Chapter 15–Shadows in the Dark

The First Omen

The first sign came in the dead of night.

I had always been a light sleeper, but tonight, something unnatural pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness.

It wasn't a sound. Not exactly.

It was a shift in the air. A presence.

I suddenly flung my eyes opened to the darkness of my bedroom, my pulse was steady but my is instincts sharp. The sheer curtains billowed slightly, caught in the whisper of a breeze. But the windows were closed.

I stayed still, listening.

Then I saw it.

A shadow.

A faint distortion against the moonlit walls, lingering for just a second before melting back into the blackness.

Someone had been here.

But they were gone now.

Then I slowly slid out of bed with my bare feet making no sound against the floor. The pistol underneath my pillow was warm due to my body temperature as I gripped it, my heart beat in calm and controlled rhythm.

I moved through the penthouse in silence,adjusting my eyes to the dim glow of the city lights seeping through the windows. Nothing looked disturbed.

But I knew better.

I wasn't being watched. I was being warned.

A single envelope sat on my desk, precisely aligned with the edge. I picked it up, my fingers brushing against the fine texture of the paper. No return address. No markings.

Inside was a playing card.

The Queen of Spades.

And beneath it, a single line.

You should have let him live.

My grip on the card tightened, a slow, creeping unease coiling in my chest.

Someone knew.

And now?

They were watching me.

---

The Fall Guy

By morning, Lorenzo had a new suspect.

I didn't have to ask how he found him or what led to the conclusion. The evidence had been planted perfectly. He thought he had uncovered it himself.

The man in question? Marcelo Vasquez.

A minor associate. Loyal but not irreplaceable. Just high enough in the ranks to make his death seem like justice. Just low enough that no one would question it.

Matteo Russo—Lorenzo's right-hand man and my fiance stood beside him as they dragged Marcelo to a secluded warehouse on the outskirts of the city. A death sentence disguised as an interrogation.

Marcelo swore on his life that he was innocent. He begged. He screamed. He bled.

But it didn't matter.

By the time the bullet shattered his skull, Lorenzo believed his empire was once again clean.

He believed he had made the right call.

He didn't know I had been the one to orchestrate it all.

---

Doubts in the Shadows

Some hours later, Matteo sat down leisurely in Lorenzo's study, pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

Then he said in a low, casual voice,but there was an edge in it"Have you ever get the feeling that something doesn't add up?"

"What do you mean, what are you talking about?". Lorenzo ask him nonchalantly, tapping his hand on a desk.

Matteo swirled the drink in his glass before taking a slow sip. Then he looked at Lorenzo.

"Isabella," he said simply.

Lorenzo's jaw tightened. "What about her?"

"You don't see it? He ask leaning forward with his elbow resting on his knees."The way she moves, the way she speaks now?" He scoffed. "She used to be fragile. A naive little thing with no real power in this world. But now?" He shook his head. "She's different."And remember we are preparing her for our next target since she is naive.

Lorenzo was silent for a moment. Too long.

Matteo tilted his head. "You see it too, don't you?"

Lorenzo exhaled through his nose. "She's been through a lot."

"Yeah?" Matteo arched a brow. "Or maybe she's the one putting us through a lot."

Lorenzo's grip on his whiskey glass tightened slightly. "Isabella is family."

Matteo laughed under his breath. "You sure about that?"

Lorenzo didn't answer.

Because for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure of anything again.

---

The Past Never Stays Buried

I met with Rafael in one of his private clubs.

The place was empty except for a bartender wiping down glasses and a few armed men in the corners, blending into the shadows.

Rafael sat at the bar, sipping whiskey, the amber liquid catching the dim light. His expression was unreadable, but when I approached, he spoke without looking at me.

"You look like someone who just walked over your grave."

I set the playing card and note in front of him.

He studied them with a faint smirk at the corner of his lips turning the card between his fingers.

"Interesting choice," he murmured.

"You recognize it?"

He tapped the card against the bar. "The Queen of Spades. In some circles, it means a woman who brings death. In others, it's a sign of misfortune. But in our world?" He turned the card once more. "It's an invitation."

"An invitation for what?"

His dark eyes met mine. "A game."

A slow chill crept down my spine. "You think someone is playing with me?"

Rafael chuckled. "You made a move. Someone is answering."

"Rico was guilty."I said with my fist clenched.

His smirk didn't fade. "Was he?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You don't believe it?"

Rafael lifted his glass. "I believe in power. And power doesn't care about truth. It cares about perception." He took a slow sip. "But someone out there? They care about the truth."

I stared at him, the weight of his words settling into my bones.

If this was a game, then I had just made my first move.

And now, someone was calling my bluff.

---

The Silent Threat

Lorenzo's study was dimly lit when I returned.

The had barely touched the whiskey on his desk,and he was drumming his fingers against the wood, a slow, measured rhythm. He looked up when I entered.

"They found the body," he said flatly.

Marcelo's.

"Good," I replied.

His dark eyes studied me, searching. "Rico sent a message."

I stayed silent.

"The Queen of Spades." He let the words hang in the air. "You know what that means."

I nodded once. "It's a challenge."

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "Then let's play."

I turned to leave, but his next words stopped me cold.

"Matteo has doubts about Isabella."

My breath caught for half a second.

"Does he?"

Lorenzo nodded. "He thinks she's changed. He's watching her."

I turned back to face him, my expression carefully neutral. "And you?"

Lorenzo's smirk faded. "I don't trust easily. But I need to be sure."

I held his gaze. "And if she's not the same girl you once knew?"

A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "Then she's a problem."

I nodded, suppressing the flicker of unease in my chest.

"Then let's make sure she's not a problem."

As I left, I knew one thing for certain.

This game was just beginning.

And someone was about to lose.