Chapter 12–Shadows in the Blood

The Web Tightens

Lorenzo De Luca believed himself untouchable.

That was his first mistake.

The second was trusting me.

I could feel the cold night breeze whispering through my hair as I looked down at the world below from where am standing on the balcony of the De Luca estate,Beneath me, Lorenzo's men moved like puppets in a grand performance they didn't realize was being controlled by invisible hands—my own beautiful hands.

The scent of burning cigars and expensive whiskey filled the air. Somewhere inside the estate, Lorenzo was still obsessing over the cracks forming in his empire, growing more paranoid by the day. He thought the enemy was coming from outside, not realizing the one closest to him was the one tightening the noose.

Matteo was already under scrutiny,all courtesy to me who made is possible.I had made sure of that. All it took were the right whispers to the right ears, planting seeds of doubt that would soon bloom into chaos.

Then a quiet knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.

Alessia.

She work into the room, walking like a shadow that is moving through the dimly lit space. Her beautiful brown eyes scanning my face before she leaned against the doorframe, with her arms crossed.

"He's losing it," she muttered.

I smirked. "I know."

"He almost killed one of his own men today." She stepped forward, lowering her voice. "The paranoia is eating at him faster than we expected."

Good.

But I kept my expression neutral, shrugging my Shoulder as if I were only mildly interested. "Did he kill the man?"

"No," she replied. "He let him go, but not before beating him within an inch of his life. The others are starting to question his judgment."

That was exactly what I wanted.

Lorenzo needed to be weakened—not just physically, but mentally. The more doubt crept into his inner circle, the easier it would be to tear him down.

Alessia studied me, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You're enjoying this too much."

"of course,wouldn't you,of it were you?" I countered.

Her gaze darkened, but she didn't argue.

We both had our reasons.

A Message from the King

Alessia shifted slightly, her expression turning serious. "Rafael sent word."

I turned fully to face her.

"What does he want?"

"A meeting."

Rafael Moretti did not waste time with pointless conversations. If he wanted a meeting,then it meant something must have changed.

"Then let's go,we won't keep him waiting."I said with a deep breath,while brushing my fingers against the cold metal railing of the balcony.

---

The Devil's Throne

One can perceive the scent of oil, metal, and dried blood thick in the air,in the dimly lit room. It was Rafael's domain—his empire built on fear and ruthlessness.And one-day am going to build my own on De Luca estate

The man himself sat at the head of the long table, his presence commanding even in silence. His dark eyes flickered with amusement as I entered with Alessia walking beside me.

"You came late," he said while swirling the whiskey in his glass.

I arched a brow. "You're impatient."

His lips curled into a slow smirk. "Lorenzo is unraveling."

I shrugged. "That was always the plan."

He set his glass down with a quiet clink. "You're making it too obvious."

I leaned against the table, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "Is he getting suspicious?"

"More than that." Rafael exhaled, his expression turning unreadable. "Matteo is starting to put the pieces together. And if he figures it out too soon, you might not get the revenge you want."

I narrowed my eyes. Matteo.

The man who had helped slaughter me in my past life. The man who had smiled while I bled out on the cold ground.

"Then I'll make sure his suspicions lead him to the wrong conclusion."I said with my first clenched.

Rafael studied me carefully before nodding. "that is fair enough."

Then he look at Alessia, with an unreadable expression. "And you? Do you trust her?"

I didn't hesitate. "With my life."

Rafael let the silence stretch, his fingers tapping lightly against the table.

Alessia's eyes remained steady. She didn't flinch under his scrutiny.

Finally, Rafael leaned back. "Then let's talk about Matteo."

I furrowed a brow and tightened my fist.

His lip curled into a smirk,he was clearly amused by my reaction. "He's been asking questions. Digging into things that don't concern him. If he keeps going, he'll find out the truth."

"Then we give him something else to focus on."I said with my head tilted.

Rafael's smirk widened. "I knew I liked you for a reason, and this is one of the reasons."

---

A Dangerous Game

The house was silent by the time I returned to the De Luca's estate, but tension clung to the air like a storm waiting to break.

I found Lorenzo in his office, sitting behind his desk, while staring at the bloodied knife resting beside an empty whiskey glass.

His expression was unreadable. But there was something different in his eyes. Something unsettled.

I stepped forward, feigning concern. "is something wrong?"

He let out a slow breath, his fingers brushing against the blade. "have you ever wonder if there are ghosts in this house?"

I stilled.

He looked up at me, his gaze sharp. "Because of lately, it feels like I'm being haunted."

I forced a small smile. "Why do you say that?"

His tightened his jaw, "Because some things don't add up. I keep thinking… I'm missing something. That there's something I can't see."

I stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry too much brother,maybe you're just tired."

He took a deep breath,leaning back in his chair. "Maybe."

Then his gaze softened slightly, and for a moment, he looked at me the way he always did,like I was the only person he could trust.

"I trust you, you know," he murmured.

Another mistake.

I leaned down, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to his cheek. "Of course you do."

And soon, that trust would be the very thing that destroyed him.