Final Player 2

The air in the warehouse turned frigid, the sound of the voice wrapping around them like a chill in the bones. Anastasia’s pulse raced as her mind scrambled through the possibilities. Then, as the figure moved into the faint light filtering through the dusty windows, her breath hitched.

"Nicoli?" Maximilian’s voice cracked, disbelief and fury clashing in his tone. His fists clenched at his sides, his body rigid with anger.

Nicoli Alessandro, one of Verdonia’s most powerful and elusive officials—the man who had once stood with them, helping to dismantle Moretti’s empire—now stood before them, his smile smug, unrepentant. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment all along, playing a game they hadn’t even realized they were part of.

"I see you’re surprised," Nicoli said, his voice smooth, his hands slipping into the pockets of his tailored coat. "Though you shouldn’t be. I’ve always had my hands in Verdonia’s future, one way or another."