Aftermath

The fire raged through the night. Flames licked the sky, thick smoke billowing over the city like a dark omen.

Luca watched from the rooftop of a nearby building, arms crossed, his face unreadable. Raines' empire was burning.

But was Raines dead?

Sofia paced behind him, tension rolling off her in waves. "We didn't see a body."

Luca exhaled slowly. "We will."

—

4:00 AM – Safe House

Henry was at his desk, monitors glowing around him. He scanned every camera feed, every news report.

Then—

"We've got a problem."

Luca and Sofia turned.

Henry's jaw was tight. He tapped the screen. "Raines isn't dead."

A grainy security feed showed him.

Walking. Bloody. Bruised. But alive.

—

Sofia cursed. "Son of a—"

Luca? He just smiled.

Because Raines surviving?

That just made things more interesting.

—

Elsewhere – Raines' Hideout

The room was dimly lit. A heavy scent of antiseptic filled the air.

Raines sat in a chair, bandages wrapped around his torso. His face was shadowed, but his eyes?

Blazing with fury.

A man stood across from him. Cold. Calculated. A new player.

"You were right," Raines muttered. "DeLuca's a problem."

The man—tall, dressed in a crisp suit—nodded. "Then it's time we deal with him."

—

Luca had made his move.

Now?

It was Raines' turn.

—

Next Chapter: The Assassin Enters – A new threat emerges, one that Luca never saw coming.