Shadows in the Smoke

The deeper you go, the harder it is to tell friend from foe.

Adrian...

The tension thickened like smoke in my office. Marco's betrayal was only the tip of the blade. Someone was moving against me, pulling strings in the dark, and the worst part? They were damn good at it. Every step I took, they were already two ahead.

I sat behind my desk, fingers pressed together, mind calculating every possibility. Trust was a currency I never spent freely, and now, I was bankrupt.

Dante stood across from me, arms folded, his expression tight. "Marco swears he doesn't know who gave the order. Just that it came from inside."

"Inside," I echoed, the word leaving a bitter taste. "Someone close enough to know my operations, my movements."

Dante nodded. "Which means this isn't just about business. Someone wants you distracted. They want you second-guessing everyone."

That pissed me off more than anything. Fear was a weapon I wielded—not one I let cut into me.

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. It was soft but firm. Her.

"Come in, Ogonëk."

Celeste entered, moving like she owned the space, like she wasn't stepping into the lion's den. She had that look in her eyes again—the one that said she was about to test my patience. And for some reason, I let her.

"I take it things aren't going well?" she asked, arms crossed. There was no mockery in her voice, just observation.

I leaned back, studying her. "Depends. Are you here to tell me something useful?"

Her gaze held mine, unreadable. "I might be."

Dante exhaled sharply. "Boss, we need to move on this. We don't have time for—"

I cut him off with a look before turning back to her. "Talk."

She stepped forward, slipping into the chair across from me like she belonged there. "Whoever is behind this isn't just trying to hurt your business. They're trying to dismantle you from the inside. And that means they aren't just powerful—they're patient."

I raised a brow. "And what makes you so sure?"

Her lips curved slightly. "Because that's exactly what I would do."

Dante tensed beside me, but I only smirked. "You have a habit of thinking like my enemies, Ogonëk."

"It's why I'm still alive."

Celeste..

The way Adrian looked at me, with that sharp, assessing gaze, made my pulse skip for reasons I didn't care to examine. He was dangerous, calculated, always in control—but there was something else tonight. Something tighter, like the leash he kept on his world was fraying at the edges.

And I was enjoying it a little too much.

"You have a mole," I said, my voice steady. "Someone close enough to manipulate your network without raising alarms."

He studied me, silent. Then, with a slow exhale, he stood and walked toward the bar, pouring himself a drink. "Tell me something I don't know."

I tilted my head. "You're looking in the wrong places. If they've already sabotaged your shipments, then they didn't need to steal information. They were given it."

Adrian's grip on the glass tightened. "And what exactly are you suggesting?"

I leaned forward. "That the enemy isn't hiding in the shadows anymore. They're standing in plain sight."

His gaze flickered, something dangerous sparking behind it. "And why should I believe you?"

I smiled slightly. "Because I don't like being played either."

The silence between us thickened, tension humming in the air like a live wire. His stare didn't waver, and neither did mine. This was a test. A game. A war waged in glances and unspoken words.

He took a slow sip of whiskey, then set the glass down with precision. "If you're right, that means you're in just as much danger as I am."

I shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Something dark flickered in his expression, something almost possessive. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat rolling off him, his scent—whiskey, leather, and control—wrapping around me.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Ogonëk."

I held my ground, refusing to look away. "So are you."

For a moment, I thought he might say something else. Something sharp, something cutting. But then—

A sharp knock shattered the moment. Dante entered, face set in stone. "Boss. You need to see this. Now."

Adrian didn't move, his gaze still locked on mine. The air between us crackled, a battle neither of us was willing to surrender to.

But reality was creeping back in. And whatever waited outside that door… was about to change everything.