The morning after the attack, the mansion was silent, but it wasn't peace—it was the kind of silence that warned of a brewing storm. No birds. No idle chatter. Just the tension of something terrible about to unfold.
Aria stood on the balcony of the east wing, watching smoke still curling from the front gate where the car had exploded the night before. The image of the man crucified against the fence haunted her. His eyes were open when they found him, mouth frozen mid-scream. Dominic hadn't even flinched.
Her fingers tightened around the railing.
She had known Dominic was dangerous, powerful, feared by many. But now she was seeing the weight of what it meant to be king of a world like this. Everyone he loved became a target. Everyone he trusted had a price on their head. Including her.
Behind her, the door creaked open.
She didn't turn.
"You didn't sleep," Dominic said quietly.
"Neither did you."
He stepped beside her, his presence both calming and intimidating. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his knuckles were bruised. She could smell gun oil on his skin.
"There's going to be more blood," he said.
"I figured," she answered.
He looked at her then. "You're not running."
She met his gaze. "You didn't run when you saved me from those girls. You didn't run when Adrian showed up. Why would I?"
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "You're not who you used to be."
"Neither are you."
There was a knock at the door. Dominic turned. "Come in."
Luca stepped in, dressed in black from head to toe, gun at his hip. "The captains are gathered. They're waiting in the war room."
Dominic nodded. "I'll be down in ten."
Luca hesitated, eyes flicking to Aria. "There's something else. Someone's asking for a meeting. Neutral ground. Says he has information on Adrian's next move."
"Name?" Dominic asked.
"He won't give it unless he speaks to you directly. He requested the warehouse on 9th Street. Noon."
"That's a trap," Aria said immediately.
"Maybe," Dominic agreed. "But if he really has intel on Adrian, I can't ignore it."
Luca looked uneasy. "You want backup?"
Dominic shook his head. "No. Just me."
Aria stepped forward. "You're not going alone."
He glanced at her, then Luca. "Have the car ready."
Once Luca left, Dominic turned back to Aria. "You really want to walk into a setup with me?"
She shrugged. "I survived worse."
"No," he said firmly. "You survived different. There's a difference between school bullies and men who cut off fingers to send messages."
"I know what I saw last night, Dominic. I know what Adrian is capable of. But I also know what I'm capable of now."
He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time—not the girl from the elevator or the trembling woman at the auction, but the woman who stood unflinching in the face of hell.
"Fine," he said at last. "But you do exactly what I say."
She nodded. "Always."
---
The warehouse on 9th Street was an abandoned shipping hub near the docks, surrounded by rusted fences and broken glass. Dominic and Aria arrived a few minutes early. Dominic scanned the perimeter while Aria waited beside the car, her heart pounding with each step he took further away.
When a black sedan pulled up across the street, she straightened.
One man stepped out. Tall. Dressed in a charcoal suit with slicked-back hair and sharp eyes. He carried no visible weapon, but Aria had learned enough to know that meant nothing.
Dominic moved toward him.
The man raised his hands. "Neutral ground, Dominic. I came to talk."
"Then talk," Dominic said.
"I used to work for Adrian. Until I realized he's more than just a power-hungry ghost. He's suicidal. He doesn't want your empire. He wants to destroy it. Burn everything and die on the ashes."
Dominic narrowed his eyes. "Why tell me this?"
"Because I want out. I've seen what he does to his own men. I'm not dying for his insanity."
"Names," Dominic said coldly. "Give me names, safehouses, anything that gives me a reason not to put a bullet in your head."
The man hesitated. "He's hiding in a private compound outside the city. Not alone. He's gathering remnants of the Russian Bratva. And he's got a girl with him."
Aria's breath caught.
Dominic's eyes sharpened. "What girl?"
"She looked like her." The man pointed to Aria. "Same eyes. Same hair."
Dominic's voice dropped. "You better explain yourself real fast."
"She's not a twin or anything. But Adrian said she's important. Said she's the bait."
Aria stepped forward. "Bait for what?"
The man looked at her directly. "To draw you in. He knew Dominic wouldn't let it go. Said you were his new weakness."
Before Dominic could reply, a gunshot rang out.
The man staggered backward, blood blooming on his chest.
"Sniper," Dominic shouted, pulling Aria behind the car.
Another shot hit the hood, shattering glass.
"Go, go," Dominic yelled, dragging her toward the side alley.
Bullets cracked off metal as they ran, Dominic shielding her with his body. They dove behind a dumpster, breaths heaving.
Aria's ears rang. She clutched Dominic's arm.
"We have to get out of here," she gasped.
Dominic peered around the edge. "Luca's on standby. Stay down."
He pulled out his phone. "Extraction. Now."
They waited in silence, listening to the distant whir of a car approaching. Tires screeched. Luca's SUV skidded around the corner.
Dominic yanked open the back door and pushed Aria inside. The moment the doors shut, they sped off.
Inside the SUV, Aria leaned her head against the seat.
"That was a setup," she muttered.
"Not just a setup," Dominic said darkly. "It was a message."
"What now?" she asked.
He looked out the window, jaw clenched.
"Now we send one back."
---
Back at the estate, Dominic stood in front of a wall lined with weapons. He selected a black assault rifle, loaded it with mechanical precision, then turned to Luca.
"We leave at dawn."
"For where?"
"To pay Adrian a visit."
Aria stepped in. "You're not going alone."
Dominic looked at her. "This time, I need you to stay."
"No," she said, walking up to him. "I'm not letting you face him without me."
He stared at her for a long moment. "You're not ready."
She stepped closer, voice calm. "Neither were you the night your father died."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Dominic leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers. "If I lose you, Aria…"
"You won't."
Before he could say more, Matteo rushed in, eyes wide.
"Boss," he said breathlessly. "You need to see this."
He held out a tablet. A video was playing.
Adrian, standing in a dimly lit room, blood on his hands. Behind him, a girl tied to a chair, bruised and gagged.
He looked into the camera.
"Dominic. Time's ticking. Come find me. Or she dies."
Dominic's eyes darkened.
Aria stared at the screen, horror slowly dawning.
The girl in the chair… she wasn't just a stranger.
She looked like Aria.
Exactly like her.