ALINA
I stepped out of the car, smoothing my hands down the front of my blazer.
The mansion in front of me was quiet, its tall gates locked, the windows dark.
From the outside, it looked like just another expensive house built away from the center of the city, but I knew better.
It was a safe house, one of my father's best-kept secrets, owned under an offshore company in his lawyer's name.
Only a handful of people knew it existed, and those people were waiting for me inside.
My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn't here to be the nervous daughter of Emilio Costa.
I was here to be the woman taking his place.
Beside me, Pietro watched me closely.
"How do I look?" I asked, steady even though my heart was knocking against my chest too fast.
