The night felt heavier than usual. Alessia sat by the window, her mind running wild with strategy and suspicion. The storm outside mirrored the unease twisting in her chest. Her instincts whispered something was wrong — and she'd learned to always trust them.
Her father had gone quiet about their next move, and her uncle had suddenly become too involved in family affairs. He smiled too easily, asked too many questions, and always appeared where he wasn't needed.
She opened the drawer of her desk, pulling out a folded letter she'd found slipped under her door earlier. No sender, no seal. Only a short line written in code.
Her eyes narrowed. It was her uncle's handwriting — but the seal faintly burned into the corner wasn't theirs. It belonged to Lorenzo's father.
Her breath caught.
"What the hell are you doing, Uncle?" she whispered.
As she decoded the symbols, the truth hit her like lightning — her uncle had been in contact with Lorenzo's father for weeks, planning to betray both families. A deal built on greed and power. If it succeeded, her father and Lorenzo would both die, and he'd rule everything left behind.
Before she could act, the lights flickered.
Then — silence.
Footsteps echoed from the hall.
She reached for the pistol under her pillow, her pulse racing. Shadows moved outside her door. She didn't hesitate — she grabbed her phone, sending a single coded text to the only number she trusted from Lorenzo's side: "Fox is loose."
The handle turned.
"Miss Alessia," a maid's trembling voice called. But when the door opened, it wasn't the maid.
It was one of her father's men — his face cold, gun drawn.
Her stomach twisted.
"You betrayed us," he said flatly. "Orders came from above. You know too much."
Above? Her uncle.
Before he could fire, a sharp thud broke the silence — and the man fell. Behind him stood a stranger in dark clothes, face hidden, a gun still smoking.
"Don't scream," he warned. "Lorenzo sent me. We don't have time."
Her hands shook, but she nodded. They ran down the back corridor, the mansion echoing with shouts as more armed men flooded in. The betrayal had already spread — her uncle had made his move.
They escaped through the stables and into the forest. Rain poured, soaking her hair, her breath ragged.
"Why… why are you helping me?" she demanded, gripping the stranger's arm.
He turned slightly. "Because my boss said if anything happens to you, none of us are safe."
He led her to a black car waiting in the dark. Before she could speak, her phone buzzed again — Lorenzo.
She answered, her voice trembling. "Lorenzo—"
His voice came low, harsh, filled with fury he barely contained.
"I told you to stay safe, Alessia. What did they do to you?"
"It wasn't my father," she said breathlessly. "It was my uncle — he's working with your father."
Silence. Then came the sound of something breaking on his end.
"That bastard," Lorenzo growled. "He's the reason this will never end. I swear, Alessia, I'll burn down every wall my father built if that's what it takes to keep you alive."
The car sped through the rain, her pulse steadying as she heard his voice.
For the first time, she realized what scared her the most wasn't the danger —
It was what Lorenzo might do because of it.