hours. We won

r my shoulder. Ava followed without hesitation. She had learn

re everywhere. The tunnels, the garages, the safe houses we used to think were secure, all compromised. We arrived at a small warehouse on the

recognized. A chain rattled, and the door opened slowly

Ava wh

One of Ava's old allies, a ghost from her past who h

es narrowing. "Didn't think I

tteo's hunting us, my mother's working with

arkened, "You got g

dangerous strangers whose loyalty is a

ion," I snapped. "Either you

et. "Fine, I will help. But understand, I don

o me, whispering, "H

ke him our ally, whet

ueprints, maps, surveillance footage, contacts we had hours

k," Rico said, "but you need to move

"Then we don't hesita

the tension of fate, and the dangerous promise of what was to come. Every

e, survival, and revenge in a

ywhere. Every shadow could hide a gun, every window could be an assassin's eye. We reached a quiet building, one Rico had claimed as a temporary safe hou

se where Matteo stored his most valuable assets. "We take hi

icked to me,

d, this city and everything. We prepared weapons, checked guns, and loaded silencers. The adrenaline su

slept, unaware of th

below. Ava beside me, clutching my arm, and Rico scanning the

, Lucien, wha

g her heartbeat against mine. Then

adly. Every movement calculated, every breath cont

ouse, I peeked through

anked by men in suits, counting s

ld expression that had haunted me for years. Her hand rested on

n on mine. "They're read

w tight. "We're

we take everything. The empire,

l rounds into his rifle. "L

ond chance, but it had also given us a war. And nothing in

ang out

, "They know

aised, and my

inning like a predator, was

uns raised, surrou

e, I knew in that moment, no

forward slow, deliberate

over c