Rain came down in heavy sheets, turning the city into a blur of neon and shadows. The SUV sped through the slick streets, its engine a low growl beneath the storm. Inside, the silence was deafening.
Aria sat beside Dominic, her hands clenched into fists in her lap, trembling. She wasn't sure if it was the cold or the aftershock of what she had just witnessed. The man who appeared in that suite—Adrian—was more than just another enemy. He was Dominic's blood. Family. And by the look on Dominic's face, a ghost that was never supposed to come back.
No one spoke, not even Matteo. His face was pale, lips cracked and bloodied, but he didn't ask for a doctor or water. He stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched tight.
Luca finally broke the silence. "That was Adrian."
Dominic didn't respond.
"He's alive," Luca said again, like repeating it would make it less absurd. "He's not just alive, he's orchestrating attacks."
Dominic exhaled slowly. "He's been planning this for years."
Aria turned to him, her voice small. "Who is he really?"
Dominic kept his eyes forward, but she saw something flicker in them. A memory. A scar.
"He's my cousin," he said. "My uncle's only son. We were raised side by side. Same house. Same blood. But he always wanted more. Even as a boy, he was sick in the head. He wanted to rule without rules."
Matteo let out a bitter laugh. "That bastard once drowned a dog in the pool because it barked at him. At seven."
Dominic continued, voice low and flat. "Years ago, he tried to overthrow my father. Tried to wipe out the entire family. We found out too late. He set fire to our estate. My father died that night. We thought Adrian burned with him. There wasn't enough left to bury."
"But he survived," Aria whispered.
"And now he's back to finish what he started."
The SUV pulled into the underground garage of Dominic's estate. Armed guards lined the entrance. More than usual. Word was already spreading through the underworld—Adrian De Luca was alive.
They stepped out into the garage, the lights flickering above them.
"Get Matteo stitched up," Dominic ordered. "Double security on every floor. No one gets in or out unless I approve it myself."
Luca nodded and vanished with Matteo in tow.
Aria followed Dominic into the mansion, unsure whether to speak or stay silent. He didn't look back at her once.
In the war room, a map of the city glowed on a massive screen. Red dots pulsed across several zones—safehouses, warehouses, key ports. One by one, they were being compromised.
"He's not just coming for you," Aria said quietly. "He's coming for your empire."
Dominic leaned over the table, bracing himself with both hands. "He doesn't want my empire. He wants to destroy everything I built so he can rise from the ashes. Like a twisted phoenix."
"Then what do we do?" she asked.
He straightened. "We strike first."
Aria blinked. "He's your cousin."
"He's a traitor."
"He was family."
Dominic turned toward her, his eyes colder than she'd ever seen. "I buried my family the day Adrian lit the flames that killed my father."
The silence stretched between them.
Then, from the doorway, Luca reappeared, face grim.
"He left a message," he said. "Delivered in a box to the front gate. Wrapped in velvet."
Aria's stomach dropped. "A message?"
Luca stepped aside and one of the guards brought in a black box, no larger than a shoe box. Blood stained the edge.
Dominic didn't hesitate. He opened it.
Inside was a severed finger. Still wearing a gold ring. The ring of one of Dominic's top captains—Gino.
And beneath it, a note scrawled in thick black ink.
One by one they'll fall. Then you'll know how it feels to watch everything you love burn.
Aria's breath caught in her throat.
Dominic stared at the note for a long moment, then turned away, walking toward the bar in the corner of the room. He poured a shot of whiskey, downed it, then poured another.
Luca looked at him. "Boss?"
"Get everyone. Every captain. Every ally. Every crooked cop we've ever paid off. Tonight, we prepare for war."
"What about Gino's family?" Luca asked.
"I'll send them compensation. And a promise. This ends with Adrian's body in the dirt."
Aria stepped closer, uncertain. "You don't have to do this alone."
He met her eyes. "Yes, I do."
"No, you don't," she said, firmer now. "You saved me, Dominic. Now let me help you. We fight better together."
For the first time, something flickered in his gaze. Something softer. But it was gone just as fast.
"There's no walking away from this, Aria. Once we cross this line, there's no peace."
She stepped even closer. "I stopped having peace the day those girls locked me in that gym locker and laughed while I screamed. The day my mother walked out. I'm not scared of blood anymore."
Dominic looked at her, and for a second, the darkness in his eyes flickered with something else. Pride. Pain. And maybe, just maybe, a flicker of hope.
Then a guard rushed in, panting.
"Boss. You need to see this."
He handed Dominic a phone. The screen showed a live feed.
Aria gasped.
It was a shot of the front gate. Flames rising. One of the cars was engulfed. A man was nailed to the fence.
A message was scrawled across his chest in blood.
Come find me.
Dominic's hands clenched into fists.
Aria turned away, bile rising in her throat.
Luca read the expression on Dominic's face and said nothing. Orders weren't needed now. War was already here.
Dominic turned to Aria. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we burn the city down."
Aria didn't sleep that night. Neither did Dominic.
Because Adrian wasn't just coming for blood. He was coming for Aria too.
And this time, Dominic knew it.