Throne 4

I didn’t know what I expected when I left that meeting with Nico Moretti. Certainly, it wasn’t the gnawing feeling of something slipping through my fingers—like I had just taken a step in the wrong direction and couldn’t go back. The DeLucas had been irritating, of course, but Nico… he had been something else entirely.

I ran my fingers through my hair as I stepped out of the underground parking garage, the cool night air greeting me with the scent of rain and asphalt. The city was alive around me, but it felt as if there was a bubble around me, isolating me in my thoughts. I wasn’t used to feeling unsettled. I liked control. I liked knowing what was happening and where things were going. But with Nico, it was different.

There was something in the way he spoke, in the way he looked at me. Something that didn’t add up, like he was waiting for me to slip up, or maybe he already knew more than he was letting on. He had a way of making me second-guess every move, every word, like he was always two steps ahead.

I had dealt with men like him before, but Nico… he was different. His intensity wasn’t something I could simply ignore. It was something that drew me in, and that was dangerous.

I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, staring at my reflection in the rearview mirror for a moment. My face was calm, neutral. But beneath the surface, I could feel the storm brewing. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the deal or because of him. I had my work cut out for me, but I didn’t have the luxury of letting my guard down. Not with someone like Nico.

I drove through the city streets, the headlights casting long shadows on the wet pavement. The rain had started coming down harder, and the rhythmic sound of the windshield wipers helped clear my mind a bit. But the lingering thoughts of Nico wouldn’t let go. It was as though he was embedded in my mind, pushing every other thought aside.

I had always kept my emotions in check, always been in control. But Nico made me feel… vulnerable, in a way I didn’t like. He was too perceptive, too sharp, and the way he spoke to me… it made something inside me stir, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

I needed to focus on the mission at hand. The deal with the DeLucas was just one part of a much bigger plan. But with every passing minute, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking a fine line. I had been in this world for years, and I knew how dangerous it could get. One wrong move, one misplaced trust, and it all fell apart. And yet, with Nico, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was being played, or if I was playing him.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. It was a message from Elena.

“We need to talk. It’s urgent.”

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Elena never messaged me unless something was wrong. She had always been the voice of reason, the one who kept things grounded when everything else felt like it was spiraling out of control. I tapped a finger on the steering wheel as I considered the message.

What now? I thought.

I pulled over to the side of the road, reaching for my phone. I dialed Elena’s number, the phone ringing once before she answered.

“Where are you?” Elena’s voice was sharp, like something had happened to rattle her.

“I’m driving,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “What’s going on?”

“I’m at the office. We need to move faster on the DeLucas,” she said, her words clipped. “I’ve been getting whispers. Something’s not right.”

I clenched the steering wheel, my fingers digging into the leather. “What kind of whispers?”

“The kind that say someone’s been moving behind the scenes. Someone with a lot of power. And they’re not just targeting the DeLucas. They’re targeting you, Sophia.”

I felt my pulse spike at her words. Targeting me? That wasn’t something I took lightly. I was careful, meticulous. I didn’t make mistakes.

“Who is it?” I asked, my voice low, controlled, despite the rush of adrenaline that was coursing through me.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ve been looking into it. Whoever this is, they’ve got connections. Big ones. And they’re tied to the DeLucas. We can’t afford to trust them anymore.”

I took a deep breath, absorbing her words. This was bad. “Keep digging. We need to move fast. If someone’s gunning for me, we can’t waste any time.”

“I’m on it,” Elena said. “Just be careful. I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Whoever’s involved… they’re good. Too good.”

I hung up the phone, my mind racing. Who could be targeting me? There weren’t many people who had the resources or the nerve to go after me. But someone was out there, moving in the shadows. And I needed to find out who before it was too late.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles white. I needed answers. But there was one person I knew I had to see. Nico.

He was the key. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was connected—somehow, some way. And if I wanted to find out who was playing this game, I would need to go straight to the source.

As I drove through the rain, I thought back to the meeting. Nico’s eyes had been calculating, but there had been something else, something more. A flicker of something beneath the surface. I wasn’t sure if it was attraction, suspicion, or just my own instincts kicking in, but I knew I couldn’t afford to ignore it.

I arrived at my apartment building, parking in the underground garage. I sat there for a moment, letting the engine idle as I tried to calm my mind. My thoughts kept circling back to Nico, to the way he looked at me, the way he seemed to know exactly what to say to make me question everything.

He was dangerous. I knew that. But he also had a power—an allure—that I couldn’t deny. It was the same kind of pull that I’d seen in others in this world, the kind that made you want to get closer, even when you knew you should keep your distance.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog that was clouding my judgment. Focus, I told myself. I needed to stay focused. There were bigger things at stake than whatever was happening between Nico and me.

I grabbed my coat from the back seat and stepped out of the car, making my way to the elevator. But as the doors closed behind me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was falling into a trap—one that I wasn’t sure I could escape from.

When the elevator reached my floor, I walked down the hallway, my footsteps echoing in the silence. My apartment was quiet when I stepped inside, the familiar scent of the leather chairs and polished wood greeting me. But tonight, it didn’t feel like home. Tonight, it felt like a cage.

I went to my desk, pulling out the files I’d been working on. But they couldn’t hold my attention. My mind kept drifting back to Nico—his sharp eyes, his dangerous charm. The way he made me feel like I was walking a tightrope, one misstep away from falling.

I stared out the window, watching the city below. There were so many games being played, so many people with hidden motives. And I was right in the middle of it all.

But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t afford to trust anyone—not even Nico. Not yet.

I had to find out what he was hiding. And when I did, I would be ready.