The late afternoon sun poured over the garden, casting long shadows across the stone path. Selena walked slowly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, lost in thought. The atmosphere in the mansion had been unbearable lately, and she needed the fresh air to think clearly. Her argument with Adrian replayed in her mind, stoking her frustration. They hadn’t argued about love or confessions, but about priorities. Adrian had been focused on protecting the gang at all costs, shutting everyone else out in the process. Selena had tried to reason with him, to tell him that his methods were alienating the people who cared about him, but he wouldn’t listen. She had left the conversation feeling unheard and dismissed, her anger bubbling just under the surface. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Adrian saw her as naïve, incapable of understanding his burdens. Now, as she walked through the garden, the cool breeze did little to calm her nerves. “Selena?” a voice called softly from behind
Selena opened the door to Adrian’s room, surprised to find him sitting there. He hadn’t slept in this room for the past few days, and she hadn’t expected to see him now. The room was dark, only lit by the fading light outside the window. Adrian’s eyes flicked up to meet hers, his expression unreadable.“What are you doing here?” Selena asked, stepping further into the room. She didn’t know why it bothered her, but seeing him here, in the space that used to feel like home, made her uneasy.Adrian didn’t answer right away. He just stared at her for a moment, his jaw clenched. Then, his voice broke the silence, low and cold. “Are you disgusted seeing your husband in his room?”Selena frowned, unsure of how to respond. “Why would you say that?” she asked, her heart beginning to race. Adrian stood up suddenly, closing the distance between them with long, angry strides. He grabbed her arm roughly, his grip tight as he pulled her closer. “Are you disgusted by me, Selena?” he asked, his voic
Selena stormed down the hallway, her breath coming in sharp bursts. Every step she took away from Adrian’s room felt like a victory. Her anger burned brightly in her chest, drowning out the pain that threatened to creep in. She wouldn’t cry over him—not tonight, not ever again.As she reached the corner of the hallway, she nearly bumped into a young maid carrying a stack of folded towels. The girl gasped, her eyes wide as she looked up at Selena. "Ma'am," the maid stammered, adjusting the towels in her arms. "Is everything all right?" Selena squared her shoulders, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Everything is fine. I need a different room to sleep in tonight. Can you show me one?" The maid hesitated, her gaze flickering with curiosity. She seemed unsure whether to follow Selena’s instructions or ask questions. "A... different room?" she repeated cautiously. "Yes," Selena said firmly, narrowing her eyes. "I don’t want to stay in that room anymore. Is there a problem?" Th
Selena sat on the couch, a book in her lap, but she wasn’t really reading. Her mind was spinning with everything that had happened over the last few days. Nathan’s kiss, Adrian’s cruel words—it was all too much. Just as she was starting to feel overwhelmed again, Valerie strolled into the living room with a big, mischievous grin on her face. Selena raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the smile?” Valerie plopped onto the armchair, looking smug. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about shaking things up a little.” Selena frowned. “What does that mean? What are you up to, Val?” Valerie leaned back, crossing her legs. “Matteo. He’s always so serious, so distant. I think it’s time someone showed him how to have fun.” “Matteo?” Selena blinked. “You mean *our* Matteo? Quiet, doesn’t-talk-to-anyone Matteo?” Valerie grinned. “The very same. He needs to lighten up. And I’m just the person to help him with that.” Selena stared at her friend, unsure if she was joking or serious. “Valerie, Ma
Selena woke up slowly, the warmth of a blanket wrapped around her. She blinked, disoriented, her eyes scanning the dimly lit library. The flicker of candlelight cast gentle shadows on the walls, and the room was still. She had fallen asleep in one of the chairs after her long, exhausting conversation with Matteo. Her body ached from sitting for so long, and the soft, soothing silence of the library had lured her into a deep, unplanned sleep. The blanket that now covered her felt comforting, though she hadn’t noticed when it was placed over her. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, but she didn’t care about that now. What mattered was Adrian—she needed answers, and she needed them now.Her mind was a whirlwind as she stood up, stretching her stiff muscles. The floor creaked underfoot as she walked toward the door, the cold air hitting her skin like a slap. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving only a faint glow in the sky. She couldn’t waste any more time. The questi
The air in the grand hall was silent. The room was dimly lit, the glow of the chandelier above casting long shadows across the polished mahogany table. Every seat was filled with men—his men. His family. Some leaned back in their chairs, arms crossed, their faces hardened with skepticism. Others murmured among themselves, whispering in hushed voices as Adrian stood at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. Matteo stood beside him, arms stiff at his sides, his gaze scanning the room warily. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Adrian exhaled slowly before speaking. “I called you all here because there’s something we need to discuss.” A low murmur spread across the room. “I’ve made a decision,” he continued, his voice even but firm. “I want to make a pact with the Monrelli family.” Silence. Then— “Are you out of your fucking mind?” The voice came from across the table, deep and laced with disbelief. The man who spoke—Marco, a thick-built man with graying hair a
The night air was thick with tension, the docks stretching before them, dark and silent except for the occasional creak of the wooden planks beneath their feet. The ocean waves lapped gently against the shore, a stark contrast to the storm brewing among the men waiting in the shadows. Adrian stood at the edge of the pier, his coat billowing slightly in the wind. His sharp eyes locked onto the distant lights of a cargo ship approaching, fingers flexing at his sides. The shipment was on schedule, but something felt off. "Everything in place?" he asked, voice calm but laced with steel. Matteo, standing beside him, nodded. "Yeah. Our guys are stationed all around. The ship docks in ten minutes. We offload, move fast, and get the shit out of here before the cops even take a piss break." Adrian exhaled slowly, jaw tightening. "And Cassio's men?" Matteo hesitated—a fucking half-second too long. "They’re supposed to be watching the east entrance. But I don’t trust those assholes,"
The warehouse pulsed with silence. The kind that pressed in, thick and suffocating, broken only by the low tick-tick-tick of cooling engines and the distant wail of sirens clawing at the night. The air reeked of burnt gunpowder, sweat, and blood—the kind that clung to skin, to clothes, refusing to be forgotten. Adrian stood motionless in the center, his breath slow, measured. His gaze swept over the bodies, the scattered shell casings glinting under the flickering overhead lights. Four men—his men—wrapped in tarps near the loading dock. Good men. Gone. Cassio had made a mistake. A big fucking mistake. A hit on him? Adrian’s jaw clenched. That bastard had to be either brave or completely fucking stupid. Footsteps crunched over broken glass. Matteo, his right-hand man, stood beside him, fists still smeared with blood. His knuckles, split and raw, flexed at his sides. The chair a few feet away groaned under the weight of a slumped figure—Cassio’s man. Unconscious or dead, Adr
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and fear.Selena sat in the hallway, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, Adrian beside her, silent. The last hour had felt like a lifetime. Paramedics had managed to stabilize Nathan, but the bullet had done damage, too close to his lungs. Now, he was in surgery, fighting for his life.“He saved me,” Selena whispered, her voice barely audible. “He could have let me die... after everything...”Adrian turned his head slowly, eyes shadowed with guilt and pain. “He wasn’t always a traitor.”“He’s still your cousin.”Adrian’s jaw clenched. “And he was still working with the woman who tried to destroy us.”Selena didn’t argue. Because he wasn’t wrong but neither was she.“I want to see her,” she said suddenly, her tone sharp.“Who?” Adrian asked.“Isabella.”---The police had taken Isabella into custody, but Adrian still had strings to pull. Within the hour, Selena stood behind a pane of glass, watching the woman who had nearly taken everything from
Isabella's phone buzzed sharply that evening. She answered without checking. The voice on the other end made her sit up straighter.“It’s done,” Your father said. “He was one of them. Adrian’s sister, she was caught in our crossfire that year.”Isabella gasped, hand flying to her mouth. “Are you serious?”“She trusted one of us. And it got her killed.”Isabella’s shock quickly twisted into excitement. “Adrian doesn’t know, does he?”“He doesn’t. But you can change that. Leave a trail. Let him find it himself. If he connects the dots, he’ll never look at Selene the same again.”A slow, dangerous smile spread across Isabella’s face. “Consider it done.”She ended the call and practically flew out the door, her mind racing. She reached Nathan’s place breathless and laughing.“I’ve got it,” she said, barging in.Nathan raised an eyebrow. “What?”“The information that will destroy them more. Since they have reconcile too quickly, I have found something to break them back. Adrian’s sister’s
Adrian stood by the window of his study, hands clasped behind his back. He hadn’t slept.Not out of fear or restlessness, but because his mind was already three steps ahead—plotting, calculating, ensuring no detail escaped him. The blueprint sat in a locked briefcase on his desk, untouched since he'd retrieved it from the safe.Every line on that paper held power. Power people had killed for. Power that could dismantle empires or birth new ones.A soft knock disrupted his thoughts.He turned, voice low. “Come in.”Matteo entered, freshly changed, though his knuckles were still stained red. “The chamber is secured. Both men are restrained. Specter’s injuries are worse, but they’ll live.”Adrian nodded once. “No one gets near them unless I authorize it.”“Understood.”Matteo hesitated. “And the court tomorrow—are you sure it’s wise to go yourself?”“I won’t trust this to anyone else,” Adrian said, his voice like steel. “Too much has been sacrificed for it. I need to see it through.”Ma
Silence.Not the peaceful kind that comes after a storm, but the haunting type, the one that settles over a place that has seen too much blood, too much loss. The kind of silence that screams.Adrian stood in the middle of the aftermath.His estate, his home was now a battlefield littered with corpses. Blood pooled around bodies, soaking into the soil, painting a gruesome picture of what had transpired only moments ago. He didn’t flinch. His eyes were steady, scanning the carnage with a sharpness that betrayed no emotion. He had seen worse. But he had never tolerated betrayal.His boots crunched over gravel and glass as he moved, his gaze settling on one of the only bodies that still drew breath. The figure was barely conscious, chest rising and falling in shallow, labored intervals. A black veil obscured the face.Adrian narrowed his eyes.There was something about this one.He crouched slowly, his movements controlled, almost calculated. He reached forward, fingers tightening aroun
Matteo blinked hard, blood draining from his face the moment Rosco stepped out from behind Alvarez. His breath hitched, and for the first time in a long while, the hardened warrior faltered.“No…” he whispered.Rosco smirked, eyes gleaming with venomous satisfaction. “Hello, Matteo. Still wagging your tail behind him, I see.”Matteo took a step forward instinctively, but Adrian raised a hand, his arm sweeping across Matteo’s chest to stop him. The motion was subtle but firm.Matteo’s chest heaved with betrayal, his eyes fixed on Rosco. “You were with us… you trained with us.”Rosco chuckled, slow and condescending, before turning to Adrian, the amusement on his face deepening.“But him?” Rosco nodded toward Adrian. “He trusted me. Gave me everything. Took me into his inner circle. Showed me where the real power lies.”Adrian arched a brow, his expression unreadable.“Power?” he echoed, voice cool and distant. “What power?”Rosco sneered, reaching behind him.With a flourish, he reveal
Nathan stood by the window, his arms crossed as he watched another group of Adrian’s men load ammunition into vehicles. He didn’t like the feeling in his gut.“What the hell is he planning?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.Isabella sat on the edge of the couch, scrolling through her phone in frustration. “Victoria still isn’t answering. I’ve called her five times.”Nathan’s brows furrowed. “She’s not the type to ignore calls but since it is yours she can definitely ignore you. Isabella tossed the phone beside her and stood. “Something is going on, Nathan. This silence… this secrecy, it’s not just about protecting the pack. Adrian is hiding something.”Nathan’s gaze flickered to her, unreadable. “Then maybe it’s better we stay out of it.”Isabella looked at him, stunned. “You’re just going to sit back and do nothing?”He shrugged slightly. “It’s not my fight. Adrian made that clear a long time ago. And honestly? I’m not about to throw myself into a war that has nothin
A large map was spread out before them, covered in markings and notes detailing every inch of the Ghosted’s operations.“The celebration will end soon,” Alvarez muttered, his fingers tracing a key location. “Their leader thinks he’s untouchable, but his arrogance will be his downfall.”The masked leader tilted his head slightly. “You want him dead, or do you have something else in mind?”Alvarez smirked. “Dead, but not yet. I want him to watch as everything he built crumbles first.”The leader nodded in understanding. “Then we’ll strike fast and without mercy. We have our entry points secured. The Ghosted will never see it coming.”Meanwhile, deep within Adrian’s pack territory, the Ghosted were moving ahead with their own plans, Their informants had pinpointed a potential weakness in the pack’s security—an underground passage leading to a hidden vault where the blueprint was rumored to be stored.Three elite members of the Ghosted, clad in dark tactical gear, crouched near the pass
The Cartel had been shattered, And yet, amid the wreckage, Alvarez still drew breath.His body ached, every nerve screaming in agony as he forced himself to move. He pressed a hand to his bleeding side, the warm, sticky sensation of his own blood soaking through his fingers. The pain was nothing compared to the fury burning in his chest. He had been played. The Ghosted, his supposed allies, had turned against him at the last moment, throwing the battlefield into complete chaos. But why? Who had ordered this betrayal?His fingers curled into fists as he staggered forward, his boots crunching against shattered glass and spent shell casings. He needed to find answers. He needed to find the one who had orchestrated this disaster.A low groan echoed from the rubble. Alvarez turned sharply, gun raised, but his aim wavered when he saw who it was—one of the masked assassins, barely alive, clutching a deep wound in his stomach. Blood seeped through his gloves as he struggled to breathe, his ma
The air vibrated with gunfire, screams, and the rhythmic thunder of boots pounding against the cracked asphalt. The war had begun.Mikhail, the ruthless leader of the Monadikos, stood atop the ruins of an old industrial complex, his sharp gaze cutting through the chaos unfolding below. His fingers clenched into a fist as he watched his men swarm the abandoned shipyard where the Cartel had foolishly stationed their latest shipment of illicit arms. The plan was simple, wipe them out, seize the weapons, and cripple their operations."Push forward! No mercy!" he bellowed, his voice slicing through the night.His men responded with a battle cry, surging ahead like a tidal wave of vengeance. Gunfire erupted from every angle. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off rusted shipping containers, and the metallic scent of gunpowder thickened in the air. The Cartel, caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack, scrambled to mount a defense.****Alvarez, the cold and calculating leader of the Car