The storm had passed, but the air still smelled like gunpowder and betrayal.
Adrian rose from the chair, his movements deliberate despite the bandaged wound. Valentina watched him silently, her body coiled with a tension that wouldn’t unwind.
The information they had ripped from Carlo was a map one that would lead them straight into Cassiel's hidden empire.
But it wouldn’t be easy.
It never was.
Adrian turned to Matteo, who stood by the window, scanning the streets. “We move before she realizes Carlo’s dead. She’ll burn everything if she gets a whiff.”
Matteo nodded. “We’ve already got eyes on two of the safehouses. One’s abandoned. The other’s... busy.”
Valentina rose, tugging her jacket tighter around her. “How busy?”
Matteo’s mouth twisted. “Armed to the teeth.”
Adrian’s expres
