Ashley’s POV
The flames swallowed the warehouse, turning the remnants of the Bratva’s reign into ashes and ruin. The heat was suffocating, yet I couldn't look away.
For the first time in years, the war that had defined my life was over.
The Delucas were gone.
The Bratva was destroyed.
And yet… a strange emptiness settled in my chest.
Caden stood beside me, his jaw tight, eyes locked onto the fire as if he were trying to burn away more than just Viktor’s empire.
"You okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let out a slow breath before turning to me.
"We won," he said, but there was no relief in his tone. "So why does it still feel like we lost something?"
I didn’t know how to answer that.
Because I felt it too.
The Aftermath
The
