Throne 5

The morning came too quickly. It always did, but today it felt worse. My eyes opened to the familiar gray light seeping through the blinds, the soft hum of the city waking up beneath me. I rolled over, staring at the ceiling for a moment, trying to shake off the heaviness that had settled in my chest.

I hadn’t slept well, if at all. My thoughts kept circling back to Nico—his eyes, his words, his presence. I tried to push it away, tried to focus on what needed to be done, but the more I thought about him, the more complicated everything felt.

The whole situation with the DeLucas was spiraling, I knew that. But this was different. This was personal. I could feel the tension building, the way everything was shifting under the surface. And Nico... Nico was at the center of it all.

I swung my legs off the bed, letting my feet hit the cold hardwood floor. The apartment was quiet, the only sound my breathing. I could hear the faint noise of traffic outside—honking cars, people shouting, the endless buzz of the city. But inside, there was only silence.

I needed to think, needed to sort through the mess that was my life. There was no room for distractions, no time for mistakes. My vendetta against the DeLucas had been my focus for months, and I couldn’t afford to let anything get in the way. But Nico had a way of making everything else fade into the background, of making me forget why I was doing this in the first place.

I stood up, walking over to the small kitchenette and pouring myself a cup of coffee. The bitter taste burned down my throat as I sipped it, trying to clear my head. I needed to focus, to push aside the confusion Nico stirred in me. He was dangerous. I knew that. I had to remember that.

But why did it feel like I was the one being played? Or was I playing him? I wasn’t sure anymore. The lines between us were blurring, and I wasn’t sure how to stop it.

I grabbed my phone off the counter, scrolling through the messages that had piled up overnight. Elena had sent me a few updates, all of them critical. She’d been digging into the DeLucas and the whispers of someone else pulling the strings, but she hadn’t uncovered anything solid yet. It was frustrating. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

I shot her a quick message to check in.

“Anything new?”

Her reply came almost immediately.

“Not yet. But I’m still following the trail. Keep your head on straight, Sophia. Something’s off.”

I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. Something’s off. That was an understatement.

I dressed quickly, opting for something practical—black jeans, a fitted shirt, and a leather jacket. I didn’t have time for distractions. I needed to stay focused.

As I left the apartment, the city greeted me with its usual chaos. People rushed past me, lost in their own worlds, and I did my best to ignore it all. The world had a way of moving forward, whether I was ready for it or not. But today, it felt like the weight of it was too much.

I arrived at the office, the building towering over me, its sleek glass exterior reflecting the overcast sky. The security guard at the front desk nodded as I passed through the lobby, heading straight to the elevator. I didn’t have time for small talk. I needed to get to work.

Inside the elevator, I tried to steady my thoughts, focusing on what needed to be done. But even as I tried to calm my mind, it kept drifting back to Nico. His words, his presence. There was something about him that I couldn’t shake, something that kept me on edge.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into the office. Elena was already there, sitting at her desk, her eyes focused on the screen in front of her. When she saw me, she gave me a nod, but there was something in her eyes that told me she wasn’t as calm as she was pretending to be.

“What’s going on?” I asked, walking over to her desk.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice low. “I’ve been going through everything I can find on the DeLucas and the people connected to them. There’s a lot we don’t know, but… there’s one name that keeps popping up.”

“Who?” I leaned in, my curiosity piqued.

“Elena Volkov,” she said quietly. “Damian’s mother.”

I froze. The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Damian Volkov. I knew him well enough. He was the son of a rival mafia family, but we had crossed paths before. I had no love for the Volkovs. But Elena Volkov... that was a name I hadn’t expected to hear.

“What does she have to do with the DeLucas?” I asked, my voice tight.

“I don’t know yet,” Elena replied, her brow furrowed. “But there are whispers that she’s involved in something bigger than we realized. Something tied to the DeLucas, to the Morettis. And I’m starting to think it’s all connected to Nico.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine. Nico. It always came back to him.

“Do you think he’s working with them?” I asked, my voice cold.

“I don’t know,” Elena admitted. “But we need to find out. If Nico is involved with this, we’re all in deeper than we realized. And if he’s lying to you, Sophia…” She let the words trail off, and I could feel the weight of her concern pressing down on me.

I took a deep breath, pushing away the panic that was creeping up on me. “I’ll handle it.”

Elena gave me a pointed look. “Just be careful. We’re not the only ones looking for answers.”

I nodded, already feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. It wasn’t just the DeLucas anymore. It was bigger. There were people in the shadows, people with far more power than I had realized, and if Nico was part of it, everything I’d been working toward could come crashing down in an instant.

I spent the rest of the morning going through files and making calls, trying to dig deeper into the information Elena had uncovered. But no matter how much I tried to focus, my mind kept wandering back to Nico. His sharp gaze, the way he made me question everything I thought I knew.

Around midday, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from an unknown number.

“We need to talk. Meet me tonight. Same place as last time. Don’t make me wait.”

I stared at the message, my heart pounding in my chest. It was Nico.

I wanted to ignore it, wanted to pretend that I didn’t care. But I knew better. I had to go. There were too many questions left unanswered, and if I was going to find the truth, I needed to hear it from him.

With a heavy sigh, I typed back a quick reply.

“I’ll be there.”

I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. But I knew one thing for certain: nothing would ever be the same again.