Luca arrived at the penthouse under heavy guard, bruised, exhausted, and shaken from the narrow escape. The moment the elevator doors opened, Aria rushed forward and threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. The familiar scent of her brother — the one person who had been with her through poverty, loss, and desperation — grounded her even as the dangers of their new world pressed in from all sides.
“I’m so sorry, Ari,” Luca whispered into her hair, his voice cracking. “This is all my fault. My gambling, my debt… I dragged you into this nightmare.”
“It’s not,” she replied fiercely, pulling back to look at him. Her hazel eyes, once filled with constant fear, now held a quiet strength. “We’re fixing it. Together. You’re safe now.”
Dante stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his bro
