(Luca)
Power doesn’t announce itself when it’s threatened.
It tightens.
I felt it the moment I stepped back into the main wing of the mansion—the subtle shift in movement, the way conversations dulled and guards straightened without being told. Word traveled quickly here, even when nothing had been said aloud.
Alice was pushing.
And Aria was watching.
That combination could not be allowed to spiral unchecked.
I found Alice in the east sitting room, surrounded by light and mirrors, her posture flawless as she sipped wine she hadn’t tasted. She looked composed, elegant, every inch the woman raised to exist beside men like me. But I knew better than to mistake polish for calm.
She looked up when I entered, her smile immediate. Too immediate.
“Luca,” she said warmly. “I was wondering
