The night pressed heavy against the windows of Isla Calloway’s estate.
Inside the war room, the tension was thicker than the smoke curling from the cigars of the men seated around the long, dark oak table.
The same table her father once ruled from.
Now, it was hers.
But claiming the throne was the easy part.
Holding onto it?
That was a different war entirely.
She rested her hands on the polished wood, her fingers steady, her face impassive.
Across from her, the most powerful men in the city watched, waiting for her next move.
Some were loyal.
Some were waiting for her to fail.
And some?
Some were already plotting against her.
She knew it.
And they knew she knew it.
Good.
Let them wonder.
Let them fear.
"The deal with Matteo Ricci is sealed," Isla announced, her voice even
