The First betrayal

Trust is a fragile thing—once broken, it never fits the same again.

Celeste.....

The weight of what Sienna had told me still sat heavy in my mind as I drove through the dimly lit streets of New York. Someone had leaked our location. Someone had set Adrian up. And now, as I turned onto the road leading to the DeLuca estate, a single thought kept repeating in my mind.

Who was playing who?

I gripped the wheel tighter, my pulse erratic. There was no turning back now. I had to find answers before this entire operation crumbled around me.

I parked outside the estate, stepping out into the cold night. The air was thick with tension, as if the very walls of the mansion held secrets I wasn't meant to uncover. The moment I reached the entrance, Dante was waiting for me, his dark gaze unreadable.

"He's expecting you," he said, stepping aside.

I nodded, bracing myself before stepping inside. The hallway was eerily quiet, the faint scent of expensive cigars lingering in the air. I found Adrian in his study, seated behind his desk, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood. His gaze lifted the moment I walked in.

"You've been busy, Ogonëk," he murmured.

I forced a smirk. "Someone has to clean up your messes."

Adrian leaned back, studying me. "And what mess are we talking about tonight?"

I stepped closer, resting my hands on the chair in front of his desk. "We need to talk. Now."

"By all means," he said, gesturing for me to continue.

I took a deep breath. "The attack on your estate. The ambush when we were out. None of it was random. Someone leaked our locations, Adrian. Someone inside."

His expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes—something dark, dangerous. "Go on."

I hesitated before continuing. "I have sources that confirm this wasn't an outside job. Whoever did this had access to you. Your people. Someone close."

For a long moment, Adrian said nothing. Then, slowly, he stood, walking around the desk until he was in front of me. His presence was overwhelming, his gaze piercing into mine.

"And what exactly are you suggesting, Celeste?" he asked, voice deceptively calm.

I met his stare, unflinching. "I think we're both being played. And I think we're running out of time to figure out who's behind it."

His jaw tightened, but before he could respond, the door burst open, and Lorenzo strode inside, his expression grim.

"Boss, we've got a problem. The shipment at the warehouse—it was compromised."

Adrian's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. The casual arrogance in his posture disappeared, replaced by razor-sharp focus. "Compromised how?"

Lorenzo exhaled sharply. "Someone leaked the location. By the time our men arrived, half of it was gone. The rest was destroyed. We lost millions."

I watched Adrian carefully. His expression was unreadable, but the air in the room grew thick with tension.

"Who knew about this deal?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

Lorenzo shook his head. "Only a handful of our people. It had to be someone on the inside."

My stomach twisted. Another leak. Another betrayal.

Adrian's gaze snapped back to me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Your sources, Celeste. Did they tell you this would happen?"

I stiffened. "No. But it only proves my point. Someone is feeding them information. And they want you to fall."

Lorenzo clenched his jaw. "What do we do?"

Adrian remained silent for a long moment before speaking. "We make an example out of someone."

A shiver ran down my spine at the finality in his voice.

Dante entered a moment later, phone in hand. "Boss, we've got eyes on one of the missing shipments. Looks like someone's trying to move it through an independent buyer."

Adrian smirked, but there was nothing amused about it. "Then let's pay them a visit."

His gaze flickered back to me as if gauging my reaction. "You're coming with me, Ogonëk. Let's see if your instincts are as sharp as you claim."

I held my ground, my heartbeat loud in my ears. This was it. The first real fracture. The moment we stepped onto the same side—whether we wanted to or not.

As I followed him out, one thought lingered in my mind.

Who was really being played here?