a steady rhythm that mirrored the turbulent thoughts racing through their minds. They had shared fleeting moments of connection, but now, as they stood on the edge of a storm, there was no room

e Moretti family's operations. Every inch of the room was designed to remind him of the legacy he was responsible for, the empire he was expected to protect, and the price of failure. But as his gaze swept

Her face was expressionless, but her posture-alert, tense-betrayed the unease that had settled in her. She was as much a pl

can't ignore. But if the Rizzos are behind it, they're not going to make their move so easily. They'

have. You're not the only one with a target on your back, Sebastian. If the Rizz

d them spiraling into chaos. But the anger that had been building in him since the meeting with the Rizzos, the feeling of being backed i

te. "If we don't act quickly, the damage could already be done. We'll find t

doing this alone. We need to work together on this. I'll start gathering intel on the Rizzos, and

ained before. They were too different, too caught up in their own power struggles to form any true alliance. B

l do this your way. But don't mistake my cooperation for trus

had worn earlier-one that suggested she knew something he didn't. "Understood. B

ed inside, followed by a few of his most trusted men, their faces etched with worry

ve escalated their moves. There was an attack on one of our trucks. The shipment

he attack. Every loss in their empire was a ripple, one that spread outward, thr

?" Sebastian asked

lied. "But there's something else. The Rizzos didn't just

, his mind already racing

pocket. He handed it to Sebastian, who took it without a word. The paper was simple, the handwriting

re than just a warning-it was a declaration of war. The Rizzos weren't just making a m

his gaze lifted to meet Elena's. Her face had g

We can't afford to play by the old rules anymore. They've alread

ing the family business anymore; this was about survival, about maintaining the power t

esolve. "Prepare the men," he said to Ma

ame of power they were playing, there was no such thing as a clean victory. The bat

onflict that loomed, Sebastian couldn't help but wonder: in th