The days leading up to the full Commission gathering were some of the most intense Aria had ever experienced. The penthouse had transformed into a fortress of strategy, with maps of New York’s underworld territories spread across the large marble table in the war room. Surveillance photos of Elena Voss’s known associates covered one wall, while thick folders of legal documents that could either save or destroy their marriage sat in neat piles. The glittering Manhattan skyline visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows served as a constant, beautiful reminder of the empire they were fighting so desperately to protect.
Aria stood at the head of the table, her posture straight and confident, a far cry from the trembling girl who had once signed the contract in tears. “Elena is planning to
