Leo’s POV
The city never truly slept. Its rhythm slowed in the early hours, but the heartbeat of its underworld never stopped. I stood on the balcony of my apartment, the cool night air brushing against my skin. Below, the streets hummed faintly with the echoes of cars and the occasional drunken shout.
I hadn’t slept since the deal at the docks. Success was supposed to bring relief, but all I felt was an emptiness that crept into the edges of my thoughts. The weight of my new position, the unrelenting pace of my work—it left little room for anything else.
The knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. Sharp, deliberate. Not the kind of knock that came with good news.
Viktor stood in the hallway, his face as unreadable as ever. Behind him, one of the younger men from the family linger
