The door burst open with a violent crack.
Luca stormed in, a pistol drawn, his face twisted in fury. Behind him, two guards flanked the doorway, weapons glinting under the dim chandelier. His eyes landed on Damian standing protectively before Adriana, and the world seemed to freeze.
“You,” Luca spat, the venom in his voice cutting through the silence. “I knew it. I knew you were the snake slithering into our walls.”
Damian’s stance shifted, a predator ready to strike. “You should have kept our deal quiet, Luca. Now it’s too late.”
Adriana’s breath faltered. “Deal?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You… you were working with him?”
Luca’s eyes flicked to her, wild and desperate. “Adri, don’t—don’t twist this. I was trying to protect us. Protect you.”
But she saw it now—the cracks,
