A Dance with fire

"Flames consume, but some burns are worth the pain."Celeste...The blood had dried on the pavement, but the memory of it still lingered in my mind as I paced the confines of my apartment. The city outside was alive, buzzing with the restless energy of the underworld, but inside, I felt suffocated by the weight of what had happened. Someone wanted to silence that man. Someone had known I would be there. That meant my cover wasn't as impenetrable as I thought. I pulled my phone and dialed a number. The line rang once before Sienna answered. "You should have gotten out when I told you to.""I need to know if the leak came from Adrian's side or ours," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "If he's onto me, I won't get another chance."

There was a pause on the other end. "Celeste, do you understand what you're saying? If Adrian finds out what you're doing—"

"Then I'm dead," I finished. "I knew that when I signed up for this."

A long silence stretched between us. Then, finally, Sienna exhaled. "I'll run the trace. But Celeste… be careful. He's not just some criminal. He's smarter than most of the ones we've taken down."

I closed my eyes. "I know."

I ended the call and stared at my reflection in the window. I needed to get inside Adrian's world—deeper than ever before. That meant playing a dangerous game.

I stepped into my room and changed into something more comfortable. My thoughts were all over the place. Nothing was going according to plan. I was falling behind in my own game. Was it even my game?

Was I being used? Was I being played? Was someone else controlling my game? I was always the one who led, so who was tricking me in my own game? Who was playing me? Was it Adrian, or was it someone else? If my doubts were real, then I was running out of time. I needed to level up sooner rather than later.

With all those thoughts in my head, I lost track of time and drifted into sleep.

The buzz on my phone woke me up. I looked over—it was 10 in the morning. I picked up the call and put it on speaker. "Tell me something good, Sienna," I said, my voice laced with frustration.

"Bad news first," Sienna's voice crackled through. "Whoever orchestrated that attack wasn't sloppy. They covered their tracks well. No digital trails, no loose ends."

I cursed under my breath. "And the good news?"

"I traced one of the last calls made before the explosion. It was from inside the estate. Someone tipped them off."

"A mole" I grit my teeth.

 "Looks like it. And if Adrian finds out, he's going to start cleaning house. You don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

"I need to get closer to him," I said, my mind already working through the possibilities. "If there's a traitor in his circle, I need to know who it is before he does."

Sienna sighed. "That's a dangerous game, Celeste. You're walking into fire."

My lips curled into a bitter smirk. "Then let's hope I don't burn."

By the time I enetred the estate it was 8 in the evening. The DeLuca estate was a fortress of security when I arrived, the aftermath of the explosion leaving an air of paranoia. Guards stood at every entrance, their gazes sharp, hands hovering near their weapons. The moment I stepped through the iron gates, I felt the weight of their scrutiny.

Dante intercepted me before I could reach the main doors. His expression was unreadable, But his dark eyes held suspicion. "Where the hell have you been?"I met his stare without hesitation. "Handling business."Dante's lips pressed into a thin line. "funny. Thats's exactly what Adrain said before he ordered me to find out if you're lying."I tilted my head, a slow smirk forming. "Then I guess you should hurry up and report back."

Before Dante could respond, the heavy oak doors behind him swung open, revealing Lorenzo standing in the doorway. His gaze flickered between us before settling on me. "Boss wants to see you now, don't keep him waiting." 

I walked past Dante, my pulse steady, my expression composed. I had played this game long enough to know that confidence was the only shield I have left.