Matilda stood in the ruins of her burned villa, the embers still smoldering in the night air. The destruction had gone exactly as planned. Silas and Martina thought they had forced her into hiding.
Good. Let them believe it.
She turned to Lorenzo, who watched her with a mixture of amusement and admiration. “They think you’re running scared,” he remarked.
Matilda smirked. “Which means they’ll get reckless. They’ll make mistakes.”
Lorenzo exhaled, nodding. “And what’s our next move?”
Matilda's gaze darkened. “We make them think they’ve won. We let them celebrate—let their guard down.” She paused, stepping closer. “And then, we take everything.”
Lorenzo chuckled. “I like the way you think.”
She turned to one of her men, standing at the edge of the firelit clearing. “Make sure the rumor
