Chapter 28: A Game of Shadows

The city pulsed beneath the night sky, a living, breathing beast that never slept. Its veins were the streets, its heart the underworld that thrived in the darkness, and its mind—the men who controlled it. Ethan had spent years carving his place into that mind, ensuring that when his name was whispered, it was with reverence or fear. Now, Cavalli was trying to rewrite that narrative.

The warehouse fire had been more than an attack. It had been a declaration. A shift in power that Cavalli wanted to force upon him. But power wasn't something given. It was taken. And Ethan had never been one to let someone take what was his.

His penthouse was silent, save for the steady ticking of the clock on the wall. Dominic stood by the window, his gaze locked on the city below. He had the look of a man itching for action, his hands curled into fists at his sides.

"We can't let this slide," Dominic said, his voice tight with barely restrained anger. "Cavalli's testing you. If we don't hit back, he'll keep pushing."

Ethan sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "I know."

Dominic let out a sharp breath. "Then what's the play?"

Before Ethan could answer, a knock echoed through the room. It was deliberate, confident. Not the knock of someone uncertain or afraid. Ethan exchanged a glance with Dominic before rising to open the door.

Seraphina stood there, draped in black, her red lips curled into the faintest smirk. She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"You look amused," Ethan observed, closing the door behind her.

Seraphina accepted the drink he poured her, lifting it to her lips before speaking. "You look like you're thinking too much."

Ethan smirked. "Thinking keeps me alive."

Seraphina arched a brow. "And what have you decided?"

Ethan took a slow sip of his whiskey before setting the glass down. "We hit where it hurts."

Dominic nodded, already knowing. "The clubs."

Cavalli's empire wasn't built on brute force alone. It was in the whispers exchanged in dimly lit VIP lounges, the deals made under the cover of music and smoke. It was where his influence ran deepest, where his money flowed endlessly. If Ethan wanted to shake Cavalli's foundation, he had to start at its core.

Seraphina's eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "He won't take that lightly."

Ethan leaned back against the couch, his smirk sharp as a blade. "I'm counting on it."

The plan was set within minutes. Dominic left to gather the men, and Seraphina lingered, watching Ethan as if trying to read what lay beneath his calm exterior.

"You're enjoying this," she murmured.

Ethan met her gaze, stepping closer. "No." He set his glass down beside hers. "But I don't run from a fight."

Before she could respond, his phone vibrated on the table. A single message flashed across the screen.

The game has started. Are you ready to play?

No name. No number. But Ethan didn't need one.

Cavalli was waiting.

And Ethan? He was done waiting.