The air between Luca and Seraphina was taut,
A silent string pulled so tight that the faintest word might snap it.
Luca's eyes narrowed, assessing her with the calm danger of a predator deciding whether to pounce.
"What," he said slowly, voice like ice cracking, "are you doing here? And how, exactly, did you get in?"
Seraphina's lips curved in smile not into warmth, but something sharper, almost feline.
"I came in peace," she replied, her voice low and smooth, but with an undertone of challenge.
Luca didn't move, but the way his gaze flicked to Fredo his new loyal personal guard spoke volumes.
Fredo stood a few feet behind Seraphina, his stance protective yet unreadable.
Seraphina's perfectly manicured finger lifted, pointing toward Bianca like an accusation carved in stone.
"Ask her," she said simply. "She's the one who betrayed me. We had a deal. I kept my end. She… did not."
Luca's jaw flexed. "What deal?"
