as far behind her now, swallowed by fog and distance. Here, in the narrow streets lined with flickering ne

a fragile mist lost in the ha

ndant tucked beneath her blouse, a hidden

store and an old tailor's shop-a meeting place Dominic had chosen. It wasn't

th the aroma of strong coffe

his eyes scanning the

as she a

You'r

e him, her fingers brush

s the

d forward,

n the city-someone with

rowned

empire quietly, but his reach is growing fast

mind

e darker circles of the city-ru

ats," she said carefull

e's the biggest

yed behind, sipping her coffee as she w

at she was more than a pawn, that she

she tr

he trus

lls seemed to close in tig

unted her steps-at once prot

en them simmered beneath every

once more, where Dominic waited, his

id, voice rough with som

k a step

e," she

ons were harsh

people like open books, to spot lies hidden beneath polishe

dance of power and submission that le

f relentless training, D

e was a

e mine

ent a shock

repeated, voi

nod

cts what they

art th

she wanted to fig

rrived-an encrypted fil

shook as sh

ts that revealed a conspiracy

ance was just the

e shadows-someone who wanted to destroy

esolve h

herself, but for the family

man who had claimed her heart i

d on, heavy with s

ad ahead was dar

d her.

e the moment you opened it," he

," Isla replied evenly

snapped

you think you

Kane. Someone close to you is feeding him information-every move

nce was louder

confi

m, daring to push furt

id quietly. "But proof...

lowed. "A

rkened. "She wasn't jus

tightene

e she left a trail behin

't sleep. The mansion w

e hallway outside Dominic's door

lk herself out of i

ion rippling through his frame

she br

side, and sh

casting a warm glow over the otherwise

really here

I don't know how to survive t

y. "You want to understand

r. "I want to know i

of her. "I bleed.

cheek. "But you, Isla... you've

nerable yet fierce. "T

uth crushed

ng, a firestorm that stole the breath from he

dn't r

urren

led in sheets and emotion. The room ha

ns now?" sh

r. "Now... we find out who's hunti

her temple. "But first, I keep

ng, chaos arrived i

om without knocking, f

. "One of our safe hou

l calm gone from hi

Kane's name was spray-pa

turned

nd this time, there

ed remains of the safe house with Dominic, t

ruction-the broken wal

s a w

it felt mor

s is what he does. He burns things dow

"Then let's give him so

er, surprised by th

ly, but with someth

e same girl I

cause I'm not going to be a

state, Isla walked the co

the one that had been sealed

air was stal

her sister bet

ingers tracing the undersid

drawer

h drive, a pho

truth is messier

red at t

ust stepping

ping into Vi

a if it would save