Chapter 17 – The Raven’s Shadow

The sun hadn't even risen, but the city was already holding its breath.

Luciano sat in his penthouse office, staring out at the city skyline. A glass of whiskey sat untouched on the table. His hands were steepled, his gaze sharp, cold, and unrelenting.

The Raven.

A name that hadn't crossed his mind in his first life until it was too late.

Now… it was coming for him sooner than expected.

A soft knock echoed on the door.

"Come in," Luciano said without turning.

Ariana stepped inside. Her eyes were tired, but she was dressed in his oversized shirt, barefoot, hair still tousled from sleep. "You haven't slept."

Luciano's lips curved faintly. "Neither have you."

She walked over, sliding her arms around his neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Talk to me."

For a moment, he said nothing. Then, with a sigh, his fingers traced hers. "There's a bigger enemy than I ever imagined. Moretti was just a puppet. The man pulling the strings… they call him The Raven."

"The Raven?" she echoed. "Who is he?"

"Unknown. No face. No identity. But he runs the international syndicate—the very backbone of global organized crime. Drugs, weapons, money laundering, human trafficking, even political influence. He owns judges, generals, and presidents."

Ariana tensed. "And now… you've made yourself his enemy."

"No," Luciano corrected. "I've made myself his rival."

A soft chime interrupted them—the encrypted line.

Luciano tapped a button.

Marco's voice crackled through. "Boss. We have a problem."

"What now?"

"There's been a hit. Three of our offshore accounts were drained overnight. Gone. Fifty million—vanished."

Luciano's eyes narrowed. "Cyber attack?"

"Not just that. One of our safehouses in Sicily burned down an hour ago. Two men dead. Whoever did it… they knew exactly where to hit."

Ariana's hand tightened on his shoulder. Luciano stood, calm, collected, terrifyingly focused.

"Who do we have on tracking the digital breach?" he asked.

"Valentina's working on it. She's traced the route—it bounced through Moscow, then Singapore, then back to Berlin. Professional. Military-grade encryption."

"Good." Luciano's voice turned to steel. "Put every hacker we own on it. Double the security on every financial asset. Anyone found leaking information… kill them."

"You got it."

Luciano ended the call and turned to Ariana, cupping her face. "This is why I told you… once you step into my world, there's no walking back."

"I never planned to walk away," she whispered.

A knock came again. This time, it was Sergio.

"Boss. We found something."

Luciano nodded. "Talk."

Sergio tossed a folder onto the desk. "Intercepted message. Coded. Took Valentina hours to crack."

Luciano opened it.

"De Luca's empire collapses within seven days. Begin Operation Black Sun."

A chill rippled through the room.

"Black Sun…" Sergio muttered. "We don't know what it means. But it's big."

Luciano's eyes narrowed. "Seven days."

Ariana's voice trembled. "What… what happens in seven days?"

Luciano's jaw ticked. "They plan to wipe me off the map."

His mind raced. If The Raven was accelerating this fast, it meant one thing—they feared him. His rise wasn't going unnoticed.

"Prepare the war room," Luciano ordered. "Call every captain. Every ally. No excuses. We move now."

Sergio nodded, vanishing out the door.

Ariana gripped his hand. "Luciano… be careful."

He pulled her close, his lips brushing hers. "I don't do careful."

---

Hours later — The De Luca War Room

A massive digital map flickered to life. Dots, lines, and markers glowed, showing every De Luca asset, every rival family, and now… the threats from The Raven's network.

Valentina stood by the monitors, fingers flying across keyboards. "I've tracked part of the Black Sun communication. It's a multi-phase strike: financial collapse, supply chain sabotage, and… assassination."

Luciano's eyes glowed with cold fury. "Assassination of who?"

Her fingers paused. "You."

The room fell into silence.

Marco slammed a fist into the table. "Let them try."

Luciano leaned forward, elbows on the table. "No. We won't wait for them to try. We hit first."

He pointed to the screen. "See that? Berlin. Singapore. Dubai. That's where their logistics run through. I want fire. Explosions. I want their money burned, their warehouses emptied, their partners running scared."

Sergio grinned. "Now we're talking."

Valentina added, "It's not just muscle anymore. We need hackers, drones, insiders. This is a war fought in the shadows."

Luciano nodded. "Good. Hire every mercenary, every hacker, every killer with a reputation."

His gaze swept the room.

"This is no longer about Palermo. This is global."

---

Meanwhile... Somewhere in Switzerland

A man sat in a darkened room, watching a monitor. His face was hidden behind a bird-shaped mask. Black. Smooth. Menacing.

The Raven.

"Luciano De Luca…" he mused. "You rise faster than expected."

A woman's voice from the side asked, "Shall I proceed with the bounty?"

The Raven tilted his head. "Double it. Dead. Not alive."

---

Back in Palermo — Midnight

Luciano stood on the rooftop, wind whipping his coat. Ariana stood behind him, silent, watching the city lights.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring. Not a wedding ring. A promise ring.

He slid it onto her finger. "I can't promise you peace… but I can promise you protection. And I can promise that no matter what happens... I'll always come back to you."

Tears filled her eyes. She whispered, "I don't care about peace… I care about you."

Luciano turned, pulling her into his arms, kissing her fiercely like the world could end tomorrow.

And maybe... it just might.