The night smelled like blood and betrayal. The air was damp, heavy with the metallic tang that always seemed to follow violence. Aria stood at the tall windows of the villa, staring out into the darkness, the distant hum of the city a faint echo beneath the pounding of her heart. Somewhere out there, Matteo was moving, plotting, aligning himself with men who wanted her gone. Somewhere out there, the oath that had once bound their fractured family together was cracking, piece by piece.
Luca's footsteps were soft but certain as he approached her. He didn't touch her right away, he knew better than to break the fragile bubble of thought she was lost in, but his presence alone was grounding. "They're massing at the southern perimeter," he said quietly. "Matteo's new allies. At least three families."
Aria didn't turn. "Three families… all because of me."
