- ARIA
The lounge area of the Grand Pavillion was all velvet, gold leaf, with the low, dangerous hum of men discussing money. It felt like a stage, and unfortunately, I was sitting dead center.
Brandon Nobregas sat directly across from me. Every time I looked up, his eyes were there—searching, worried, and full of a million questions he couldn't ask in a room full of Storm Ridge’s elite. It made my chest ache with a nostalgia that felt like a bruise.
Luca, however, was in full "Apex Predator" mode. He leaned back in his chair, swirling a glass of neat bourbon, his gaze fixed on Brandon with the intensity of a laser.
"So, Nobregas," Luca started, his voice a smooth, low velvet that didn't hide the underlying threat. "Nova-Tech is making quite a splash. What’s the play? You’re
