. Not even a trace of him lingered on the sheets or in the glass on the nightstand. Only the file remained, and the image

nothing, but the file was deliberate. Planted. Like a trap or a clue-or bot

details-her stance, the background, even the grain of the image. It looked like a security

ite reached her eyes. And those eyes... god, they were familiar. Not in a way I could

g between us. I fe

tteo kn

always did. Just then, my burner phone buzzed o

. And she's

pe my chest. It wasn't the message that scared me-it was the implication that someone else had eyes inside Matt

ffice was of

penthouse guards knew my face by now-they didn't question me. That was the problem with power: it made people lazy. They

wanted me to see the file-but that didn't mean

wall safe, and shelves filled with folders that were too neat to be real. I moved li

en, jac

der the desk. Handwritten notes, symbols I didn't

crawled under th

ping pages faster. The door clicked beh

. He leaned against the doorframe, sleeves rolled up, collar open, eyes darker than I

r. "To see if you'd finally stop waitin

h the truth." We were inches apart n

of mine. Before she disappeared." "Disappeared like... dead?" "No," he said. "D

now she's back?" He di

About the Santoros. About you." "About me?" "She's been watching for weeks." My blood turned to ice. "And you didn't

, heart pounding.

You're right. But I want to. And that's more dangerous than anything Elena could ever be." His confession hit me like a s

everyone's playing me

a queen anymore, Amara. You're becoming the board." I

m scared of what she knows. An

pau

silence, tension pulsing between us like a second heartbeat. Then he reached out, cupped my face, kissed me slowly. No heat. No fire. Just...

d it. "Now... we find Elena before she finds you fir

oncern-it was fear wrapped in control. And Matteo didn't fear easily. Whoever Elena was, she had onc

oice sharper now, more certain. "Not h

ting whether to pull me closer or push me

a breath and moved to the bar, pouring something dark

itself hurt. "Before the penthouse. Before the war with the Santoros. Sh

en she found out things... things I wasn't ready to share. She didn't ask

w she's back." Matteo nodded. "With a vengeance, if that e

punch. "Then who is

s ties to the Santoros now, it makes this war a hell

focused, Amara. No slip-ups. No distractions. You have a tar

ed at the

s a weapon, my words calculated moves. And every step brought me closer to a man who might see thro

ed an eyebro

Elena shows up before you

d the room in two strides, his hands gripping my arms. "You're stron

like doubt. I pulled away. "Then train me. Make me ready."

me rewrite it." Matteo stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. Then, s

he city outside blurred. Not enough to forget, just enough to numb the growing tension curling between us like sm

't pull

ain, it wasn't soft. It

to my waist with the kind of heat that left no room for breath. This wasn't strat

feel something real in a world drowning in lies. When he lifted me ont

ause I tru

inally parted, his forehead resting against mine, I could still feel the tremble in his ches