The Moretti estate was quiet at night. Too quiet. Like a lion’s breath just before it lunges.
Rafael stood in his study, staring out over the city skyline. Glass in one hand. Phone in the other. But it wasn’t ringing.
Not yet.
They were watching him. He could feel it.
And Emilia?
Gone.
Just like every other lie that had ever worn perfume and red lips.
He hadn’t followed her. Hadn’t hunted her down. Not yet.
Because some betrayals didn’t need force.
They needed patience.
Fire.
And a steel grip on what came next.
The moment the door opened behind him, he knew it wasn’t his men.
He didn’t turn.
“You came back.”
Emilia stepped in slowly, arms bare beneath her coat, eyes dark with something brittle.
“I had to.”
He said nothing.
The air between them felt flammable.
“I made a m
