The storm outside was a relentless beast, thrashing against the crumbling walls of the safehouse with the fury of a world determined to drown everything in chaos. Rain lashed the broken windows in sheets, turning the city’s shadows into a swirling, distorted nightmare. Inside, the atmosphere was just as volatile—charged with the weight of secrets, betrayal, and the silent promise of violence to come.
Alessia sat on the edge of the worn leather sofa, her fingers digging into the fabric as if it could anchor her in place. Her mind replayed every detail she’d uncovered in the last twenty-four hours—Callum’s treachery, the whispered threats that had stalked them like ghosts, the blurred line between friend and enemy that was crumbling beneath her feet. The photo in her hands was a talisman of
