《The Silent War: The Crow Dynasty Book 2》


 The Silent War: Chapter 1

    Being a Crow meant you inherited every war your blood hadn¡¯t finished. Every feud, secret, alliance forged before you could walk¡ªwas yours the moment you took the oath.


    It meant I¡¯d die for my cousins, their wives, their kids. For any living Crow with the crest tattooed on their back.


    The weight wasn¡¯t optional. You didn¡¯t pick your enemies, and you protected the family like it was a religion.


    And when someone tested that?


    You reminded them this bloodline had been built to end things one way.


    Our way.


    Which was how I ended up pacing the penthouse with blood on my knuckles. Rome was groaning into an ice pack on the couch, and Luca was washing a bat in the sink.


    So much for the basketball bet between brothers.


    ¡°For the record, I was winning.¡± Rome winced, pressing the ice higher to his jaw.


    I pulled the medical kit from under the bar, grabbing the peroxide.


    My ribs ached every time I moved, but pain was proof I¡¯d lived through it. ¡°No one gave a shit about your jump shot. They swung because of the crest on your chain.¡±<fn1e9a> Readplete version only at Find¡ïNovel</fn1e9a>


    ¡°They swung because they thought maybe we¡¯d gone soft,¡± Luca said, rinsing the bat clean of blood.


    Rome groaned. ¡°Maybe next time we don¡¯t wear the chains at the court?¡±


    I poured the peroxide on my knuckles. ¡°Maybe next time we don¡¯t let six street rats surround us without noticing.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t rats. Two Southbound. One from Man¡¯s crew.¡± Luca turned.


    ¡°Man¡¯s?¡± Rome moved the ice pack.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    That changed everything. It wasn¡¯t just men needing an ego boost.


    ¡°Their mistake wasn¡¯t swinging first. It was leaving us breathing,¡± I muttered, feeling the anger rise again. So much for leaving my rage at the court.


    ¡°They wanted humiliation. Phones out, get one of us bleeding on camera,¡± Luca added, and I tossed him disinfectant.


    He caught it without looking, same hand that had shattered that fucker¡¯s wrist for pointing that phone at us.


    Rome groaned, holding his ribs. ¡°Fuck, my jaw feels dislocated. They weren¡¯t even good. Just fast.¡±


    ¡°Fast and dumb wasn¡¯t survival. It was open casket,¡± I said, and gestured for him to put his hand out.


    ¡°Maybe a closed casket is more fitting.¡± Rome leaned back into the couch, watching as I poured the peroxide on his knuckles. ¡°So, what¡¯s the move?¡±


    Luca¡¯s eyes flicked to mine.


    We didn¡¯t need to discuss what came next. We¡¯d been raised in the same blood and trained with one response. The only question was how hard, and how much noise.


    ¡°Quiet retaliation,¡± he said.


    I nodded. ¡°No noise, no mess, no mercy. We bleed them slow.¡±


    Rome looked between us before agreeing. I could guarantee he regretted it. It was supposed to be a bet between brothers, who could sink the most shots. We were reminded we didn¡¯t get the luxury of that anymore.


    ¡°So¡­ port meeting tomorrow?¡± Rome grabbed a cigarette packet off the table, only to toss it to the ground when he realized it was empty. ¡°Who¡¯s sitting in?¡±


    Tomorrow wasn¡¯t a port meeting. It was a body count with wine sses.


    ¡°Union rep. Two city inspectors. Nero¡¯s silent partner will try to show. We cut him out fast,¡± Luca said, picking the empty packet up and tossing Rome a fresh one.


    ¡°We set it at Ember & Ice. Private room. Cameras off. Security doubled,¡± I added, holding my ss tighter.


    Even in business, I thought of her. How many nights she¡¯d sat at tables surrounded by men writing her into contracts.


    ¡°Less like dinner and more like a funeral.¡± Rome gave a half-smile, lighting a cigarette.


    ¡°That was the point.¡± I flexed the ache out of my hand. ¡°Anyone showed soft, we bled ground.¡±


    Luca¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°You taking lead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But you ran numbers before we walked in. Rome handles perimeter. Only our men.¡±


    Silence followed. Just the hum of the city through bulletproof ss. The kind of silence that was heavier than the fight.


    Because Crow blood didn¡¯t mean rest. It meant tomorrow was already there. And the port wasn¡¯t just business, it was legacy.


    Rome grabbed his jacket. ¡°Night.¡±


    ¡°Try and get some sleep tonight, Rome.¡±


    He flipped me the finger as he walked off. We all knew where he was headed, and it sure as fuck wasn¡¯t his bed. Where he should have been going.


    That woman was going to lead him down a path that would cost all of us.


    Luca set the bat down on the counter, dried, then poured whiskey. Handed one to me without a word.


    I took it, but caught his eyes. They lingered on the phone facedown on the counter, screen still glowing through the ss.


    There were worse things than taking a beating in the street. Worse than bleeding under Viin¡¯s red neon lights.


    It was watching the girl you loved online, living like you¡¯d never existed. Having no idea you still cared.


    And waiting, night after night, for her to return to Viin.


    I drained the ss, letting the burn hit harder than the bruises.


    Because bruises faded.


    But waiting like that?


    It carved.


    Three years, and she hadn¡¯te to the city.


    Three years of ports, syndicate wars, dynasty meetings, blood spilled. None of it filled the space she left behind.


    She was breathing air that wasn¡¯t mine. Lifting a ss that wasn¡¯t handed by us. Sleeping without my hand on her thigh, and Luca hand on her waist.


    The world thought we¡¯d expanded an empire in those years. That we had risen as expected.


    Truth was, we¡¯d starved.


    Because empire meant nothing if she wasn¡¯t in it.


    I set the ss down hard enough to crack it.


    The phone still glowed on the counter. One swipe away from her feed and the life she lived without us.


    Luca didn¡¯t move, but his eyes stayed on it. Same as mine. We didn¡¯t need to say her name. We never did. It lived in both of us like a second pulse.


    The only war that ever mattered.


    Every fight, every bullet¡ªwe weren¡¯t bleeding for the city or for power.


    We were bleeding for her.

 The Silent War: Chapter 2

    Vince had stepped back.


    Maddy was his reason, but it hadn¡¯t mattered why. After everything he¡¯d carried for us, every bone he¡¯d broken so we didn¡¯t have to, none of us had the right to argue. And we all knew if he hadn¡¯t stood down, we could¡¯ve lost himpletely.


    Niki was gone too. Dynasty meetings overseas. Contracts. Legacy chess with no return date circled. He¡¯d taken the position none of us had the patience for. Not even Luca.


    Which left us.


    Me. Luca. Rome.


    Three brothers standing between Viin and the chaos waiting to reim it.


    The war room wasn¡¯t dynasty polish. Just steel, obsidian, and ss.


    The table glowed from beneath, maps lit like veins across Viin. Red for ports and tunnels. White for clubs. Blue for casinos. The city pulsing in digital light.


    Screens flickered along the wall. Docks. Tunnels. Casinos and streets. The city breathing on camera. And at the far side, floor-to-ceiling ss. Viin stretched wide.


    Rome leaned against the table, still bloody from the underground gun run he¡¯d pulled through Southbridge.


    Luca stood across from him, one hand braced on the table, the other marking maps, dividing the workload.


    And me?


    I stayed standing. Couldn¡¯t sit for this.


    Because it wasn¡¯t just power anymore. It was inheritance. And legacy didn¡¯t care if you were tired.


    Dynasty power wasn¡¯t given. It was always watched. Especially in our bloodline. If Viin slowed for even one quarter, Damius wouldn¡¯t blink. He¡¯d restructure. Hand the city to another branch.


    Ashwood.


    Their books were clean, trades was fast. They didn¡¯t have a city, but they were hungry for one. And Damius knew it.


    So it was us.


    Thest line standing.


    ¡°Southbridge is secure?¡± Luca tapped the map.


    Rome nodded. ¡°Ran the escort shell through the Memormial Route tunnels. Drop was clean. No eyes. Weapons tagged and logged.¡±


    ¡°Surveince scrubbed?¡±


    ¡°I pulled every trace.¡±


    Luca gave a short nod. ¡°Then we move.¡±


    I turned toward the table, watching the city burn red and white across its surface.


    Ports were mine.


    Dockside contracts, customs bribes and container routes. Every ship that touched East Dock ran under my name.


    Unions bent when I leaned. Inspectors signed before they read. If they resisted? They drowned quiet.


    Ports weren¡¯t just steel and water. They were arteries. And if you controlled arteries, you controlled the city¡¯s pulse.


    But it wasn¡¯t just ports. It was everything bleeding out of them.


    Clubs, drugs, territory enforcement, street loyalty and distribution. If it moved through Viin¡ªpowder, pills, bodies, or bullets¡ªI ran it.


    Now I had Vince¡¯s civic contracts on top.


    Construction. Real estate. Zoning boards. Shell developers. The concrete you poured to reinforce silence.


    He¡¯d mapped the city¡¯s bones. And beneath them he¡¯d buried the bodies. Torture sites. Clean teams. Punishment protocols. Vince hadn¡¯t delegated that part. He¡¯d handled it himself.<fnefda> For original chapters go to find?novel</fnefda>


    Now that weight shifted. Rome and I carried it.


    Luca held the front-facing world.


    Restaurants. Hotels. Casinos. Border logistics. Offshoreundries. Surveince tech.


    The casinos, Obsidian Crown, ck Vault, The Gilded Cage¡ªlooked like marble and gold, but they were encryption engines at the core. Syndicate-only floors under chandeliers.


    He¡¯d inherited Niki¡¯s casino division and turned it into a digital empire. Offshore ounts. Encrypted betting. Quiet diplomacy with men twice his age who walked away convinced they¡¯d done him the favor.


    Where I broke bones, Luca broke systems. And he made it look effortless.


    Rome was enforcement.


    Vice. Clubs. Escort shells. ckmail suites. Temptation on one side, punishment on the other. His clubs were sealed¡ªmasked ess with coded tattoos. No cameras, no minors or trafficking. Those line was never crossed.


    Now he had Vince¡¯s old enforcement routes¡ªgun runs, tactical rotations, warehouses. He moved men and bodies like chess pieces.


    ¡°We¡¯re stretched,¡± Luca muttered, not looking up from the table. ¡°Three-man weight for five-man war.¡±


    Rome tapped his knife on the corner of the table. ¡°Then we move men. Street-level enforcement¡¯s bleeding too heavy.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Split it. I¡¯ll take East and the ports. You hold South and the tunnels.¡±


    Rome¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°That¡¯s eighty percent of the city.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Luca keeps the syndicate floors calm. We keep the streets quiet.¡±


    ¡°Calm won¡¯t hold,¡± Luca pressed. ¡°Syndicate¡¯s circling already. Even the Sovereigns are watching. They¡¯re all waiting for one mistake. They¡¯ll use Vince¡¯s absence as proof.¡±


    ¡°They can wait all they want,¡± Rome smirked, ¡°They won¡¯t like the answer.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Luca said, ¡°we need to show a united front. I¡¯ve got three meetings this week¡ªSable Room, The Archive, ck Vault. If I don¡¯t walk in steady, they¡¯ll start carving up the table without us.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll test you,¡± I said.


    ¡°They¡¯ll test all of us,¡± Luca corrected. ¡°Power shifts fast if it isn¡¯t managed. We lose one street, one club, one shipment¡ªthey¡¯ll smell blood and pick us apart.¡±


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t lose.¡±


    We were barely staying ahead of copse.


    The cousins were circling. Hungry for promotion they wouldn¡¯t get. Damius was watching every slip, every bruise.


    It wasn¡¯t about control anymore. It was survival.


    And survival meant ruin before rest.


    The bruises, long nights and the endless bodies. We carried it all for one reason.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to die bloody the same month Emilia was finally returning to Viin.

 The Silent War: Chapter 3

    Some nights the city felt like it was killing me.


    And tonight I had to remind myself why the fuck we kept getting back up.


    So I told the driver to take me to the only ce that hadn¡¯t turned on me yet.


    Her penthouse. The one we were building from scratch. One floor beneath the clouds, high enough to own the skyline. The crown of the city.


    Her crown.


    It wasn¡¯t finished. The elevator wasn¡¯t wired yet. I had to climb the final level by foot, stepping over cable and unpolished marble.


    Now I stood in the center of what would be her bedroom. Our room.


    The ss panels framed Viin like it was a painting. Full spread. City lights for walls.


    This penthouse was why I hadn¡¯t burned the city to the fucking ground.


    Luca and I had nned it to perfection.


    We had the bed custom built to the same size as the one we¡¯d taken her on three years ago. Even the acoustics mattered¡ªbecause when we fucked her in this room, we wanted her to hear everything.


    Luca had coded the walls to move around her like a shadow. The vents shifted when her pulse rose in the night, cooling the room before she even woke. The ss tinted the second her feet touched the passage in the morning so she wouldn¡¯t be blinded by the sun. Even the lights rose soft with her breathing.


    My work was in the bones. ckout blinds that dropped without a sound when the city grew too loud for her. Floorsyered so no fall would ever bruise her. A bath wide enough for all of us, always warmed to the degree she liked.


    A spa wing that carried the scent of jasmine through the vents. The pool set into the rooftop garden, water heated the moment she walked on to the deck, ss walls turned dark so no one else could see her swim.


    I¡¯d carved out balconies that didn¡¯t hear the city, nted with roses andvender because she once said they smelled like home.


    A wardrobe built with mirrored walls that never cast a harsh shadow. Because I¡¯d never let shadows hurt our girls mind.


    The firece was built low, so she could read a book and still see the skyline without the light burning her eyes.


    Even the panic room had been rebuilt. If she ever had to step inside, it would feel soft. Like a shelter, not a prison.


    Because this wasn¡¯t just a home. It was a love letter written in architecture. Luca¡¯s code. My hands.


    I sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall, taking my first real breath since that morning. The city was slowly killing me. Or that¡¯s what it felt like.


    I looked out at the skyline, then closed my eyes.


    And pictured her.


    Naked.<fn3f8b> Get full chapters from find?novel</fn3f8b>


    Bent over.


    Her thighs trembling as I fucked her, slow and brutal, while the entire skyline watched.


    One hand twisted in her hair, forcing her head back just to hear her moan. Pinning her between the ss, everything we had built for her.


    She¡¯d whimper while I kept her spread and full, dragging it out until she begged.


    For both of us.


    Because we¡¯d teach her to. Again.


    I¡¯d whisper in her ear that the city could burn, and I still wouldn¡¯t pull out until she screamed both our names.


    And when I finally came, deep inside her, I¡¯d kiss the back of her head and murmur, ¡°Ours. Every fucking inch of you.¡±


    I swallowed hard, jaw tight, then I opened my eyes and did the one thing I wasn¡¯t supposed to.


    Broke my own ritual. I only ever checked her Veil before bed.


    It was the rule¡ªmy rule.


    The only one keeping me from losing what was left of my mind.


    But tonight? I needed her.


    I unlocked my phone.


    Swipe. Tap.


    Veil.


    Her profile was pinned at the top of the feed on the algorithm Luca had coded for us¡ªone that filtered out everything but her.


    And there she was.


    Our beautiful girl, wearing light pink. Tight. Cut low. The kind of dress that made my mouth go dry.


    I zoomed in.


    There, just under the strap of her dress. Whitece. Not just any lingerie.


    Ours.


    The Crow crest was stitched under the cup. Invisible unless you knew where to look.


    But I knew.


    Because we had paid to have it made. Luca and I had designed her wardrobe. Bought out her stylist under fake names.


    Sent custombels, hidden embroidery, coded lingerie.


    She wore us without even knowing.


    I zoomed in to the ne. Gold chain. Minimalist.


    But not hers.


    Ours.


    One of the early pieces we had slipped into her stylist¡¯s suite.


    On the back of the charm: Property of C.


    Engraved so faint you¡¯d miss it in photos. But I never missed anything. Not when it came to her.


    Our initials still touched her, even if we couldn¡¯t.


    Halfway across the country, we dressed her like we used to undress her.


    Every photo, we recognized the details. The brands, the colors¡ªall made by us and pushed to her stylist through dummy ounts.


    I zoomed in again. Studied the ne. Imagined my hand in her hair. My mouth on her throat.


    Only for my brother¡¯s name to cover my screen.


    Rome.


    I stared at it, then I picked up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Eastside enforcement needs backup.¡±


    I waited.


    ¡°They botched a recovery. Loud. Civilian side. Two of ours are cornered and the crowd¡¯s heating.¡±


    Just Viin on another Thursday night.


    ¡°Media¡¯s circling. Press has already posted half the scene.¡±


    ¡°Send Jordan¡¯s crew in to surround it.¡± I dropped my head back against the wall. ¡°ckout cameras in a two-block radius. Feed the council a different timestamp. Say it was handled an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll hold for now. But you¡¯re gonna want eyes on it before it spirals.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    He paused. ¡°You good?¡±


    I looked out over the city. Took a slow breath. ¡°Yeah.¡± I ended the call. For the first time that day, I felt steady again.


    Because this reminded me why. The exhaustion of holding a city together. I could bleed for that again. Because one day, she would be here. In this room.


    Where she¡¯d pull one of our shirts on and curl up on the couch near the firece¡ªlegs tucked under her, a book in herp, hair messy.


    And one day¡ªfuck, one day¡ªwe¡¯d walk out of the elevator and hear little feet on marble.


    Kids.


    Ours.


    Maybe two. Maybe four. We wouldn¡¯t let the Codex dictate our children.


    A girl with her mother¡¯s eyes¡ªbig, honest, too soft for this world.


    She would never learn pain the way her mother did.


    She wouldn¡¯t flinch from raised voices or wonder if love meant punishment. She would grow up knowing protection before pain. Because she would be ours.


    And we would burn every bloodline that so much as looked at her the wrong way.


    She would grow up knowing safety. That her uncles were kings and her dads were monsters who smiled for her.


    And then, a boy.


    He would have Luca¡¯s restraint. My threshold for violence.


    That quiet, inherited darkness neither of us could hide¡ªthe kind of blood that made a room tense before you spoke.


    But he would be loved.


    Not feared or trained like a dog waiting for the nextmand.


    He wouldn¡¯t be broken to fit someone else¡¯s vision of legacy.


    And he would know how to choose what he became. Because we would be the fathers we never got. Not handlers.


    Fathers.


    And if anyone¡ªanyone¡ªtried to drag him into the kind of darkness we were born in? We would bury that threat before it got near his name.


    And our wife.


    Our beautiful wife.


    The one who wore our ring.


    Our names tattooed on her back.


    The one we would never stop choosing¡ªnot even after we had already imed her.


    She would be in this very room, reading near the firece. I¡¯d kiss her throat on my way in, Luca would kiss her cheek. She¡¯d roll her eyes but never stop smiling.


    Because she would know the truth.


    We had built the empire for her.


    We ran the city for them.


    And we bled for the right to walk into this home without a weapon in our hand.


    This wasn¡¯t fantasy. It was blueprint.


    And I¡¯d die before I let anyone touch it.


    I let myself feel it. Really feel it. Her in my arms at night. That little sigh before she slept.


    Not weakness. Fuel.


    The only thing strong enough to keep me getting back up when Viin tried to bury me.


    I opened my eyes. Stared at the skyline.


    Then I stood. Rolled my shoulders. Walked out.


    Ready to face the next bastard who thought they could stand in the way of it.

 The Silent War: Chapter 4

    The meeting room was all marble and dynasty money imported chandeliers, old oak table that had seen too many signatures written in blood.


    Three families had flown in from their own capitals. Old names, arrogant. They thought their surnames carried weight here. Thought Viin would bow because of what their bloodlines meant across oceans.


    They didn¡¯t understand.


    This city doesn¡¯t bend to dynasties. It bends to Crows.


    I lit a cigarette. The men at the far end of the table frowned like I¡¯d spat in a cathedral. Good.


    ¡°You called us,¡± one of them said. His ent thick, his cufflinks dynasty polished. ¡°We assumed it was to discuss partnership. An equal seat at the table.¡±


    I leaned back in the chair, stretched my legs. ¡°Equal.¡± The word always pissed me off. ¡°You think because your bloodline shares a Codex with ours, you get equal ground in my city?¡±


    ¡°Our family has ruled trade in?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± I cut in. Calm.¡°Your family might have influence elsewhere. Here? You¡¯re tourists.¡±


    One of them shifted in his seat. Tried to smile like it was still politics. ¡°We assumed dynasty honor meant?¡ª¡±


    I tapped ash into the ss tray, slow.


    ¡°Honor doesn¡¯t unload shipments at three in the morning. Honor doesn¡¯t bleed on the street when a deal goes wrong.¡± I took another drag. ¡°Honor doesn¡¯t mean shit in Viin. Only leverage does. And leverage here wears our name. Crow.¡±


    Silence. Heavy. I liked it.


    Bastion leaned forward beside me. ¡°You want Viin, you don¡¯t get it through family crests. You get it through us.¡±


    I watched the men squirm under a weight they couldn¡¯t measure.


    They¡¯d walked in expecting dynasty protocol. Polite negotiation. Some treaty they could wave at their cousins like a trophy.


    What they got was Viin.


    What they got was Crows.


    And the only thing keeping me calm, the reason I hadn¡¯t torn this room apart when they dared to speak of partnership, was that two rooms away, on my ck console, her ount still blinked green.


    Still alive.


    Still ours.


    ¡°Here¡¯s how this works,¡± I said, meeting the stares of men that hadn¡¯t earned their name. ¡°You want a seat at the table, you pay for it. With loyalty. With territory. With your cut signed over to the Crows. Otherwise?¡± I looked down the length of the table. ¡°You can fly back home and tell your cousins Viin isn¡¯t a ce you do business.¡±


    One of the heirs cleared his throat. Young. But old enough to understand what I meant, but too green to know when to shut the fuck up. Hisst name was on bank vaults in three countries.


    That type of entitlement makes him think he mattered. He doesn¡¯t. Not in this room with us.


    ¡°With respect,¡± he said, chin lifting just enough to be a mistake, ¡°you may run Viin, but dynasty protocol recognizes parity. Bloodlines don¡¯t answer to syndicates.¡±


    The wordnded heavy, like he¡¯d spat in our face.


    Syndicate.


    I watched his eyes flicker like he¡¯d just realized, two seconds, toote which wolf he¡¯d fed his throat to.


    ¡°Parity?¡± I repeated. ¡°That¡¯s the word you brought into my city?¡±


    He opened his mouth again. Didn¡¯t get to finish.


    Bastion was up and moving before he registered, pinning his head to the table.


    ¡°You think this is a syndicate?¡± Bastion twisted the heir¡¯s tie until he choked on the silence. ¡°We¡¯re some backroom crew you can buy off with a crest stamped in wax?¡±


    He struggled once.


    ¡°We are dynasty,¡± I said, watching Bastion grip tighten, ¡°Our crest goes back farther than yours. Registered in the Sovereign before yours. Our Codex runs deeper. And unlike your families, we don¡¯t just inherit the name. We bleed it.¡±


    Dynasties cared about two things, keeping their power clean and bloodlines.


    ¡°But we¡¯re also syndicate,¡± I butted the cigarette out. ¡°Ports. Tunnels. Guns. Streets. The water. We control. Your fathers call us criminals when they want to feel civilized. But they all pay us. Every one of them.¡±


    Bastion loosened his grip just enough for him to cough.


    ¡°So when you sit at my table, you¡¯re not negotiating with merchants. You¡¯re not trading with old men who still believe protocol keeps them safe. You¡¯re looking at the only family in the empire who can¡¯t be killed by ink or by steel.¡± I leaned closer. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the Crows. And in Viin, that means you¡¯re already out of moves.¡±


    Heavy silence. The type that is final. Now they knew where they stood. Which was wherever we let them.<fn17bc> Find the newest release on F?nd-Novel</fn17bc>


    Bastion let him go, he staggered back into his chair, red-faced. His cousins didn¡¯t move to help him. They never do, same pattern across all dynasties.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t protocol,¡± I said evenly. ¡°This is survival. You want Viin, you get it through us. Or you don¡¯t get it at all.¡±


    I lit another cigarette, staying calm and controlled, because I had to be for her.


    The reason why I could sit here, patient, while foreign dynasty heirs learned that the Crow name was carved into skin of anyone who dared do business here.


    Because these deals, every power move, was to secure our future with hers.

 The Silent War: Chapter 5

    By the time I hit the penthouse, I didn¡¯t want food or whiskey. I wanted silence and my girl.


    I dropped down on the bed and reached for my phone. Because this part was ritual.


    She was my ritual.


    My day started with her face. And ended the same way. Every fucking day for thest three years.


    Before I cleaned blood off money, shifted millions through ounts, signed off on executions and reminded the city why the Crow name was the de they slept with at their throat¡­


    Her.


    My girl.


    Even if she didn¡¯t know it anymore and hadn¡¯t said my name in three years. And I hadn¡¯t called her baby in longer.


    Some people built empires for power. We built ours for possession.


    I opened the app with one swipe.


    Veil.


    The dynasty¡¯s elite social mediawork. Verified only through bloodline. She had one. Of course she did. The golden girl of Dynasty daughters.


    Everyone else used Veil for their own gain. It was where heirs watched each other in curated silence.


    But me? I didn¡¯t use it like them.


    I owned it.


    Literally.


    I had bought Veil two years ago, the week after one of her videos buffered too long on my screen and the audiogged by two seconds.


    I had hated that. Hated the glitch, the instability, the thought of her being processed through a system that wasn¡¯t worthy of her.


    So I called the board. Bought out the routing rights. Then acquired the entire development backend. Because if she was going to exist anywhere online, it was going to be mine.


    Her posts, metadata, videos. They belonged to me. To us.


    Not on some public cloud, foreign servers, or stored where some desperate dynasty tech could trace her filters or download her drafts.


    No.


    Her image only lived where it could be trusted.


    In our vault. On our servers. Under my passwords.


    I rebuilt the system from the inside. Hardened the encryption. Blocked export functions for her ount. Even wrote a subroutine that watermarked her photos behind the scenes, digital bloodcode only I could read.


    It was how I knew which heir hovered too long on her photo. Which bastard zoomed in. Which ones saved it.


    The amount of heirs I had blocked behind her back. Hidden their messages. Buried their likes,ments, corrupted their phones when they downloaded her photos. She never even knew they had tried.


    Because they didn¡¯t get to talk to her or have the fucking right to flirt with our girl. She belonged to us. Because that¡¯s what she was to me.


    Not a memory.


    Not an ex.


    Ours.


    Even if she thought we had walked away.


    Her profile was always the first. Hardcoded to appear at the top of every login. I had rewritten the algorithm myself. She never followed me back. It didn¡¯t matter. I watched anyway. Until tonight.


    ¡°User not found.¡±


    My thumb hovered, refusing to ept what I was reading. I blinked at the screen, frowned, refreshed. Nothing.


    I sat up, ignoring the pull in my ribs, the pain in my temples. None of it mattered.


    I typed her name into the search bar.


    Still nothing.


    No shadow reposts. No tags. No stories. Not even a trace buried in the cache.


    Gone.


    The phone trembled in my hand before I forced it still. I bit down hard enough to taste blood. Screens weren¡¯t supposed to lie. People did. But this¡ªthis felt like the screen was lying to me, and it was worse.


    She had walked into her profile and pressed delete. And in that instant, my entire fucking chest went cold.


    Because for three years, she had been my screen-sized proof of life.


    Even when we stopped speaking. When I forced myself not to reach out because I knew it would hurt her more than it helped.


    I still saw her.


    What city she was in.


    What dress she wore.


    If I told Bastion now, he¡¯d go straight to the tunnels, find the nearest man stupid enough to breathe wrong, and bleed him out on the concrete just to quiet the noise in his chest. It wouldn¡¯t fix it. It never fixed it. Only she did.


    I forced my hand steady. Logged out. Logged back in through the ghost ount.


    The one I had built just to watch her silently, invisibly, without triggering alerts. No links to my verified ount.


    I searched again.


    Still nothing. And I knew it wasn¡¯t a bug.


    Because I had rebuilt the fucking app. So if her profile was gone, I was going to see how.


    I reached for the second phone. The ck one. The one with my ess protocols. Opened the admin interface. Typed her user ID. Slid into the rootyer. There it was.


    ount ID: [REDACTED]


    Status: DELETED


    Method: MANUAL


    Timestamp: 02:41 A.M.


    Permanence: IRREVERSIBLE


    I stared at the screen like it might undo itself.


    She had deleted it herself. On purpose. Walked away from the one connection we still had.


    Tore down thest thread I used to breathe.


    We never broke up.


    She was still ours. We had just stopped using words and started using power.


    She didn¡¯t know we had killed three fianc¨¦s before the contracts ever reached her.


    Didn¡¯t know we had rewritten business agreements behind closed doors so herst name couldn¡¯t be transferred.


    That we had leaked intel about rival heirs just to burn down their worth.


    We had bought out her hotel floorst winter so no man could stay beside her.


    Fuck. We had funded her favorite brand¡¯s entire new collection, just so she would wear something we had designed behind closed doors.


    The clothes had be an addiction; she hadn¡¯t worn something we didn¡¯t own in two and a half years. Every piece in her wardrobe had been curated by us.


    And now she was gone.


    The only system I didn¡¯t control was her will to press delete. That was the paradox. I owned Veil. I rewrote it to the bone. But she had walked in and erased herself, and no code in the world could reverse that.


    I cracked my neck, sat up, trying to control my breathing. Now she was gone.<fn5c99> Original content can be found at find~novel</fn5c99>


    The one thing that had stopped me from stalking her in person.


    Gone.

 The Silent War: Chapter 6

    Three long fucking days.


    That was how long it had been since her Veil ount vanished.


    I hadn¡¯t slept. Not in any way that mattered. My body shut down for an hour here, maybe two there, before my mind dragged me back up, searching for her again. Food didn¡¯t matter. I stayed upright on caffeine pills and the whiskey Bastion pretended not to notice was disappearing from the cab. My fists still ached from the walls, but pain blurred when it wasn¡¯t hers.


    What didn¡¯t blur was the silence. Not seeing our girls face every morning, or falling asleep memorising every detail of hertest photo.


    The table was covered¡ª four devices, cables everywhere¡¯s, three monitors that showedmand aftermand like I was forcing God into existence.


    But it wasn¡¯t God. It was worse. It was the thing I had sworn not to build.


    A mirrored operating system. Custom firmware. Ghostyered. Permissions buried so deep no one would ever see them until it was toote.


    The box sat in front of me. A brand-new phone.


    Tomorrow it would be sent out¡ªwhite tissue, gold ribbon, no name. Dynasty daughters received gifts like that every day. But this wasn¡¯t a gift. It was a leash.


    It would log her location every ten seconds. Take screenshots every ten minutes. Record audio the moment I asked. Save every message before she pressed send. Back up her entire camera roll.


    And with one click on the mirroring app, I could search her phone in real time. Every screen she opened. Every word she typed. Like it was mine.


    Dynasty houses already buried spyware in their heirs¡¯ devices. Governments called it counter-terrorism. Families called it protection.


    What I built wasn¡¯t new. It was perfected. Because our girl didn¡¯t get second-standard anything. Only perfection.


    The worst part wasn¡¯t that I built it. The worst part was that I felt calm while I did. Relief. Like something out of ce in me had finally clicked back into alignment, because soon she would be under my hands again.


    Three nights without her. If I couldn¡¯t watch from a distance anymore, then I had no choice but to pull her closer. Even if it meant bing the exact kind of monster I had promised myself I wouldn¡¯t be.


    My knuckles pressed against my thigh, grounding the tremor in my wrist.


    This was the line.


    The one I drew at the Academy. Wardrobe, stylists, travel approvals¡ªfine. Already ours.


    Every Adams vehicle ran through Crow channels. Every so-called family security detail was men who answered to us. Trained personally by Bastion. Every hotel suite she ever walked into had been swept before she unpacked her bag, cameras gutted and reced with ours.


    That was eptable. Protection. She never knew. She was never supposed to. But her phone¡ªher privacy¡ªwas supposed to stay hers. The one corner of her life I swore I wouldn¡¯t breach.


    But she deleted us. And now I was erasing the line.


    The screen glowed faint as I tested protocols. Fake updates masking permissions. Silent syncs disguised as diagnostics.


    ¡°Luca.¡±<fn31cf> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find?Novel</fn31cf>


    Bastion stood in the doorway. His eyes moved across the table¡ªthe wires, the code, the box waiting to be wrapped. He didn¡¯t look surprised. Just tired.


    He wasn¡¯t coping either. I¡¯d seen it. He spent more hours in the tunnels than anywhere else, bleeding his rage into other men until his hands stopped shaking.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    I finished themand, closed theptop slow, kept my hand on the lid. I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Three days,¡± he said. ¡°You haven¡¯t left this room in three days.¡±


    I exhaled once.


    ¡°She deleted the only thing we had left. The only way I knew she was okay. The only way I could still¡­¡± I pressed my hands to my eyes. ¡°¡­still see her face.¡±


    Tremors ran down my wrist.


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t do this,¡± I muttered. ¡°Said we¡¯d wait. Earn her back.¡±


    ¡°Luca¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said we wouldn¡¯t touch her phone.¡±


    His eyes dropped to the box. Then to me. He walked across the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s it loaded with?¡±


    ¡°Everything. Real-time pings. Remote activation. Camera. Audio. Cloud. Unlimited ess.¡±


    He didn¡¯t flinch. Just lowered into the chair across from me.


    ¡°You¡¯re really doing it.¡±


    ¡°I have to. When I can¡¯t see her, it¡¯s like I¡¯m¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t finish the sentence and I didn¡¯t have to. Bastion already carried the rest of it in his chest, the same ce it lived in mine. We weren¡¯t born two men¡ªwe were born one.


    The world wouldn¡¯t understand our love for her. They¡¯d call it obsession, dangerous, call it every word they reach for when something is too big for them to name. But what we felt for her wasn¡¯t obsession instead of love. It was obsession because of love.


    She was the piece that made us whole. The proof that the fracture between us had been waiting for her all along. She didn¡¯t love Bastion. She didn¡¯t love me. She loved us. Both halves. The whole. And that meant she wasn¡¯t just ours¡ªshe was meant for us.


    Other men said they¡¯d die for their women. We never said it, because it wasn¡¯t enough. Death was too easy. We would live for her. Burn for her. Breakws, break dynasties, break the world if that¡¯s what it took. Our devotion wasn¡¯t just a vow.


    ¡°If we¡¯re crossing the line,¡± Bastion tapped the desk with one finger, then he reached across taking the box, ¡°we cross it together.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t stopping me. He was iming his part. Because that was what we did.


    When one of us broke, the other didn¡¯t stop him. He steadied his hands. And together, we finished it.

 The Silent War: Chapter 7

    Bastion had handled the groundwork. He made sure her old phone copsed the way we needed it to¡ªa low-grade virus that turned her screen to static one morning. No threat and no real damage¡ªjust a controlled failure, a push toward recement that looked like chance.


    And when the moment came, she received ours.


    I hadn¡¯t let myself hope. Not until now. Because now the screen lit.


    [EMILIA_ADMS] ¡ª DEVICE ACTIVATION DETECTED


    My lungs locked. Then, for the first time in six days, I inhaled sharp¡ªlike my body had been waiting on her permission to remember how.


    The notification held. It didn¡¯t blink away. She had turned it on. She was setting it up.


    She was holding what I had built for her¡ªevery line of code, every hidden protocol¡ªand she didn¡¯t even know that what she carried wasn¡¯t just a device. It was me, in her hands, disguised as ss and breathing with her every movement.


    I dropped into the chair, blood rushing in my ears as the console came alive. Real-time logs scrolled across the screen, every process running exactly as I had designed it, each line of code like a pulse I had written for her.


    There she was. Fingerprint verified, personalization engaged.


    User confirmed: Emilia Adams.


    She could have been across the world¡ªsome Dynasty spa, some ind vi¡ªbut in that moment she was closer than she had been in years. Because this wasn¡¯t just a phone. This was ours.


    The device ran its self-check. The camera blinked alive for a split second, long enough to catch a grainy silhouette, white robe. I didn¡¯t move to capture it. I just watched.


    She tapped through onboarding without hesitation, like she wanted to believe in it. And I prayed she did, because I hadn¡¯t breathed right in six days.


    Then she logged in. Data syncing. Contact list downloading straight into a server I owned.


    She had no idea¡ªevery text, every screenshot, every note she saved was already mirrored back to me. The emergency override had been rewritten so only two numbers would ever go through¡ªmine and Bastion¡¯s. Her wallpaper options filtered through an AI I trained on her favorite colors. The OS built to breathe with her, brightness shifting with her pulse when the watch paired, volume tuning itself to the sound of her voice.


    Because that was obsession. Not noise for the sake of it. It was code, architecture, invisible hands catching her every time the world forgot.


    The logs flickered. Camera feed opened again. Front-facing. No photo saved, just a test.


    App instation: Veil.


    My pulse stopped. She wasn¡¯t only setting up the phone. She was building a new ount.


    I went still, eyes locked on the stream of code.


    New ount request: EMILIA.A.


    Same handle, slight variation. Just her, raw. Rebuilding herself from scratch. And doing it inside my system.


    My fingers moved before thought. Normally new ounts waited six hours for approval. Not hers. Never hers. I cut straight into root, overrode the gate, backdated her bloodline clearance.<fn9c7d> This text is hosted at find(?)ovel</fn9c7d>


    Approved. ount verified: Luca Crow.


    psed time: 4.6 seconds.


    And then I paused. Because she was back in the system. Our feeds and our world.


    My throat burned, the air flooding in too sharp¡ªrelief and obsession mixed with oxygen rushing into a body that had been suffocating for six nights and was only now remembering how to function.


    I opened her profile. nk, for now. I traced her user code across the ss the way other men trace veins, like following it kept me alive.


    ¡°You came back, baby.¡±

 The Silent War: Chapter 8

    The Adams crest was every four meters within the marble. The same crest stamped on announcements, contracts, birth certificates. The emblem that had been branded into my life before I could spell it.


    I put my hand on the door knob, smoothed my dress, and opened the door.


    Alexander didn¡¯t look up.


    He didn¡¯t need to. The spreadsheets across his screens had his attention. Three phonesid to one side. A fourth buzzed and was silenced with a flick of his fingertip.


    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± he said. Not angry, just marking it for the record that I had disappointed him before I even spoke.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    He sliced the air with two fingers.


    ¡°The Veil ount is gone,¡± he added, eyes still on the monitor. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself with theatrics. It was Adams property. You represent us. It isn¡¯t yours to mourn.¡±


    Not mine.


    Three years of nights answeringments until my vision doubled, morning filming on two hours of sleep while a handler dabbed concealer under my eyes. Three years of building a version of myself big enough to drown out the version they preferred. Not mine?


    ¡°It was my face,¡± I said. The words came out too even. ¡°My voice. My life.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s eyes lifted an inch. Just enough to make it clear he was indulging me.


    ¡°And who paid for the face that sells?¡± he asked. ¡°The lights? The teams? The dynasty. Try not to confusebor with ownership, Emilia.¡± His gaze returned to the screen. ¡°Be grateful itsted as long as it did. Most girls are retired at neen.¡±


    Retired. Like an app that stops receiving updates and gets quietly removed from the store.


    He tapped a folder on the desk. ¡°They¡¯ll runch you after your birthday. Fresh branding. Stronger positioning.¡°


    ¡°Rebrand,¡± I repeated, because if I didn¡¯t keep my mouth moving, I might say something I couldn¡¯t take back.


    ¡°Correct. Your audience will migrate. We¡¯ll seed the pipeline for three days and flip the switch Sunday at noon. New narrative, new metrics. Vales¡¯ tech team has mocked two directions. Galleo¡¯s people submitted three. Salvere insists they can do better on sentiment scores by anchoring you to charity work¡ªthey¡¯re wrong, but they¡¯ll pay for a g if we let them think it was their idea.¡±


    Vale, Galleo, Salvere. Families who measured love in holdings and call it legacy. Just like every other dynasty.


    Alexander slid the folder toward me with a fingernail.


    ¡°Your bloodwork came back.¡±


    I didn¡¯t touch the folder.


    ¡°Markers are excellent. AMH and FSH inside optimal bands. Bone density good. Cogen integrity exceptional for your age. Inmmation profile low. Cardiovascr markers clean. All noted without any enchantments.¡± He paused. ¡°Frankly, you should be ttered. You¡¯ve aged better than expected.¡±


    It was almost apliment. Just back handed, delivered with an Adams nod of approval.


    ¡°It makes securing a deal simple,¡± He tapped another tab. Numbers shifted.


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Marriage,¡± he corrected. ¡°You turn twenty-one this weekend. No more dys. We should close within the week. You¡¯ll receive house colors by Friday. Wear them Saturday night. The photos will read as intent.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve already decided,¡± As per normal, I am thest to know.


    ¡°We shortlisted three months ago.¡± Alexander adjusted a cufflink that didn¡¯t need adjusting. ¡°We floated numbers. We asked for quiet concessions. One house controls water and ports. One controls air. One controls data. All three control narrative. We prefer water for obvious reasons, but we¡¯ll take leverage wherever it¡¯s correctly priced.¡±


    ¡°And me?¡± I asked. ¡°How are my prices calcted?¡±


    That earned me the smallest smile. ¡°Your price is the multiplier, Emilia. Your name takes on the value of the merger. You know this.¡±


    I looked down at the folder.


    EMILIA ADAMS ¡ª Q3 PERSONAL HEALTH // PUBLIC SENTIMENT SWEEP // MERGER READINESS.


    Someone had paper-clipped a photo mockup to the front: the Adams crest ghosted behind the Vale sigil, like it was already a watermark.


    ¡°Do I get a choice?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You have choices every day.¡± He said it like he was tired of repeating something. ¡°You chose to be twelve minuteste. You chose to wear ck when the color sheet for this week specified cream. You chose to let handlers manage your calendar remotely because you resent being told where to be. Free will hasn¡¯t been revoked, Emilia. We¡¯ve simply outlined the limits in which it can operate without costing us money.¡±


    ¡°Us,¡¯¡± I repeated. ¡°You mean you.¡±


    ¡°I mean Adams,¡± he said, the correction gentle, as if I were a child mibeling something.


    ¡°And Veil? Three years of posts, gone. Themunity. The messages. All the stories¡ªmine. Why kill it?¡±


    ¡°Because it served its purpose,¡± he silenced another phone call. ¡°It created a soft silhouette. It made you visible to households that don¡¯t attend gs. It rallied girls who won¡¯t matter to a ledger but matter to a narrative. Now we don¡¯t need the noise of your adolescence attached to the story of your marriage. We need clean lines. We delete what muddies them.¡±<fnc41f> For more chapters visit find?novel</fnc41f>


    ¡°They¡¯re people. Not a campaign.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re audiences,¡± he corrected kindly. ¡°Audiences are constructed. They can be re-constructed. Your new profile will retain what matters: your face, your tone, the part of your ¡®voice¡¯ we tested as appealing. The rest¡ªold posts, old tags, any mention of rtionships that don¡¯t suit the next quarter¡ªgoes. We don¡¯t want a food blog where a dynasty wedding should be.¡±


    Heat flooded up my throat so fast I had to swallow hard to keep it from spilling. Rtionships that don¡¯t suit. In other words ast name the Dynasties don¡¯t like to say out loud.


    Fingers that used to trace my mouth in the dark, a voice that used to call me baby like the word meant home.


    ¡°Did you think you could keep it forever?¡± Alexander asked, genuinely curious. ¡°An asset we didn¡¯t own?¡±


    ¡°It was me,¡±


    ¡°That is the trick you girls never quite grasp. The you you believe in¡ªyour preferences, your improvisations¡ªthat is the part we are selling, yes. But ownership is not about intimacy, it¡¯s about capital. And capital belongs to those who can scale it.¡±


    I wanted to throw something. Instead I adjusted the bracelet at my wrist until the sp bit.


    ¡°What about the retirement you mentioned? The rebrand after the wedding. The stepping down at twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°Public stepping down. You¡¯ll still be useful, just not as a performance. You¡¯ll be seen when required. You¡¯ll disappear when it services the story. We can talk details after your birthday.¡±


    ¡°And the heir,¡± I said, because he would anyway.


    Alexander folded his hands again. ¡°One is sufficient. The Codex insists. The child will not be raised by you¡ªit will belong to the dynasty. Tutors. Handlers. Protocol. This should not surprise you. It is the system that raised you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my child recorded as property,¡±


    He blinked, not in confusion, just gearing for an exnation. ¡°No one records children as property. We record lineage. The ledger is a map of inheritance, not a deed of ownership.¡±


    ¡°You can name the map anything you like. I want my name on it. The ledger. Under ¡®mother.¡¯ Not just dynasty.¡±


    He took longer to respond than I expected. One heartbeat, two, three. A silent add-up of costs.


    ¡°That is negotiable,¡± he said finally, and I could hear the use he¡¯d add in the email to counsel: if she insists, concede annotation; ensure it has no practical effect. ¡°It won¡¯t matter in practice. You won¡¯t raise them.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I won¡¯t be erased.¡±


    ¡°You know what I appreciate about you? You don¡¯t confuse boundaries for cruelty. You understand we all serve somethingrger than ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Do we?¡± I asked.


    He smiled. ¡°Those who don¡¯t end up poor.¡±


    I thought of the girls we¡¯d fed on Veil¡ªsmall brands run from kitchen tables, mothers who DM¡¯d at midnight because thement section ate them alive and they needed someone to tell them they weren¡¯t a failure because their toddler wouldn¡¯t wear shoes. I thought of thete nights I posted for them instead of sleeping. How they said thank you like it had saved them. How I believed it might have saved me too.


    ¡°Stop being sentimental,¡± he said, as if he¡¯d heard it. ¡°You¡¯re not losing anything that matters. You¡¯re exchanging it.¡±


    ¡°For what? Silence dressed as safety?¡±


    ¡°For power you can actually use. For a name your children will not have to rent.¡±


    ¡°Schedule,¡± Alexander started typing again. ¡°You have fittings at two. You have a press brush at four. You will post a statement at eight acknowledging the transition of your digital presence and thanking our munity¡¯ for their support while announcing the birthday program. Language is in the draft. Don¡¯t improvise.¡±


    My mouth twisted. ¡°You want me to thank people I¡¯ll never be allowed to speak to again.¡±


    ¡°I want you to behave like a professional,¡± he said.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± I asked.


    He met my eyes for the first time. ¡°Then you will learn what it costs to confuse your preferences with our n.¡±


    He slid onest page across to me, this one with three columns and no header.


    ¡°You¡¯ll wear A¡¯s colors Saturday,¡± he tapped the first column. ¡°If they fail to meet the floor, we move to B Monday. If B postures, we punish them with a leak and move to C. Either way, you will be engaged by next Friday.¡±


    There it was, the week carved into decisions I didn¡¯t make and would live with for the rest of my life.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    Alexander¡¯s answer was quiet. ¡°To whom?¡±


    ¡°To all of it.¡±


    His mouth softened like he pitied me. ¡°Then you will choose a smaller version of this life, and someone else will choose therger version. But the dynasty will make its deal with or without you, Emilia. You know this.¡± He gestured at the folder I hadn¡¯t opened. ¡°The numbers don¡¯t wait for feelings.¡±


    He paused then, like he¡¯d remembered something else on his schedule. ¡°And don¡¯t bete for Father¡¯s inheritance reading on your birthday. Noon sharp.¡±


    My throat tightened. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°No. Likely a charity. It¡¯s sealed until the reading.¡±


    The door behind me opened. A handler slipped in, eyes down, tablet ready. ¡°Excuse me, sir. Ms. Adams¡¯s driver is waiting.¡±


    Alexander stood, signaling the end the way men like him signaled most things: by moving on. ¡°Wear cream for the fitting. No ck for forty-eight hours. It photographs as grief.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because it is,¡±


    He chose not to hear me. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Better than expected. Don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    The handler held the door. I picked up the folder, and felt the weight of myself inside it. Data points dressed as destiny.


    I followed the handler walked past the four security guards and stepped outside. I found myself staring at the folder for a moment. Then I folded it into my bag.


    Pulling my phone out. Staring down at the three messages from Charlotte and Vivienne.


    Only my best friends could get me to smile after a meeting like that.


    I nced up, that was first my mistake. The second mistake was making eye contract with him.


    This could not be happening.


    Luca Crow.

 The Silent War: Chapter 9

    Emilia was in Viin.


    And she was more beautiful in person than on any screen. Every photo, every video I¡¯d obsessed over for three years was an insultpared to seeing her now.


    Our girl was always beautiful but this¡­was untouchable.


    I had built seven different scenarios for how this would happen. Seven careful, staged collisions in restaurants, foyers, streets she never walked without a driver. Each one controlled.


    In the end, temptation got the better of me, I didn¡¯t want to wait another day.


    My phone buzzed. Bastion¡¯s name lit the screen. I¡¯m at the south edge. Tell me when it¡¯s done.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I looked up instead¡ªand there she was.


    Standing out front, wrapped in her own world.


    She had no idea three different people had already tried to take photos of her. All three phones were now in my men¡¯s pockets. They¡¯d learned the rule¡ªnobody photographed our girl without permission.


    She was smiling at something on her phone. And it hurt, physically fucking hurt that she wasn¡¯t smiling at me.


    I flicked the cigarette to the side, and walked towards her.


    It was ridiculous how nervous I felt.


    She looked up before I said her name Finally, her eyes were they belonged, on me.


    I saw her quiet panic. The way her shoulders tightened, like she¡¯d just run through her options to escape me.


    ¡°Luca Crow of all people.¡±


    It took all my self control to not react to her saying my name.


    She forced a smile, but it wasn¡¯t the smile that kept me up at night.


    No, the smile she was giving me right now was trained. Polite and polished just how the Adams Dynasty taught her. Small enough to make me think she cared, tight enough to look genuine.


    But her eyes were empty, it was always the smallest things that gave Emilia away and that only drove my need to watch more carefully, because it would be easy to miss.


    ¡°Emilia.¡±


    She arched her eyebrows almost looking amused.


    I knew better she was defaulting to lightness to ease the awkwardness.


    But it wasn¡¯t awkward for me, this¡­ this was fucking salvation.


    ¡°Have you been well,¡± she asked.


    That made me look at her in the eyes, ¡°Have I been well?¡± I repeated it just so she could hear how she said.


    Come on baby. Give me more. Pretend to not care better. I¡¯d rather her yelling at me for not answering her, at least then I could skip this part. And get to the part that matters, us begging for forgiveness and earning her trust back.


    She lowered her phone, ¡°I thought you two were dead.¡±


    Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.


    Her lips parted like she wanted to argue ¡ª then closed again. She pressed them tight, like the words would betray her before she was ready.


    I leaned in slightly. ¡°You thought we were dead, angel. And what? You just kept smiling for them? Kept giving that mask while we were bleeding out of your life?¡±


    Her hand twitched against her bag.


    ¡°I looked Luca. I watched the obituaries cause neither you or Bastion could return a message.¡± She looked down, then back up fast, like she was afraid of what I¡¯d see if she lingered too long away from me. ¡°But you weren¡¯t dead, you¡¯d just forgotten.¡±


    There it was. Finally. The usation I¡¯d been starving for.


    But fuck, it hurt.


    Her words cut cleaner than any de I¡¯d taken in Viin alleys. She thought we had forgotten. Not dead. Not buried. Just¡­ gone from her life because we chose to leave her there.


    And maybe she was right. Maybe silence was worse than a coffin.<fnb5d1> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find?Novel</fnb5d1>


    I deserved it. We both did.


    Still, it carved.


    Three years of systems, contracts, blood spilled to keep her untouchable, and all she remembered was the absence. Not the empire we built around her name. Not the nights we kept heirs from breathing in her direction. Not the war we fought in the dark so she wouldn¡¯t bleed in the light.


    She remembered the silence.


    And she was right to.


    I felt the spiral crack in my chest, ice spreading under my ribs. I wanted to argue. To tell her she had no idea what we¡¯d done, what it cost. To break the world in half just to prove it.


    But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t.


    Because I saw the pain in her eyes. The way she flicked her gaze away from me, fast, like she couldn¡¯t hold the weight of it and still breathe.


    So I stepped closer.


    Not to intimidate. Just to feel her air in my lungs. Close enough that she couldn¡¯t pretend I was a ghost anymore.


    Her head turned slightly, attention sliding down the street like she was searching for an out.


    I moved with her. Controlled. Close enough that the city noise faded between us.


    ¡°Forgotten? Angel, I don¡¯t forget. Not you. Not ever.¡±


    Forgotten.


    The word burrowed under my skin like a nail dragged slow.


    She thought I had put her down. Left her behind. As if my lungs had managed one breath in thest three years without her name in it. As if Bastion and I hadn¡¯t carved Viin into a coffin big enough to bury every man who tried to take her ce.


    She didn¡¯t know. Couldn¡¯t. Because we¡¯d built it all in silence. A fortress disguised as distance. And what did silence look like to her? Abandonment.


    Fuck.


    It was the one thing I couldn¡¯t forgive myself for, even while I¡¯d sworn it was the only way to keep her alive.


    I should¡¯ve written. Called. Bled at her feet until she understood. Instead I¡¯d left her with nothing but quiet. And quiet had taught her the worst thing possible¡­ that we¡¯d forgotten.


    I reached out before I thought better of it. Just to feel her wrist, her warmth, to remind myself she was real and mine and still standing in front of me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Luca.¡±


    She said it fast, stepping back just enough that my hand didn¡¯t touch her.


    Fuck that hurt. She didn¡¯t want me to touch her.


    She shook her head once, trying for lightness. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s in the past.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fine.¡± My voice came out low, tight. ¡°And it sure as fuck isn¡¯t past.¡±


    Her lips parted. She blinked, caught off guard by it. She really believed we had walked away.


    Calm. I had to be calm. Don¡¯t spiral.


    ¡°You think this ends because you say it does?¡± I stepped in again, close enough she¡¯d feel me.


    ¡°No. I think it ended three years ago when I stopped begging for a reply from you and Bastion. After you both left me on read for months.¡±


    Her words punched were a punch to my ribs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I forced out. Two words I had rehearsed a thousand times and hated how weak they were.


    Sorry I that silence was safer. Sorry I built an empire instead of showing you the bones we were breaking for you. Sorry I let you think we forgot when every hour was you, you, you.


    She nodded once. Quick. As if that was enough.


    No.


    That wasn¡¯t the reaction I wanted. Not even close.


    I wanted her fury, tears, her voice raised, calling me every name I deserved. I needed her to bleed it out, to w at me until the silence I¡¯d forced her to choke on turned into fire I could take, absorb, pay for.


    Instead she epted it. Dismissed it.


    As if three years of worship, obsession, of building a city she could walk through untouched¡ªmeant nothing.


    As if I meant nothing.


    The eptance gutted me worse than her anger ever could have.


    ¡°Don¡¯t nod like that.¡± My voice dropped. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare dismiss me like I¡¯m some heir you can brush past.¡±


    Her eyes flicked up at mine, startled by the edge.


    Good. Look at me. Don¡¯t erase me.


    ¡°You were never that to me.¡± Her eyes didn¡¯t flinch. She held my stare like the knife was meant for me. ¡°That¡¯s why it hurt. But it won¡¯t again. I¡¯ll be polite. I¡¯ll be nice. But don¡¯t expect any more from me.¡±


    It was Veil all over again. Watching her delete the ount, delete the memories, delete me.


    Only this time, she wasn¡¯t deleting code. She was deleting the boy who¡¯d bled for her, the man who built a city around her absence.


    It hurt. It fucking hurt.


    I wanted to tell her the truth.


    That her stylists answered to me. Bastion built ckout blinds in every ce she slept.


    But if I said it now, it would sound like chains.


    Like obsession without devotion. Possession without love. And she¡¯d be right to run.


    So I swallowed it.


    ¡°You can give them polite. You can give them nice. But don¡¯t you ever give that to me.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, searching me. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°You,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m angry with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± I was seconds away from dropping and begging her, ¡°I¡¯ll take your anger. I¡¯ll take your rage. I¡¯ll take every piece of you if it means you¡¯re still looking at me.¡±


    ¡°You two always did confuse me.¡±


    I stepped closer, letting her feel how deliberate the correction was. ¡°Do,¡± I said. ¡°We do confuse you, baby. Present tense. Never past.¡±


    Her throat tightened, her mask slipping just enough for me to see the crack underneath.


    Good. Don¡¯t put me in history. Don¡¯t ever make the mistake of thinking we¡¯re behind you.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself. My hand moved before thought could catch it, brushing her hair back from her face.


    The moment shattered when I realized what I¡¯d done. ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered.


    I hated that she didn¡¯t want me to touch her.


    She only gave me a softer smile, almost sad. ¡°I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Need, or want?¡±


    Her eyes held mine. ¡°I need to.¡±


    My fingers brushed her hip, I wanted to memorize the shape of her again.


    ¡°Luca.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± A sound I couldn¡¯t bury, not when she said it like that.


    And then she stepped back. One pace, then another. The space between us cold already, her moving closer to the car.


    The spiral tore through me.


    Three years of starving, and when I finally had her in reach, I had to let her go.


    I hated it. Hated myself for letting it happen.


    She stepped closer to the car. I moved before she could, holding the door shut.


    ¡°Dinner,¡± I said.


    She titled her head, those beautiful eyes locked with mine. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m desperate.¡±


    ¡°Luca Crow, you are many things. Desperate isn¡¯t one of them.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I have to go,¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Luca.¡±


    ¡°Dinner,¡± I asked again and I wasn¡¯t below begging. She was the only person I would drop to my knees for.


    She held my gaze. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    I leaned in, letting her see how deliberate my words were. ¡°It¡¯s not a yes.¡±


    She exhaled slowly, lips barely moving. ¡°It¡¯s also not a no.¡±


    The smallest victory. Enough to spiral over until the next time.


    I almost smiled. Just enough for her to see. Because she was right, it wasn¡¯t her shutting me out.


    Maybe meant I could press again. Tomorrow. The next day. Every day until she broke and gave me what I wanted.


    And it gave me permission to stalk her the way I already nned to, trailing her routes, intercepting her hours, asking her again and again until she admitted she wanted it too.


    I opened the car for her.


    ¡°Goodbye, Emilia.¡±


    She looked at me, and I saw her pain. I wanted to hug her, tell her all the ways I¡¯d make this up to her.


    Instead I closed the door with care, softer than I meant to, my hand dragging a second longer.


    So close and still so far away from me.


    Seeing her was supposed to be a relief, ease some of the pain of not having her. Instead it¡¯s worse. My need to take her pain, nearly fucking paralysing.


    The car pulled into traffic.


    Driven by a driver who was trained by Bastion, who drove her as if his life depended on her arriving safely, because it did.


    The car warmed because our girl never deserved to sit in the cold.


    That¡¯s what we did, we made the world bend around her.


    I lit another cigarette. The tail lights got further away and I pulled my phone out to message Bastion. Tell him how beautiful our girl is. And how it was going to take time.

 The Silent War: Chapter 10

    The ss doors closed behind me with the finality of a sentence I hadn¡¯t read yet.


    Three men stood as I entered ¡ª ck suits, dynasty insignias stitched into theirpels, the air around them tight with the weight of legacy.


    I¡¯d grown up at the edge of this table. Watched these men whisper into my father¡¯s ear. Seen them shake the hands of Dynasty kings while they dismantled empires over wine.


    But now they were watching me.


    ¡°Miss Adams,¡± Corvin said. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    I said nothing. Because I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to take that as a conversation starter.


    The chair at the head of the table ¡ª his chair ¡ª was pulled out for me. I sat because I was told to. And I had learned how to breathe through panic.


    Corvin gave a small nod to Marcus, who slid a matte ck folder across the table.


    My name shimmered across it in tinum embossing:


    EMILIA V. ADAMS XII


    The roman numeral felt like a brand.


    ¡°This is the final sealed use of your father¡¯s will,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Unlocked upon your twenty-first birthday, as per dynasty stiptions.¡±


    I kept my fingers tight in myp.


    ¡°Your brother received his portion upon his majority,¡± Corvin continued. ¡°Titles, properties, the legacy ounts.¡±


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°You, however¡­ have been left something different.¡±


    The room stilled.


    ¡°Your father named you sole inheritor of the Liria ord.¡±


    The words didn¡¯tnd.


    Not at first.


    They just hung there ¡ª like a phrase in anguage I didn¡¯t speak.


    Until something in me broke.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± I swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    But the folder was already open in front of me. Dynasty watermarks. Embedded verification threads. Wax seals. Every use legally binding. Signed four months before his death.


    I blinked at it. Once. Twice.


    Then everything went cold.


    The Liria ord wasn¡¯t just a trade route.


    It was the trade route.


    A direct international passage that funneled dynastymodities across three continents ¡ª Estalia to Drovane to the Arch. Syndicates had gone to war over less. And no woman, not in the history of the ord ¡ª had ever held ownership.


    My hands were shaking before I could stop them.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying this is mine?¡±


    Corvin nodded. ¡°In full.¡±


    ¡°And Alexander?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    I stared at him.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t told? He¡¯s head of the Adams line.¡± My voice cracked on it.


    ¡°Not for this,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Only those in this room were aware of the transfer. Your father made it very clear it was to remain confidential until today.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Then who¡¯s managing it?¡± I asked, because I had to¡ªbecause some part of me needed the world to make sense.


    Rowan answered. ¡°We are.¡±


    He meant the Adams counselors.


    The men in this room.


    ¡°It¡¯s still under our stewardship. The trade continues. The profits remain in Adams ounts.¡±


    ¡°But not for long,¡± Corvin added. ¡°Once your name is filed through dynasty records, all associated control transfers to you. Fully.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± I whispered.


    They let the silence settle.


    Let me spiral inside it.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a target,¡± Rowan said inly. ¡°Every family looking to increase eastern leverage wille for you. Either through marriage, maniption, or worse.¡±


    I stared down at the contract, my vision going blurry for a moment.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this.


    I wasn¡¯t trained for this.


    I¡¯d spent my life at charity gs and press appearances, not international war tables. Not on blood-soaked docks or encrypted ck route meetings in Estalia. I didn¡¯t know the politics of the ord, or the handlers stationed at each checkpoint.


    I barely knew how to speak in a boardroom like this, let alone defend myself from a trade war I hadn¡¯t asked to lead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ You can¡¯t just drop this on me and expect me to survive it.¡±


    Corvin¡¯s eyes softened, just a shade. ¡°No one expects you to be ready. Only to understand what¡¯s been ced in your hands.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter now.¡±


    I pushed the folder away, but my hand shook too hard to make the gesture look like anything but a girl falling apart.


    I saw it.


    They saw it.


    ¡°You are the first woman in twelve generations to carry the Adams name in ownership,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Your father knew exactly what he was doing.¡±


    My throat burned.


    He hadn¡¯t just passed on a legacy.


    He¡¯d handed me a target. Wrapped in ink andw, dressed in the illusion of power. Something toorge for a girl like me to carry.


    ¡°The ord¡¯s management will remain under our stewardship,¡± Corvin said, his voice a degree softer now, ¡°until you request otherwise.¡±


    Thatnded like a mercy and a warning in the same breath.


    ¡°You can step into control when you¡¯re ready,¡± Marcus added. ¡°But dynastyw now recognizes you as the legal holder of the route.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    Couldn¡¯t.


    Because ready was a word that felt centuries away.


    ¡°And Emilia¡ª¡± Corvin leaned forward, the edge of finality settling into his tone. ¡°By tonight, the registry will update. The name Emilia V. Adams XII will appear in the international dynasty bulletin.¡±


    My stomach turned.


    ¡°That means?¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It means the information bes public,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Visible to every dynasty house. Every trade partner. Every syndicate with a vested interest in the corridor.¡±


    A sick, cold rity bled through me.


    By nightfall, I wouldn¡¯t just be a daughter in the Adams line.


    I¡¯d be a strategic threat.


    A singr, vulnerable point of power with a dynasty contract pinned to her back¡ªand no ring on her finger to protect it.


    ¡°You should prepare for contact,¡± Corvin said. ¡°Suitors. Proposals. Surveince. Protection requests. Some wille bearing roses.¡±<fn734b> This update is avable on Find1Novel</fn734b>


    He paused.


    ¡°Others wille armed.¡±


    ¡°Can we block it?¡± The words came out quickly, rushed. I spoke in a way I wasn¡¯t trained too. ¡°Can we¡­ hide the ownership, keep it under Adams.¡±


    Corvin tilted his head, just enough for me to know he was considering it. ¡°There is a use we could lean on. It would give you ten months.¡±


    Ten months.


    It was better than nothing.

 The Silent War: Chapter 11

    The first man whimpered when I stepped over him. The second didn¡¯t move at all.


    Both were still breathing¡ªbarely. Slumped at the edge of the alley behind the ck Vault¡¯s freight corridor. Their mistake hadn¡¯t beening for the port schedule.


    It was thinking I wouldn¡¯t answer the alert myself.


    I lit a cigarette with blood running down my knuckles, shielding the me from the wind with my hand. Inhaled deep


    My phone vibrated again.


    Then again.


    Emergencies. Dys. Port fallout. Eastside retaliation threats. Rome had been calling for thirty minutes, Luca¡¯s updates hadn¡¯te through, and two more district syndicates were trying to muscle into tonight¡¯s shipping manifest. A week ago I would¡¯ve cared.


    But now?


    Now I just needed one thing.


    I dragged the phone out of my coat pocket, and tapped the app.


    Not messages or port security feeds.


    Hers.


    The mirror system came online immediately. Luca and I had it linked to our homescreens¡ªbecause pretending we wouldn¡¯t use it was the real delusion.


    We didn¡¯t track her out of boredom.


    We tracked her because every fucking heir in the empire had her name on their lips now. Every second, a new deal was being drafted. Every hour, another family updated their merger uses to amodate her dowry.


    There were no boundaries anymore. No privacy. Not for her. Not when the world had shifted on the day she turned twenty-one. So no, she didn¡¯t get privacy.


    She got protection.


    She got us.


    Even if that meant Luca and I checked her phone just as much as we checked our own. I hadn¡¯t gone three hours without monitoring her calls, notifications, or alerts.


    And right now¡ªshe was at a restaurant.


    One of Viin¡¯s most exclusive private lounges. The kind you didn¡¯t walk into without a dozen handshakes, security credentials, and ast name that meant something. Red list only. Dynasty blood required.


    I stared at the quiet notification g at the bottom of the screen.


    Private reservation. 4 guests. Tag: Dynasty Heirs.


    She was sitting in a room full of men who wanted to own her.


    My jaw twitched. My grip tightened around the phone.


    The empire was heavier than it had ever been. Rome was starting to use, Luca was unraveling, and the penthouse we¡¯d built brick by goddamn brick for her¡ªwas still fucking empty.


    I needed to see her.


    I needed to touch her.


    Even if just for a minute. Even if I had to tear the whole city down to do it.


    Another buzz. A port recall. I closed the notification and opened the high-clearance message chain. The one Luca and I used when subtlety wasn¡¯t an option.


    CROW-09: Authorize ess. Disrupt Room B42 North Lounge. Five-minute window.


    No cameras, alerts, surveince trail.


    I sent it.


    The restaurant was fifteen minutes from here. Less if I didn¡¯t stop at red lights. I had forty-three minutes to clean up the alley. To wipe the blood from my coat. To clear my schedule and erase my name from the manifest logs.


    And then I was going to see my wife.


    Because nothing¡ªnot the delusion of control, the empire, not the crown we bled to build for her was enough.


    Because the one ce in the world I hadn¡¯t copsed yet¡­ was under her hands.<hr>


    I didn¡¯t check in at the front desk. I passed through the arched corridor¡ªjust as I¡¯d instructed. Two servers crossed behind me, subtle nods confirming their part was done.


    Room B42.


    Private lounge, elite-tier and there she was.


    Emilia.


    Sitting at the far end of the table in a low-cut, backless navy dress. She hadn¡¯t seen me yet. But I saw her.


    God help me.


    Every inch of her body sculpted like she¡¯d been poured into that dress by the hands of God.


    It hurt to look at her.


    A pressure in my throat I couldn¡¯t swallow. Because there she was, close enough to touch, but not mine.


    Not yet.


    She was surrounded by three heirs. All dressed in tailored suiting, subtle dynasty crests on their cufflinks. Each trying too hard to charm her. Each sitting too close.


    She tilted her head to one of them, offering a practiced smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Her posture was perfect, elegant, but I saw it.


    The tension in her shoulders. The way her hand fidgeted with the napkin under the table. The half-second she looked toward the exit like she was counting time.


    So I signaled.


    The first man¡¯s phone buzzed.


    He excused himself to take it.


    The second was subtly tapped by a server¡ªurgent message from his father.


    Gone in under a minute.


    Thest was approached directly by management. A ¡°scheduling conflict¡± about a previously confirmed meeting that had been bumped.


    All three disappeared like they¡¯d never been there.


    She exhaled. As if she¡¯d been underwater too long and could finallye up.


    My poor fucking girl.


    I stood just outside the entrance, watching her for one more second. I wanted to drag her from that table take her home, where she could be mad with us and we¡¯d earn her forgiveness.


    She reached for her wine, unaware that the entire moment had been arranged for her.


    By me.


    So she could have five minutes of silence. And I could have five minutes of her. I stepped inside.


    God, she was beautiful. Not polished dynasty-perfect.


    My kind of beautiful.


    The kind that made me want to hurt every man who¡¯d dared to touch her wrist tonight.


    She didn¡¯t look up until I pulled out the chair beside her, not across from her. Fuck being respectful and dynasty rules right now.


    Slowly she looked up, and when our eyes met, she offered me a smile.


    A cold, polished, dynasty smile. One that had been trained and sharpened over years of survival.


    ¡°Bastion Crow,¡± she said smoothly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you tonight.¡±


    She said myst name like it wasn¡¯t already hers.


    I sat down beside her. Let my knee brush hers beneath the table.


    Didn¡¯t speak at first I just¡­ looked.


    And she looked back.


    Her gaze raked over me once, slow and deliberate. She took in the bruising along my jaw, the healing cut near my temple, the new tattoos beneath the open cor of my shirt. No tie or dynasty gold.


    Maybe she was inspecting the damage.


    Maybe she was judging me¡ªfor showing up like this, for looking every inch the violent kingpin I was expected to be.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    Because I was already staring too.


    At her hair, pinned in a style I knew wasn¡¯t her favorite. At the diamond choker that didn¡¯t belong to her collection.


    At the way her pulse kicked just beneath her jaw when I didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t attend public events,¡± she murmured, turning slightly so she was facing me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yet here you are.¡±


    ¡°Yet here I am,¡± I said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t let you sit here alone.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone,¡± she corrected, ncing at the now-empty chairs.


    ¡°No. You were surrounded.¡±


    And for the first time since I sat down¡ªher breathing changed.


    Just slightly.


    Enough to make me want to reach across the space between us and touch her. Pull her chair closer. Unhook the ne that didn¡¯t suit her. Strip every trace of this dynasty performance from her skin until she remembered who she was before all of this.


    And I hated it¡ªthat ne.


    Hated that it sparkled where ours should have rested. Hated that someone had dared to give my wife something so visible. So iming. So fucking public.


    I leaned back in my seat, jaw tense. I hadn¡¯t attended her birthday.


    Because if I had seen the parade of heirs lining up with gifts and mergers and open contracts, I would¡¯ve killed someone before the candles were lit.


    My control had been fraying since the day she turned twenty-one and became everyone¡¯s favorite opportunity. Everyone¡¯s favorite meal.


    Still, I kept my eyes on her neck. That delicate skin. The hollow of her throat.


    I kissed her there, in the hallways of the academy. iming her throat when everything was still good between us. Before the world tore her away.


    Now all I could think about was wrapping my hand around her throat and pulling her in close, dragging her out of this world and back into ours.


    ¡°Was that ne a birthday gift?¡± I asked finally, voice lower than I meant.


    She blinked once, then arched a brow. ¡°For a minute. I thought you weren¡¯t going to speak at all. Just stare.¡±


    I almost smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make you ufortable.¡±


    Her lips curved, and for a moment¡­ she softened.


    ¡°It was a gift,¡± she said, her voice catching just slightly at the end.


    That was when I noticed it.


    The velvet jewelry box still sitting on the table beside her half-finished wine. So it was from tonight. Not just a ne, a im.


    I leaned forward, slow, never breaking eye contact.


    And gently¡ªvery gently¡ªI reached up and swept her hair over her shoulder.


    She froze but she didn¡¯t stop me.


    Just let me touch the delicate sp at the base of her neck. ¡°This doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± I murmured.


    Then I unhooked it.


    The ne came free, falling into my palm and I dropped it on the table like it was worthless.


    My hand didn¡¯t leave her. And I stared into her eyes of the woman we¡¯d been building an empire around for thest three years.


    God, our wife was beautiful.


    She just stared back, trying to remember how to breathe while I memorized every fucking detail of her face again. I loved that. I still had an effect on her.


    And for five seconds I felt like the world might finally fucking stop spinning if I could just hold her here long enough.


    If I could just keep her.


    And then she shifted. Turned her body toward me¡ªso fucking close now that if I leaned forward, just an inch or two, I could kiss her.


    Fuck, maybe I should take the moment for what it was and break the world open. Remind her what her body did when it was underneath mine.


    Her knee brushed mine under the table, idental. Still, it was enough to flood me. The tension, need from waiting three years. My dick was hard just from proximity. From one fucking idental touch.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked, her voice quieter now.


    ¡°Hungry.¡± I lied.


    ¡°You hate food with long names.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You hate menus that don¡¯t have at least one word in English,¡± she added. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you came here for the amuse-bouche.¡±


    Her tone wasn¡¯t mocking. It was something colder. Like she was building a wall again and wanted me to see it happening in real time.


    Her gaze swept the table, the space behind me, thennded back on me with a slightly raised brow.


    ¡°Are you here alone?¡± she asked.


    The implication wasn¡¯t subtle.


    This ce was known for its exclusivity. Private booths, curated wine pairings, views of the skyline so elite they made headlines. It was where heirs brought their dynasty girls. Of course she¡¯d think I brought someone.


    But I hadn¡¯t.


    I hadn¡¯t touched another woman since her. I hadn¡¯t even looked at another woman. Because no one fuckingpared.


    And I wasn¡¯t built for substitutes.


    Only her.


    I told her once that our love was final. Luca and I already had sworn to her. The vow mightn¡¯t be public or tattooed. But it was final, for us.


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    Her eyes flicked over my face like she was testing that answer, looking to see if I was lying.


    I wasn¡¯t.


    Because the truth was, I¡¯d been fucking my hand for three years, imagining her mouth. The way she begged, her legs shaking, her eyes glossy, the way she whispered daddy when she came.


    And I was already building a new image now.


    How she looked tonight. Her lips were slightly pinker than usual, like she¡¯d bitten them. The way the dress clung in all the ces I used to hold.


    I was going to take this image home. To the penthouse. To the shower.


    Because it was all I had. And it was enough to ruin me.


    ¡°Did you eat?¡± I asked, breaking the silence as I nodded toward her untouched te.


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°So they ordered for you,¡±


    Her head tilted slightly. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t pick that dish.¡± I nodded toward it again. ¡°You hate bouibaisse.¡±


    Her eyes went sharp again. And I fucking knew I was right.


    She hadn¡¯t picked the meal. Someone else had ordered it for her. Probably one of the heirs she¡¯d been seated with before I had them removed. Polished dynasty boy who thought he¡¯d win her with a seafood stew and ast name worth hyphenating.


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    So I added, ¡°You used to say it smelled like a dying aquarium.¡±


    She reached for her wine ss. ¡°People change.¡±


    There it was.


    The wall, rebuilt.


    The temperature dropped.


    And I watched her retreat into the version of herself they¡¯d trained. The girl who could survive dynasty rooms by pretending not to feel anything at all.


    ¡°I think you should go,¡± she said softly.


    Not cruel. Just¡­ measured. Like she¡¯d rehearsed it in her head before saying it out loud.


    She watched me, waiting to see if I¡¯d obey. If I¡¯d finally do the polite thing.


    I leaned back in my chair instead. Hooked my arm over the backrest. Let my legs spread just a little wider beneath the table¡ªcasual, like I owned the fucking ce. Technically we did, we owned the building and if she liked eating here, I¡¯d make sure we own the restaurant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± I said.


    I wasn¡¯t going any where. Because if five minutes was all I could have, I¡¯d take every second like it was oxygen.


    ¡°Why now, Bastion?¡± she asked, her grip tightened on the ss. ¡°It¡¯s been three years.¡±


    ¡°Three years, two months, and fourteen days,¡± I said.


    She nodded. Slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a long time to leave a woman on read.¡±<fnec6d> Newest update provided by find[?]ovel</fnec6d>


    Fuck.


    It wasn¡¯t just the words¡ªit was the way she said them. The quiet strain in her voice. She didn¡¯t meet my eyes when she said it. But I heard the truth even if she wouldn¡¯t look at me.


    That it had hurt.


    That I had hurt her.


    And she wasn¡¯t asking for an exnation.


    She reached for her drink again and finished it in a single sip. I watched her fingers trace the empty ss. The slight tremor in them


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    That word meant nothingpared to hurt I felt. How much it hurt being away from her.


    She stared at the empty ss. ¡°And I love sea urchin souffl¨¦ now.¡±


    My eyes dropped to the untouched te in front of her.


    ¡°The lies we tell,¡± she murmured, ¡°just to make other peoplefortable.¡±


    And fuck¡ªI felt that.


    She wasn¡¯t talking about the souffl¨¦.


    She was talking about us.


    About all the years of silence. Every message we left unanswered. The calls she made that were never answered. She was right to throw it back in my face.


    I didn¡¯t speak, not because I didn¡¯t have the words¡ªbut because anything I said would just be another lie.


    But one day¡ªone day¡ªshe¡¯d know.


    One day, I¡¯d get to show her.


    Every deal, every empire, every fucking line of blood spilled since she left¡ªit was always for her. To make room for her, clear a path no one could block again.


    But tonight wasn¡¯t that night.


    So I leaned back. Loosened my grip on the edge of the table. Forced myself to stay silent, one more time. Because she didn¡¯t need an apology.


    She needed proof.


    And I hadn¡¯t earned the right to give it.


    ¡°Well. As I told Luca. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± She sighed, and brushed us off.


    With the kind of poise trained into girls who weren¡¯t allowed to break. Not even when their hearts were shattered by boys who disappeared without warning.


    She looked away, and then smoothed a hand over her dress and asked, ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll serve dessert?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a real question.


    It was dynasty small talk. A graceful deflection. And still, it gutted me.


    Because that was our good girl¡ªstill being polite. Still offering conversation. Even to the man who broke her heart and never gave her the goddamn closure she deserved.


    I nodded. ¡°Probably something with a French name you¡¯ll pretend to like.¡±


    Her lips twitched. But it didn¡¯t touch her eyes.


    ¡°I should let you get back to it,¡± I said, standing slowly. ¡°Enjoy your dinner.¡±


    Her eyes followed me. I leaned down. Pressed my lips to her cheek. Slower than I should¡¯ve. Closer than I was allowed. Fuck the rules.


    ¡°Have a good night, Emilia.¡±


    My wife.


    My love.


    Our legacy.


    I leaned in, kissed her cheek. I stayed close, my lips still hovering near her cheek.


    ¡°Happy birthday, baby,¡± I whispered, low. So quiet it wasn¡¯t meant for the room. Just her.


    And then I pulled back.


    Left her sitting there with perfect posture and a full room of wolves that didn¡¯t even know they¡¯d just been warned.


    I walked out.


    Everything I¡¯d been bleeding through this week, it all slipped back into focus.


    I hadn¡¯te here to win.


    I came to remember.


    To see her. To feel the pulse of what we built this for. And I¡¯d gotten exactly what I needed.


    I stepped into the alley behind the restaurant, lit a cigarette my hands no longer shaking with rage.


    Because one day soon, I wouldn¡¯t be saying good night to my wife.


    I¡¯d be climbing into bed with her. We¡¯d be fucking her to sleep. Kissing the back of her neck. Holding her between us until she couldn¡¯t remember what it was like to sleep alone.


    And she¡¯d be curled between me and Luca, wrecked and worshipped, exactly where she belonged


    Between us.


    Ours.


    But that wouldn¡¯t happen, if we didn¡¯t own this city.


    I took one final drag, exhaled, and grabbed my phone.


    I messaged her security. Told them to create an excuse, take her home. Our girl was getting a headache she needed sleep. Not to keep entertaining those fuckers, who I had every intention of putting in the ground if they got any closer.


    Then I called Rome back, stepped into traffic like I owned the pavement, and rejoined the war that never stopped.


    But this time?


    I was refueled.


    And now reminded exactly why I nned to burn the world down just to put her back in our bed.

 The Silent War: Chapter 12

    I didn¡¯t need hobbies.


    But if I ever imed one, it was this, watching Alexander Adams suffer in his own boardroom.


    Dynasty polished. Men seated on both sides who still believed their surnames were currency. Contracts stacked like altars. Titles. Old money.


    And then me.


    The Crow they wished wasn¡¯t here.


    The reminder that Viin wasn¡¯t theirs and theirst names meant nothing to us.


    Today, I wasn¡¯t here for sport. Unlike every other month when I attended just to humiliate Alexander.


    Instead, I was here for the kill.


    Alexander had nearly pushed a marriage across the line. Before fucking lunch on her twenty first birthday. Our girl wouldn¡¯t have been awake more then three hours before Alexander greedy fingers was scribbling his signature to add to the Adams legacy.


    Two wedding mergers I had stopped the night before. And still, by midday, on her birthday, he almost had her wed.


    I hated him for that.


    I hated him on principle.


    And I was furious with myself for how close the Vales got.


    I¡¯d already fixed it, of course. The Vale family was formally backing out of the merger, clean, polite. They had reconsidered the strategic timing.


    The Adams didn¡¯t know yet.


    Evander Vale had an opinion about it.


    Bastion¡¯s jaw wore the conversation.


    The Vale Dynasty was down an heir now. Six feet down to be exact.


    Alexander started with docks. He always started with what he thought he understood.


    ¡°Revenue margins increased twelve percent sincest quarter,¡± he said, projecting. ¡°With the port stabilized, projected imports will?¡ª¡±


    ¡°You left out the offload tax.¡± My voice stayed even. Controlled. ¡°Again.¡±


    His jaw ticked. Small, but I saw it.


    ¡°Six million,¡± I added. ¡°Maybe you forgot. Or maybe you hoped the room wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    Pens froze. They hated that I saw through polished reports and lies.


    The truth was the Adams could host the meeting, but the cranes moved because Bastion said so.


    Clubs opened because Rome enforced loyalty.


    And the syndicates stayed bnced because I held their books like a knife to the throat.


    ¡°Adjustments can be made. It doesn¡¯t change the overall growth trend.¡± Alexander said.


    I tapped the contract with one finger. ¡°It changes everything.¡±


    They all heard what I didn¡¯t say, growth trends didn¡¯t mean a thing if I pulled the cranes tonight and left their containers to rot in the bay.


    ¡°The international contracts require stability. If Viin copses¡ª¡± A Thorne heir tried to be useful.


    I turned my head. Looked at him once.


    He stopped talking. A wise fucking choice.


    Stability. That was their obsession. Because dynasty business thrived on appearances, wealth polished until it was legacy framed like art on a wall.


    But the Crows?


    We thrived on control.


    Distribution that ran from back-alley corners to offshore ounts. Customs officers who knew when silence was the answer.


    ounting systems that bent to our numbers, not theirs.


    We didn¡¯t y dynasty games.


    We changed the rules and broke the board.


    I enjoyed watching as I reminded them over and over their name meant nothing to us.


    Alexander pivoted to zoning, construction expansions, and building timelines.


    ¡°You¡¯re counting the Orlen steel twice,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll be thirty-one dayste on the east truss because your supplier can¡¯t berth without our escorts. And you won¡¯t have our escorts if your offload report keeps lying to my face.¡±


    Another tick of his jaw.


    I lit a cigarette. I did it every time I came into his broad-room. Hemented once it was unmannered. Who the fuck even says unmannered.


    ¡°Try again,¡± I told him.<fn8580> Find the newest release on </fn8580>


    His gaze flicked to the smoke, then to my hand, then to the heads at the table who were pretending not to watch the power dynamic unfold. I could have stopped there. Made him bleed slowly. That was my hobby. What I normally did.


    But today wasn¡¯t for my hobby. Today I wanted to gut his books publicly.


    I slid a single envelope across the table. Cream stock. Heavy. The kind old men trusted, and the kind I hated.


    ¡°New business,¡± I said.


    He hesitated, then opened it. I watched his eyes move left to right. Twice. His grip tightened at the second line.


    House Vale regrets to inform¡­


    Strategic realignment¡­


    Withdrawal from all merger discussions effective immediately.


    He lifted his head, fury showing, ¡°You?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Correction,¡± I said, my voice dropping reminding him who he was speaking to, ¡°They withdrew.¡±


    Someone coughed. Someone else put down a pen like it weighed more than it should. The Thorne heir stared at his water.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t impact Adams growth¡ª¡± Alexander tried to stand on what he had left.


    ¡°You keep using that word like it matters to me.¡± I flicked ash on his polished Mahoney table.


    Watching his jaw twitch as I did.


    ¡°Pull the cranes, growth bes decay. Freeze the escrow on your Midtown expansion, growth bes a hole in the ground with your name on it. Lose union cover at the docks, your shipping schedule bes nothing.¡±


    He knew all of that already. I said it for the room.


    Because I wanted them to watch him break.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a revised docks packet by tomorrow morning,¡± I keeping my tone bored. ¡°This time with the offload tax, urate berth windows and without pretending you can move steel without our escorts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my team?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your team lied to you,¡± I said, meeting his eyes. ¡°They lied because you like the numbers clean more than you like them true.¡±


    A vein started at his temple. I could have stopped. I wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nine-figure hole in your construction front your auditors missed. Six shellpanies out of Ashgate, all funneling invoices through the same two banks. Clean way to hide overruns. Sloppy way to hide losses.¡±


    His stare didn¡¯t move. The room stopped breathing.


    ¡°Fix it,¡± I said. ¡°Or I fix it for you.¡±


    ¡°And if you ¡®fix¡¯ it,¡± he asked, his voice steady by force, ¡°what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means,¡± I said, ¡°your contractors discover that every concrete pour in Viin now requires a Crow security sign-off. It means your inspectors retire early. Your ss doesn¡¯t arrive. Your steel sits on water. And your lenders re-price you overnight because someone quietly downgraded your risk.¡±


    I butted the cigarette out on his precious desk. ¡°It means you stop confusing a chair at this table with power.¡±


    He looked like a man standing at the edge of a cliff and pretending it was a step. ¡°You think this is leverage.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°This is mercy.¡±


    I hated him. He was ordinary in a city that required monsters.


    And I was annoyed with myself, furious, at how close the Vales had gotten to my wife.


    Our legacy.


    Close enough to breathe the same air.


    My jaw tightened until it hurt. Jealousy wasn¡¯t the word. Possession came closer. Obsession was honest. But even those weren¡¯t enough for what we felt for her.


    And this fucker who can¡¯t even calcte offload tax thought he held her future.


    When she was out of his control and back where she belonged. I would rip his legacy apart, slowly.

 The Silent War: Chapter 13

    The tunnels weren¡¯t meant for meetings. They were arteries¡ªmeant to move product, not men. But someone had decided to test the family. Push weight through my ground without permission.


    I was tired. Cigarette between my fingers. The De¡¯Valours stood across, talking too loud, threatening like they¡¯d earned the right.


    Rome leaned against the steel door to my right, face still, shoulders rxed. But I saw the twitch in his hand¡ªthe one he only got when his jaw was locked tight.


    ¡°Ports aren¡¯t yours forever,¡± one of them said. ¡°This city doesn¡¯t belong to only one family. Not anymore.¡±


    I dragged smoke deep, let it burn in my chest. Didn¡¯t answer. Because weak men always showed themselves in noise.


    ¡°Careful.¡± Rome said, keeping his tone low. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting who built these walls.¡±


    The manughed. Too loud. Then he pulled a gun.


    Not at me.


    At Rome.


    The tunnel went quiet.


    Rome didn¡¯t flinch. His face stayed still. The gun pressed center to his chest. His pulse didn¡¯t even jump.


    Mine did.


    Weak men pulled guns. Weak men thought pointing made them strong.


    And weak men forgot what happened when you pointed at a Crow.


    The restraint I usually kept broke clean in half.


    I moved before the man could breathe. My hand closed on his wrist, bone snapping sharp under my grip. He screamed once¡ªcut short when I shoved the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger.


    His body dropped before the sound finished echoing.


    Two more went for theirs. I didn¡¯t hear the shouts. Didn¡¯t need to. My fists knew the rhythm.


    First one¡ªjaw shattered on impact, teeth spraying red across concrete. He fell choking. I didn¡¯t stop. Boot to his throat until it copsed.


    Second one tried to run. I dragged him back by his hair, mmed his skull into the wall hard enough to paint it.


    And then I lost it.


    I didn¡¯t feel my body anymore¡ªjust the weight of everything I couldn¡¯t touch. Every fist, every crack of bone, every spray of blood was the same word pounding in my skull.


    Take.


    Take.


    Take.


    They took ground that wasn¡¯t theirs. Pointed a gun at my brother. They tried to take him from us.


    And somewhere else, someone had already taken what mattered most.


    I wanted her back.


    Our girl.


    But everywhere I turned, men reached for what wasn¡¯t theirs.


    My knuckles were soaked in blood. His face wasn¡¯t a face anymore. The sound of bone giving way was all I could hear.


    Rome¡¯s voice cut through, distant. ¡°Luca.¡±


    I barely caught it. Didn¡¯t stop. Because this wasn¡¯t about the De¡¯Valours anymore.


    It was about every theft. Every contract. Every hand that had reached where it shouldn¡¯t.


    I punched until my arm went numb. The man¡¯s body stopped twitching.


    Chest heaving but I kept swinging.


    Rome stayed still beside me, phone at his ear. He didn¡¯t try to stop me. He never did when I burned like this. He knew better. His job wasn¡¯t to pull me off¡ªit was to make sure I didn¡¯t burn the whole city with me.


    I stood over what was left of the man. Blood dripped steady from my knuckles, dropping into the puddle around him.


    Footsteps echoed through the tunnel. Calm, steady.


    Luca.


    He walked into the tunnel like it was just another meeting. He looked at the bodies, then at me. Didn¡¯t say a word.<fn4a93> Newest update provided by </fn4a93>


    The tunnels were red. My hands were wrecked.


    And for the first time, I felt the weight hit.


    I slid down the wall, body too heavy to hold up. Stone rough against my back, blood smearing down with me. My chest heaved, breathsing sharp and uneven.


    Luca lit a cigarette. Then another. Walked over, sat beside me like this was nothing more than another night. Handed me one.


    I took it. Fingers shaking too much to hide. His foot touched mine once. A reminder.


    We sat in silence.


    He took a slow drag, eyes on the red walls.


    My body was wrecked.


    Hands shredded raw, fingers split until they felt like someone else¡¯s. The kind of hurt that should¡¯ve slowed me¡ªexcept my chest kept aching like it wanted more.


    I slid lower against the wall, holding the smoke in my lungs, and stared at what was left of the De¡¯Valours. The walls dripped steady.


    Rome paced the far end, phone still in hand, calm in a way only he could manage after a gun had been pointed at him.


    And still my head wouldn¡¯t stop circling back. Two contracts. Sitting on Alexander¡¯s desk. Waiting. Names of men who thought they could buy her, fuck her, parade her under dynasty lights as if she hadn¡¯t been ours first.


    I wanted them gone. Wanted her brother bleeding on the same stone these bastards were.


    My fists clenched again, pain hot enough to blur my vision.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Luca¡¯s voice cut through my anger. Pulling me back.


    He said it like he¡¯d been waiting for the thought to hit me. He¡¯d already read it in the tension of my shoulders.


    Luca leaned back against the wall beside me. ¡°Crows take. We live. She¡¯ll be ours.¡±


    He slid his phone out. Tapped once. Handed it to me without looking.


    And there she was. Not her face. Just the sound. Soft, steady breathing through the speaker.


    I shut my eyes and listened.


    Peace. That¡¯s what it was. A rhythm steady enough to make the rage fade in my chest. Only Emilia could make sleep sound like something holy.


    The walls were painted red. My body was broken. But with her breathing in my ear, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Luca let me hold the phone for another minute before speaking again. ¡°We¡¯re hosting the graduation reunion. On our yacht.¡±


    I opened my eyes, narrowed. ¡°Why the fuck would we want those bastards on a yacht wemissioned for her?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± he flicked ash to the floor, ¡°we¡¯re getting her on it.¡±


    The yacht was built as a throne she didn¡¯t know she had. Every line, every inchmissioned for her. And now Luca wanted dynasty sons and daughters crawling over it like they mattered?


    But then the other part hit. The part that made my chest burn hotter.


    She¡¯d be on it.


    The corner of my mouth twitched. ¡°The rest will leave that night. But we¡¯ll convince her to stay.¡±


    Luca took another drag. ¡°Then take care of your hands. Next month. Otherwise only mine will be getting her off. And we both remember how she always needed both.¡±


    The sound that left me wasn¡¯t augh, not really. Too rough. Too fucking tired. But close enough. And he wasn¡¯t wrong. She always needed both.


    I listened to her breathing again, soft through the speaker. Nodded once.


    I¡¯d take care of my body. Heal. Because when she touched me again, I didn¡¯t want her to see cuts and bruises and swollen muscles. I wanted her to see me. Tattooed, scarred, but not bleeding.


    My eyes dropped to my fists. Ruined. They didn¡¯t look like hands that could hold her or ever had deserved to.


    Luca slid the phone back into his pocket, then stood. He reached down, pulled me up with him.


    I met his eyes. ¡°Did you rip that bastard apart today?¡±


    For the first time all night, his calm cracked. Just a flicker. Then he nodded.


    Good.


    Because I hated her brother. The way Alexander moved¡ªcontracts and signatures and the kind of pride that only worked in boardrooms. He thought paper made him powerful.


    But Luca had stripped him already. In front of men who mattered. Cut him down to size without lifting a hand.


    And that mattered more. Because people like Alexander only cared about perception. The illusion of power.


    And nothing tore it faster than silence from a Crow, followed by ruin.


    I dragged deep on the cigarette. My hands still throbbed, chest still heavy, but her breathing lingered in my head like a tether.


    For the first time all night, I wasn¡¯t drowning.

 The Silent War: Chapter 14

    Alexander was behind the long ss table, sleeves rolled, the file spread open between us like an usation. My file. My name stamped across page after page in tinum emboss.


    EMILIA V. ADAMS XII


    ¡°You stole it.¡± His anger clear without raising his voice. Fury in dynasty men never needed volume ¡ª it lived in restraint, in the pause.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t?¡ª¡±


    ¡°You stole my inheritance. My corridor. My heirs¡¯ birthright.¡± He pushed the folder once, hard enough that it slid across ss. It hit the edge, pages going everywhere. ¡°The ord was supposed to be mine.¡±


    I forced myself to hold his stare. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His jaw flexed once, twice. ¡°The dynasty doesn¡¯t care who asks. They care who holds. And right now the spine of our family, the Dynasty is in your hands instead of mine.¡±


    The weight of it pressed down on me ¡ª not just his fury, but the truth in it. The Liria ord wasn¡¯t just a trade route. It was the lifeblood of the Adams Dynasty.


    I swallowed hard. ¡°Maybe Father?¡ª¡±<fn7c22> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn7c22>


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Alexander eyes sharpened. ¡°Don¡¯t try to sanctify this with his memory. He blindsided me. Blindsided the dynasty. Handed twelve generations of power to a girl who can¡¯t hold her wine without fainting.¡±


    That was one time and it wasn¡¯t the wine it was the micro-dosed lip balm. Charlotte was still experimenting with the doses.


    ¡°You think this is some¡­pliment? It isn¡¯t. It¡¯s a fracture. And fractures get exploited until they shatter.¡±


    ¡°What if I keep it?¡± I asked.


    His eyes narrowed. A silence, sharp as ss, stretched between us.


    Then heughed. Cold without humor.


    ¡°If you keep it, you¡¯ll be dead within a year.¡± He leaned forward, palms t on ss. ¡°And when you die, it passes back into the dynasty anyway. That¡¯s thew. You think you¡¯ll outmaneuver dynasties older than Viin itself? You think the syndicates won¡¯t gut you just to make a point? You¡¯re not untouchable, Emilia. You¡¯re bait.¡±


    The words hollowed me.


    But I refused to look away.


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll learn.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯ll be used. That¡¯s the difference. You¡¯ve never run manifests through Estalia in winter. Never bribed a syndicate port with blood instead of money. Never stared down Captains who¡¯d slit your throat just to check if Adams blood runs red like theirs.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be na?ve.¡± He red at the folder for a moment. ¡°This isn¡¯t about you. It¡¯s about us. About the Adams line. Our father¡¯s corridor is our spine, and I will not let you turn it into a personal experiment in rebellion.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re already nning to take it back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to n,¡± he said coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re married, the corridor transfers to your husband. That¡¯s how it works. I¡¯ll find the right man, and through him the ord wille home.¡±


    I stared at my name across the table.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to fight you, Emmy.¡±


    The childhood name gutted me. He hadn¡¯t called me that in years.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he went on. ¡°Father left you something too big. Too dangerous. I¡¯m the only one who can carry it without getting us both killed. That doesn¡¯t mean you lose everything. It means you survive.¡±


    My chest tightened.


    He saw it.


    ¡°One heir,¡± he said carefully. ¡°That¡¯s all it takes. One contract. One child registered into the Codex. And then? You¡¯re done. Retired. I¡¯ll make sure the man knows his ce. He takes a fraction, not the whole. You keep your safety. Your freedom. No dynasty stage, no endless tours. By twenty-five, you¡¯re out. You get to vanish. That¡¯s better than Father ever gave Mother.¡±


    I went still. Because part of me wanted to believe him.


    And he knew it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not punishment,¡± Alexander said. ¡°It¡¯s protection. I¡¯ll find someone who doesn¡¯t humiliate you. Who understands you¡¯re an Adams, not a pawn. Better I choose than leave you to men who¡¯ll take it all.¡±


    His eyes held mine. But there was something else underneath ¡ª conviction. The kind that made him sound almost merciful.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m the enemy. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m the one standing between you and the wolves.¡±


    I wanted to scream again. Wanted to call him liar. Maniptor. Dynasty first, brother second.


    But the words stayed stuck in my throat.


    Because he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    And that was the worst part.


    Alexander¡¯s voice smoothed as though fury could be reced with strategy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cancel the parade,¡± he said.


    The words stopped me.


    He watched me carefully, letting them hang in the air, calcted mercy dressed as concession. ¡°The tour after your twenty-first was supposed to be staged. Contracts paraded, heirs lined up like auctioneers. That was before the will. Before the ord. I¡¯ll cancel it. No showcases.¡±


    I blinked. Slowly. My pulse was a drum against my ribs.


    He leaned back in his chair, steady, controlled. ¡°You¡¯re not for sale. I¡¯ll prove that. The Adams name won¡¯t stand you beneath chandeliers like an ornament to be bartered. I¡¯ll shield you from it.¡±


    My throat tightened.


    Because part of me wanted to believe him. To believe there was mercy hidden beneath all the dynasty sharpness. That my brother ¡ª myst anchor ¡ª would step into the role Father left behind and protect me, not trade me.


    But the other part ¡ª the part still raw from years of rehearsed smiles, from every etiquette drill, from being told one day you¡¯ll be leverage ¡ª knew better.


    The fact was, father had made sure Alexander would have to.


    I looked at the paper across the table.


    Our father didn¡¯t agree with a lot of what the Dynasty said. That was the reason I sat on hisp for most meeting


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that always your job?¡± I asked softly.


    His eyes flicked sharp.


    ¡°You were supposed to be shielding me already. When they paraded me through Ascension Hall at fourteen. When they made me bow in dresses to men who measured my waist like it was livestock stocktaking. When they sat me beside cousins twice my age and whispered dowry numbers under the table. Weren¡¯t you meant to be stopping that then?¡±


    The silence cut colder than his fury had.


    He exhaled through his nose, ¡°I was protecting what I could. But I didn¡¯t have the ord then to leverage the Dynasty. Now I do. Through you.¡±


    ¡°Through me,¡± I repeated bitterly.


    ¡°Yes. And that makes me dangerous enough to pull you out of the parade. To tell the Sovereign Council that you won¡¯t be auctioned. That we¡¯ll find the right person, not the highest bidder.¡±


    His voice dropped, almost kind. ¡°You want control? This is how it starts. I¡¯ll choose with you, not for you. I¡¯ll make sure he understands. That he knows you¡¯re not just a name to absorb. That the ord isn¡¯t his to bleed.¡±


    The way he said it almost sounded like love.


    But I could see the truth beneath it ¡ª the same truth I had seen when he folded the folder shut. His promise wasn¡¯t for me. It was for the dynasty. The corridor.


    And yet¡­ a part of me still wanted to hold the words close.


    Because when he said you¡¯re not for sale, it almost felt like he meant it. Almost.

 The Silent War: Chapter 15

    The storm had caused a ckout to half the city.


    Block by block, towers went dark. Traffic blind. Generators were supposed to hold us. Hospitals. Our grids.


    They hadn¡¯t.


    The garage lights flickered twice as a warning. I didn¡¯t wait for my driver. Every second pressed on my chest like weight. I needed to move. I needed Luca in the same room, not across a line. To see him breathing.


    We didn¡¯t cope well in the dark. It was worse when we were blind and separated.


    I went straight to the cars.


    The first buzz hit in my pocket. Then another. I ignored it. Syndicate chatter never stopped. The city was dark, we were vulnerable.


    The third buzz was different. Deep. Wrong. I pulled the phone.


    VEHICLE IMPACT ¡ª SUBJECT: EMILIA V. ADAMS.


    Hard stop. Airbag deploy. Driver heartline lost. GPS ping. Underpass. East pylon.


    The alert wasn¡¯t luck. Luca and I had buried a system into every Adams vehicle years ago. If her car so much as clipped a curb, we knew. Impact sensors, heartline monitors, GPS redundanciesyered three deep.


    Which meant. Emilia car had been in an ident.


    My chest tightened. The cigarette slipped from my mouth.


    I was already running. My thumb hit call. Luca picked up before the first ring died.


    ¡°You got it?¡± His voice was controlled, cold. He was close to spiralling. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Garage,¡± I said.


    ¡°Take the armored Maserati. Ferrari will aquane.¡±


    ¡°Medics?¡±


    ¡°Grid¡¯s dead. General¡¯s overrun. I¡¯ll dump power from the vault floor. Ny seconds.¡±


    Line went dead. Luca didn¡¯t waste words when he needed silence.


    The Maserati¡¯s door mmed shut behind me. One press lit the dash. I reserved too hard the tires caught for a second.


    Viin without power looked haunted. ck towers, ck river. The endless lightning across the skyline. Something straight out of a nightmare. Right now, it was the backdrop for our nightmare.


    The wheel shook under my hands. Wipers were useless against the rain.


    It might be false.


    Pings failed sometimes. Sensors tripped. Heartline alerts misfired. Maybe it wasn¡¯t her car. Maybe it was another Adams vehicle, that she wasn¡¯t in.


    She was fine. She had to be.


    I forced the lie into my head over and over until it felt almost true.


    I pictured her safe in bed, annoyed at the outage. I told myself she was rolling her eyes, not bleeding in a wreck.


    My grip locked on the wheel. I pressed harder.


    Nothing happened. Nothing touched her.


    I said it again. Louder in my head.


    I thought of Luca. Of how I¡¯d face him if I arrived and it was nothing. He¡¯d tell me it was good I came anyway. He¡¯d remind me this was why we built systems.


    But if I arrived and it was her¡ªif it was really her¡ªthen the system hadn¡¯t been enough.


    The engine roared. The city kept pulling me closer to the river.


    South Dockway veered left before the bridge. Everyone knows to avoid the bridge in bad weather. But I didn¡¯t care. The ping told me to. This was the closest way to where she was.


    I turned the bend. A car was wrapped around a pole.


    For half a second I thought I was early. That she¡¯d be standing there, wet and furious.


    Then I saw the te. Adams crest, warped in the grill.


    Stomach dropped. This was fucking happening. All the systems in the world don¡¯t prepare you for the one nightmare you built them to stop.


    I parked acrossnes. Left the door hanging open.


    The driver was over the wheel. Forearm braced like he could still hold himself alive. I didn¡¯t look at his face. I knew his name. I¡¯d say itter at his funeral. When we made sure his family would be set for their lifetime.


    Back door was stuck. The handle snapped. I smashed ss with my elbow until blood ran down my wrist. Then I climbed through.


    She was there.


    Seatbelt locked across her chest. Corbone red. She was leaning forward, blood running down the side of her face. For a full second. I froze.


    ¡°Em.¡±


    She opened her eyes, dazed. Thank fucking god.


    ¡°Bastion?¡± Her voice broken. ¡°How are you?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± My chest already breaking. ¡°Try not to move. Don¡¯t look around. Look at me.¡±


    Her eyes flickered.


    ¡°Baby,¡± I slid an arm under her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± Fingers came away red. I forced myself not to react. I needed her out of this fucking car. I pulled at the belt.


    She screamed.


    It ripped straight through me. I¡¯d taken a hot knife to the chest better.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I forced out. Voice steady. She needed me to be steady. Calm. ¡°It¡¯s your arm. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    It was a lie.


    Her arm was crushed under steel. Wrist swelling. Door folded wrong. Seat rails bent. I took in the scene like I was trained.


    She wasn¡¯t okay.


    But my voice wasn¡¯t allowed to say that.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± My hand shook once against her jaw before I locked it still.


    She blinked slow. Her focus slipped.


    ¡°Angel,¡± I whispered. The word cut through me. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Rain hammered the roof. She can¡¯t leave us like this. A car ident. A fucking wet road and a pole taking the love of our life. No. It wasn¡¯t happening.


    She looked at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here¡­how are you?¡ª¡±


    ¡°I should.¡± I cut her off. My voice cracked again. ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re fine.¡±


    Another lie. But she needed it. And I needed it to be true.


    Her breath hitched. I tore off my jacket and pulled it over her. It was soaked from the rain. Pretend warmth. Pretend control.


    Her lips parted. ¡°Bastion¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± My voice broke. ¡°Look at me. Don¡¯t close your eyes.¡±


    She tried to smile. The smallest thing. My ribs split around it. Only Emilia would try tofort someone else, when she was bleeding.


    My phone buzzed once, I answered it without looking. We both were shattering. He could feel it. I could feel it. One soul, two bodies.


    ¡°Bastion.Talk.¡±


    ¡°Head cut. Arm pinned. Wrist swelling. Driver gone. Second guard shallow. I need cutters.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡± His voice split¡ªhalf to me, half to his room. ¡°Sweep in ny. I¡¯ll bring the corridor up. Two minutes of light. That¡¯s all I can steal.¡±


    ¡°Steal more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the vault.¡±


    The line stayed open. Because he needed it. The storm thought it owned the night. Then the lights hit.


    Two blocks of underpass casted light. Just as the Medics rushed in.


    ¡°Do not touch her,¡± I snapped. ¡°Not until the arm¡¯s stable. Pull wrong and I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Crow.¡± Medic¡¯s voice calm. ¡°Permission to enter?¡±


    ¡°You have it.¡±


    Cutters went through the belt. I needed to take her pain. I hated feeling this helpless.


    ¡°Pulse weak but present,¡± she said. ¡°Headceration. Probable concussion. Arm trapped. We cut the door.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    I bent over her. Covered her head with my body. My back caught the spray, off ss as they cut the door. My hand stayed on her pulse.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not moving. I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Her breath caught. Her eyes dragged back to mine.


    ¡°On my count,¡± medic said. ¡°Seat up. Roll as one. Mr. Crow¡ªyou¡¯re backboard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting go.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three.¡±


    Her body lifted with mine. Her arm tore free. She screamed.


    It gutted me.


    It would have ripped through Luca at the same time. We took the pain. We protected her. Tonight, we had failed.


    I held her throat lightly, thumb on her pulse. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Another lie. My chest didn¡¯t believe it.


    Straps locked over her. Hands pressed her head. She was out of the car, and ced on the stretcher.


    The van waiting, doors wide. I climbed in with her. No one stopped me.


    ¡°Em.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Eyes open. Look at me.¡±


    She was tired. Every time she closed her eyes, it was half a second too long.


    ¡°Breathe. In. Out. Again.¡±


    She obeyed, weak. Still here.<fn5244> Find the newest release on F¦ÉndNovel</fn5244>


    Medics cut words around us¡ªconcussion, swelling, stabilize, Sovereign. I didn¡¯t hear them. My hand stayed on her shoulder. Warmth still there.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told her, again. For myself. For Luca who was forced to listen on a phone.


    Dynasty hospitals had procedures. They cared about marble floors, gold trimmed rooms.


    The Sovereign¡¯s treated syndicates, soldiers. No questions. Hospitals we owned and funded. Care that rivalled the Dynasties owned hospitals. Luxury given to those who gave us loyalty. Their families given care they wouldn¡¯t receive otherwise.


    The van ride was too long, and a blur in one. When we arrived the Sovereign¡¯s back corridors already open. Staff in scrubs waiting at the back doors.


    I walked with her until I hit the invisible line. I couldn¡¯t go further.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, raw. ¡°I¡¯ll be here when you wake. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll tear it down.¡±


    Her eyes opened once more. Met mine.


    Please baby, don¡¯t make us follow you and drag you back from God himself.


    Then I let her go, and the door closed.

 The Silent War: Chapter 16

    A nurse saying ¡°she¡¯s in recovery¡± as if that word could hold anything.


    I nodded and kept walking.


    Bastion was already there. Chair dragged too close to the bed like he dared anyone to tell him to move it. His palm sat on her shin, thumb moving a slow line over the nket¡ªup, down, repeat. Not thinking about it. Not stopping.


    Emilia slept. Color better. The worst of the blood gone from her hairline. An ugly strip of tape above her eye. Oxygen running low and quiet. She looked small under hospital white, and I hated the white for making her look smaller.


    ¡°Vitals?¡± I asked without looking away.


    ¡°Good,¡± the nurse said. ¡°Better than good. She needs rest.¡±<fn0a37> Newest update provided by Find1Novel</fn0a37>


    I took the far side of the bed, the side with her uninjured arm. I slid my fingers around her hand, careful of the IV. Her skin was warm. That helped. Not enough.


    I didn¡¯t sit. I stood where I could see the door, the window, Bastion, the monitors, the skyline through the blind. Sovereign¡¯s east wing faced the river; the ckout had hit it hard. Whole blocks across the water were still dead. My grids were wing their way back.


    ¡°Alexander?¡± Bastion asked.


    ¡°Not tonight.¡± I kept my tone t. ¡°His car lost a wheel bearing at the tunnel. Then the tunnel had a maintenance incident. Then his backup car developed an electrical fault. By the time they clear it, it¡¯ll be morning.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Pity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m devastated.¡±


    We both watched her breathe.


    The room had the wrong temperature. I adjusted it three degrees down on my phone, then nudged the airflow to silent. The drip set a metronome I didn¡¯t like, so I changed it. The noise went away.


    I checked her chart on the tablet at the foot of the bed. They¡¯d chosen the right analgesic. Good. If they hadn¡¯t, I would have made them choose again.


    A text rolled across my screen¡ªpower team asking if they could reroute load from the west end casino to another grid to elerate the hospital ring. I typed back one word: Do. A minuteter, the far skyline came back to life.


    Bastion stroked her shin. Up, down. Repeat. His knuckles were split and bandaged. He hadn¡¯t let anyone clean the ss out until she was under and dered stable. I didn¡¯t argue with him. I understood the math.


    He nced up at me. ¡°You saw it.¡±


    ¡°I saw enough.¡±


    ¡°You should see less.¡± His thumb traced another line. ¡°It sticks.¡±


    ¡°It always sticks.¡± I squeezed her hand once. Not enough pressure to wake her. Enough to tell my body she existed. ¡°How long since they settled her?¡±


    ¡°Thirty.¡± He didn¡¯t take his eyes off her face. ¡°Forty.¡±


    I checked anyway. Thirty-seven.


    That was when the fear came. It does that. It waits until you¡¯re not running, ordering, stealing power out of a casino floor to feed a hospital corridor, and then it sits on your chest and whispers you¡¯re toote.


    I looked at the door and imagined Alexander walking through it¡ªvoice cold. I saw the way Emilia would make room for him out of old habits and good manners. I pictured a nurse with the wrong badge trying to separate the bed from us with a policy.


    We wouldn¡¯t be okay.


    I could leave a thousand men in the hallway and it wouldn¡¯t fix the feeling. It wasn¡¯t about the number of bodies. It was about being told to go. If someone told us to leave, something in me would break in a clean, permanent line.


    So I made sure no one could tell us to leave.


    Alexander¡¯s route was already burnt. His people were calling Sovereign security; Sovereign security wasn¡¯t answering. Not because I told them not to, but because they were busy remembering who signed their checks. The city lights turned back on in pulses. I watched theme alive in the window and felt the anger rise.


    He didn¡¯t get to arrive tonight. Not into this room.


    The monitor chirped once¡ªartifact. I reached with my free hand and tapped the reset because I needed to touch the thing that made the sound. Bastion didn¡¯t flinch. He was still tracing that same line. Up. Down.


    Sovereign is good at keeping its voice down. The hallway kept a polite distance from our door. I¡¯d made a quiet call in the elevator and given them the rules: no students, no staff with Alexander¡¯s crest, no family except ours. The night nurse pretended not to understand the word ours and then followed it perfectly.


    I watched Emilia¡¯s mouth. She had the kind of mouth that made you think yes before you heard the question. The tape above her eye bothered me. Not the tape¡ªwhat it implied. Someone had cut into her and put their hands on her face. Medical, necessary, lifesaving. I still wanted names. I wanted to sign theirpetence myself.


    Bastion finally sat back a fraction. ¡°You going to tell me what else you broke?¡±


    ¡°The tunnel registry for the night,¡± I said. ¡°Traffic will me the weather. The weather will forgive me.¡±


    He almost smiled for real. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    My phone vibrated again. Not an alert. A message from the power room¡ªRing three back. Ring two in two minutes. Our city, wasing back to life. One grid at a time.


    I breathed. The breath didn¡¯t fix anything. It just existed.


    Her fingers moved under mine, barely a flex, then still. The fear on my chest got lighter.


    ¡°You can sleep,¡± Bastion said to her, thumb finding the same path again. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, obviously. That wasn¡¯t the point. He needed to say it. I needed to hear it.


    ¡°We are,¡± I added. ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    I thought about the yacht. About the reunion. The shape of a room we hadn¡¯t walked into yet and the number of people who would think they had a right to speak our names there. I thought about how many exits it had. Fear doesn¡¯t make me smaller. It makes lists.


    A nurse opened the door two inches and saw my face and decided her question could wait. Good. I didn¡¯t want to speak to anyone who wasn¡¯t her.


    Bastion¡¯s jaw flexed once. ¡°He¡¯ll try again at dawn.¡±


    ¡°He can try.¡± I checked the time. ¡°He¡¯ll find the pedestrian bridge closed. Maintenance.¡±


    ¡°What about the helicopter?¡±


    ¡°Fog advisories.¡± I looked at the window. The fog advisories were mine. ¡°No pilotnds in it unless he wants his license stripped.¡±


    ¡°Kind,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m merciful,¡± I said.


    We stood there like that¡ªone hand each on her.


    Fear had less room with the lightsing back. Anger didn¡¯t leave. It never does.


    I checked her IV again. Checked her oxygen. Checked that the line in my phone marked ALEXANDER stayed gray.


    ¡°Luca,¡± Bastion said, not looking at me. ¡°If they try to move her, you¡¯ll have to stop me from killing someone.¡±


    ¡°I already have,¡± I said.


    He nodded once. Understood.


    Her hand warmed more under mine. I felt my heartbeat show up in my fingertips. Stupid, but it felt like proof.


    ¡°Angel,¡± Bastion said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say the word. It isn¡¯t mine. Mine are numbers and doors and cities turning their lights back on because I told them to.


    Still, I leaned closer. ¡°You scared me,¡± I said in a voice no one else gets. ¡°Don¡¯t make a habit of it.¡±


    Her mouth twitched like a dream had a sense of humor. It was nothing. It was everything.


    She was okay.


    We weren¡¯t, not really, not if anyone told us to walk out that door and leave her in a room without our hands on her. But tonight no one was walking in with the power to ask.


    Alexander would arrive in the morning to a city that had chosen a side while he slept.


    Bastion kept stroking her leg. I kept her hand in mine. The lights kept returning like a promise I had written and enforced. And for the first time since the buzz in my pocket, I let myself breathe, all the way in and I didn¡¯t feel like I was stealing air from a future that didn¡¯t exist yet.

 The Silent War: Chapter 17

    I woke to find Bastion in the chair beside my bed, as if he¡¯d been sitting there all night and never thought to move.


    The shadow on his jaw made him look harsher, older. The tattoos, the darkness in his eyes. His knuckles broken bloody. By the looks of it, he hadn¡¯t changed. I wondered if he had left the hospital at all.


    For a second, I thought I was still there¡ªin the car, the rain, his voice cutting through the panic. Look at me. Don¡¯t close your eyes.


    Then the IV tugged against my wrist when I shifted, and I remembered where I was.


    Alive at the hospital, recovering because of him.


    I remembered the way his jacket had been shoved over my chest. His voice steady when mine wasn¡¯t. How he blocked me from the sparks and debris.


    If it hadn¡¯t been him, I might not have made it out.


    My throat felt raw when I whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His head snapped up. His eyes locked with mine. God, he looked tired.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said, he looked down. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me for breathing.¡±


    ¡°Bastion¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything,¡±


    I looked down at the nket, my hand trembling as I pulled it closer. ¡°I could¡¯ve died. If you hadn¡¯t?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not while I¡¯m breathing.¡± He cut me off before I could finish the sentence.


    Something inside me cracked. Gratitude and guilt tangled together, so much it hurt. What were the chances my ex-boyfriend would find me.


    I lifted my uninjured hand and touched his arm.


    He went still, like my touch startled him more than the crash had. That was when I noticed the bruising under the gauze, the way the wrap was already darkened through, the shards still caught beneath his nails.


    He had bled for me.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His voice stayed rough, but he shifted enough that my hand could rest against him. Like he needed it, even if he¡¯d never admit it.


    The guilt twisted sharper. ¡°You smashed through a ss window. You could¡¯ve been killed. You¡¯ve seriously hurt yourself.¡± The words came out sharper than I intended, the first real crack in my voice.


    His mouth twitched, not quite a smile. ¡°Better me than you.¡±


    ¡°Is your elbow even okay? Your hand?¡±


    He shrugged. Didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Show me,¡± I demanded, surprising myself with the force of it. ¡°I mean it, Bastion.¡±


    He held my stare for a long second, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He spoke softer, but that didn¡¯t change what I swore.


    I stared at his hand, the bruising covering his wrist. The sight gutted me.


    ¡°You¡¯re impossible,¡± I murmured, but my fingers tightened on his arm.


    His eyes softened even as his jaw stayed locked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he repeated, quieter now.


    He leaned forward slightly, his other hand moved. He was about to reach for me, only to stop himself. Pulling back as he thought I¡¯d push him away.


    That hurt more than my arm.


    I lifted my hand from his arm and touched his face instead.


    His jaw tightening under my hand for a second.


    ¡°Why do you always do this?¡± I asked quietly.


    His eyes locked on mine. For once, he didn¡¯t look like the controlled Crow everyone else feared. He looked like my Bastion.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re ours,¡± he said it in a way as if it was still true. ¡°Always were.¡±


    My chest ached¡ªnot from the bruises, but from something older. Something I hadn¡¯t let myself feel in years.


    I let my hand drop back to the nket. ¡°You should go home. Shower. Get some sleep.¡±


    His head shook instantly. ¡°No. You¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s a hospital.¡±


    ¡°Your brother will take you.¡±<fnf> For more chapters visit find?novel</fnf>


    That was when I saw it, the way his fingers pressed too hard against his thigh, the way his gaze wouldn¡¯t stay still. He wasn¡¯t calm. He was panicked, holding it down, hiding it under control.


    Shock, maybe. Or the wreck reying in his head. I knew one thing: if I had found him in that car, arm jammed under twisted steel, I wouldn¡¯t be okay.


    I touched his arm again, softer this time. ¡°Promise me,¡± I whispered. ¡°When Lucaes up, you¡¯ll shower. You¡¯ll take care of yourself.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think if one twin was here, the other wouldn¡¯t be.


    His eyes closed briefly. When they opened, they were darker.


    I tired to keep my eyes open, my fingers tracing his arm just barely. I wanted to thank him again. Only Bastion would smash through a ss window and act as if it was nothing. I closed my eyes longer than I wanted.


    ¡°Promise,¡± I said. ¡°Promise you¡¯ll take care of yourself.¡±


    I felt his fingers at my temple for a moment, brushing my hair back. The same way he used to when he thought I was asleep at the academy.


    ¡°Okay, baby.¡±


    I thought maybe I imagined it. But it followed me into sleep anyway.

 The Silent War: Chapter 18

    Two days since the ident that Bastion had pulled me from.


    I stirred, the IV tugged at my skin. But what really woke me was the weight of being watched.


    Luca.


    He was in the chair beside my bed. His eyes didn¡¯t move when mine opened.


    ¡°You should be home asleep,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather watch you sleep.¡±


    I looked down at the sheet, because holding his eyes meant remembering too much. Only for his hand to brush mine.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Sore,¡± I admitted. ¡°But okay.¡±


    He nodded once, then reached for the table. Set down a cup.


    ¡°Coffee. The way you like it.¡±


    I wrapped my fingers around it. The first sip made me close my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you. You make it very hard to stay mad at you.¡±


    Between Bastion pulling me from a car wreck and Luca never leaving the hospital. Every day that passed, it was harder to keep a wall up with them.


    He smirked, just enough to make my own lips twitch. ¡°I can bring pizza if it makes you forgive us faster.¡±


    ¡°Luca Crow. Always thinking.¡±


    A knock at the door. A nurse pushed in a covered tray, slid it onto the side table, and left without a word.


    I frowned. ¡°That isn¡¯t hospital food.¡±


    I lifted the lid. Pasta I hadn¡¯t tasted in months from Ember & Ice. My favorite dish. Down to the garlic bread.


    ¡°You had this delivered?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. Just slid the tray closer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I pushed it away an inch.


    ¡°You need to eat.¡± He pulled it back toward me.


    ¡°My arm¡¯s sore. And I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    It was a lie. I was hungry. But he was making me incredibly nervous. That was when I saw it in his eyes. He knew. Luca always knew.


    He picked up the fork, twirled the pasta without looking away, then held it out.


    I hesitated.


    ¡°Please, baby. For me.¡±


    How did that one word still have such an effect on me. I leaned forward and took the bite.


    ¡°You think carbs make up for three years?¡± I asked, after swallowing, trying to make this feel lighter.


    ¡°They bought me five more minutes with youst time. I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    The door opened again.


    Bastion.


    What were the chances out of everyone to find me that night, it was him. That same question had been ying on my mind for days.


    ¡°She¡¯s being difficult,¡± Luca said, still watching me. ¡°Won¡¯t eat.¡±


    I shot him a half-re. Seriously.


    ¡°That true, angel?¡± Bastion asked, dragging chair beside the bed, and sat.


    ¡°No,¡± I said stubbornly.


    I sighed and leaned toward Luca¡¯s fork, taking another bite. Then turned, finding Bastion¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating your food,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I can bet you two haven¡¯t eaten today.¡± I nced between them. ¡°I¡¯m not taking another bite until you do.¡±


    I grabbed a piece of bread, tore it in two, held it out¡ªone half toward each.


    Neither moved.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll feed you. And if you don¡¯t let me. I won¡¯t take another bite.¡±


    Bastion leaned in first, eyes steady on mine as he bit from my hand.


    I turned to Luca, held the other piece up.


    He caught my wrist gently, the same way he used to in the Academy when he stole my pizza. I remembered. And I was sure he did too.


    I sat back against the pillows, pulse loud in my ears, then it should be.


    Bastion picked the fork back up. Twirled pasta. Held it out to me. I leaned forward, eating off the fork.


    Bastion kept the fork steady until I swallowed, then set it down. Only after I finished.


    ¡°Slow, baby,¡± Bastion murmured.


    Luca¡¯s hand came to my shoulder, guiding me back against the pillows like I was too fragile to hold myself. I indulged them, only because they looked so devastated.


    ¡°Come on, angel. You need to sleep.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue. I was already fighting the medication too stay awake.


    Luca adjusted the nket with careful precision, tucking it close around me. His fingers brushed my uninjured wrist, only to rest on my pulse. He didn¡¯t move after that¡ªjust stayed there, stroking slow.


    Bastion¡¯s hand rested near my thigh on the other side, solid and grounding.


    I fought down how this stirred feelings that should be dead. Instead of spiralling and pushing them away. I closed my eyes.


    Thest thing I felt was both of them¡ªone on each side, holding me like they weren¡¯t ever going to let go.<fn1387> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn1387>

 The Silent War: Chapter 19

    Hospitals made me want to burn things down.


    Too many hands. Too many strangers touching what wasn¡¯t theirs.


    I didn¡¯t trust them. Not one nurse. Not one doctor. I supervised every time they gave her medication¡ªwatched the nurse uncap the vial, watched them press it into her IV. If they so much as blinked wrong, I corrected them. Emilia didn¡¯t know that. She thought the staff was professional. Careful. She didn¡¯t know the only reason I let them near her was because I was standing over them.


    Now I wasn¡¯t in the room.


    Alexander was.


    And that made me want to kill someone.


    My phone buzzed again. Fourth time in five minutes. I didn¡¯t even check the name before answering.


    ¡°Numbers?¡± I snapped.


    The voice rattled off percentages. Import schedules. Syndicate crews dragging their feet.


    ¡°Fix it,¡± I said, cutting them off. Then ended the call.


    Another buzz. This time from ck Vault security. A deal was runningte.


    ¡°Handle it,¡± I told them. ¡°Quiet.¡±


    I ended the call before they could answer.


    The hallway feed glowed on my other screen. Four angles on the door to her room. Alexander was still inside. His security lined the corridor, pretending they belonged here.


    I hated that I couldn¡¯t hear the conversation. Hated that I wasn¡¯t watching the nurse press the medication into her line. My grip tightened against the edge of the console.


    I could tap into her phone. Activate the microphone. I almost did it, opened the mirror app.


    But the door opened.


    Alexander stepped out, nked by four of his men. They didn¡¯t look left or right, just moved as a wall down the corridor.


    My jaw locked.


    Every muscle in me tightened with the urge to break his teeth in. To cut out his tongue so he couldn¡¯t say another word to her.


    The second the hall cleared, I was moving.


    I pushed into her room without knocking.


    Emilia was sitting half-upright, eyes too bright, the kind of brightness that came from holding back tears. She tried to smooth her expression when she saw me, but she couldn¡¯t hide it.


    Fury tore through me. I should have listened.<fne70e> This update is avable on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fne70e>


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said, sharper than I meant.


    She blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±


    ¡°Pretend you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Her lips parted, then closed. She looked away, but not before I saw the flicker¡ªrelief. She wasn¡¯t pretending with me. Notpletely. It was progress.


    I crossed the room, set a coffee on the table beside her. My coffee. ck, hot, exactly how she drank it when she stole mine.


    Her fingers hesitated before reaching for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± she admitted softly. ¡°Seeing you again. This much.¡±


    Something sharp cut through me. This much. Like she was still trying to measure me against distance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had your medication?¡± I asked.


    She frowned. ¡°I think so. They gave me something earlier.¡±


    Rage slid cold through my veins. She thinks. The staff didn¡¯t even tell her what they pushed into her line.


    ¡°It¡¯s just painkillers, Luca. Don¡¯t be too concerned.¡±


    Her tone was gentle, almost teasing, because she knew. She could read me as easily as she always had.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you,¡± I said, checking the temperature of her room on my phone.


    Dropped it by two degrees. Adjusted the airflow to keep it quiet. Anything to make sure she didn¡¯t overheat and wake with a headache.


    She shifted, tried to sit up more, and I was already there. My hand at her back, steady, easing her higher against the pillows.


    ¡°Luca¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here every day.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡±


    I ignored that. Adjusted the nket tighter. Made sure the IV line wasn¡¯t pulling.


    Fussing, she¡¯d call it. Necessary, I¡¯d call it.


    Her eyes softened, but her mouth pressed into a line. ¡°I¡¯m going home tomorrow.¡±


    Cold mmed into me.


    ¡°Home?¡±


    ¡°The doctor says I¡¯m well enough. My arm isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    I stared at her. She had no idea. No idea how ipetent they were. How easy it would be for her to miss a dose, for a nurse to slip the wrong vial, for something to go wrong when I wasn¡¯t standing over them.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ll get the right care there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said gently. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡±


    I leaned in, close enough that she couldn¡¯t look away. ¡°You won¡¯t be fine. Not alone.¡±


    Her hand lifted. Soft. She touched my arm, grounding me the way no one else could. ¡°Luca¡­ you¡¯re spiraling.¡±


    The words cut through.


    She said it like it wasn¡¯t a w. And she wasn¡¯t scared of the part of me that lived in spirals.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she whispered.


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re not. And you won¡¯t be if you¡¯re alone.¡±


    Silence pressed heavy between us. My chest ached with it.


    ¡°Stay here. Ore with us. Anywhere but home by yourself.¡±


    She looked at me stunned as if she had heard me wrong.


    I didn¡¯t care if it sounded like begging.


    ¡°I can run an empire,¡± I said, voice raw, ¡°but I can¡¯t handle you walking out of my sight again.¡±


    Her hand stayed on my arm. Gentle in a way only she could be.


    And I hated myself for knowing she might still leave.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be alone,¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just what she said it was the tone. It hit me in the gut. Final. The kind of tone that meant I wasn¡¯t going to convince her to stay here. Or toe with us. She was going home¡ªback to Alexander¡¯s penthouse.


    Alexander.


    The iplete man who didn¡¯t deserve to breathe the same air as her. Who sat at her bedside with four security like she needed his protection, when the only thing he¡¯d ever protected was his own position. Worthless.


    I swallowed the anger, forced it into words. ¡°Can we call you?¡±


    Her brows pulled together.


    ¡°Or message you,¡± I added quickly. My chest felt too tight. It was absurd that this moment scared me more than half the wars I¡¯d run. But it did. Because I already knew I couldn¡¯t survive another three years of silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect that. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I cut back. ¡°We¡¯re not. We need to know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    She sighed, eyes softening. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.¡± The sentence trailed off. She pressed her lips together, then let out a breath. ¡°But it¡¯s been¡­ nice. Seeing you again.¡±


    Nice.


    The word scraped like ss. Insulting. I didn¡¯t want to be nice. Didn¡¯t want to be a pleasantry she could file away with polite conversations and dynasty dinners. But it was better than hate.


    A better man would take thepliment. Smile. Leave it at that.


    But I wasn¡¯t better.


    I touched her cheek, slow, my thumb tracing the soft curve of her cheekbone. My other hand cupped the other side of her face, tilting her toward me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been nice?¡± I repeated, voice low, dropping softer as I leaned in. ¡°Really, baby¡­ just nice?¡±


    She nodded, her beautiful big eyes locked with mine, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree it¡¯s¡­ nice to see each other again?¡±


    ¡°Nice isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use. No,¡± I smiled, but it wasn¡¯t a smile. It was hunger. ¡°It¡¯s been oxygen.¡±


    Her eyes widened.


    ¡°We¡¯ve missed you,¡± I traced her cheek again, ¡°But I wish it wasn¡¯t like this. Not you hurt. Not a hospital bed.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess¡­ you had seven different ns of how we would?¡±


    ¡°Not seven.¡± I moved slightly closer, my other hand moving to the back of her neck, ¡°Endless. Until this.¡± I paused. ¡°Until now.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    I smiled, slow, because her nervous inhale gave her away. ¡°You looking at me. Not through me.¡± My thumb stroked her neck, feeling her pulse. ¡°We really fucking missed you, baby.¡±


    Her sigh broke soft, and her uninjured hand came to cover mine.


    ¡°Bastion¡¯s bringing your lunch today,¡± I said, softer, just to ground us both.


    She leaned a fraction closer. My chest tightened, because I wanted to read it as invitation¡ªwanted to believe she was asking me to close the space, to kiss her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my new number.¡± Her fingers squeezed mine. ¡°But no pressure. If you don¡¯t use it¡­ I don¡¯t want you messaging me because you feel like you have to.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I murmured, pressing a kiss against the side of her head.


    Her breath hitched. I felt it. Heard it. Blood rushed through me, proof I still affected her the way she¡¯d always undone me.


    ¡°Luca,¡± she said, my name soft.


    ¡°Yeah, baby.¡±


    ¡°Send a message. This time. Please.¡±


    My brow furrowed. I tilted her face back toward me.


    ¡°When the friendship is over? You two are done. Send a message.¡±


    ¡°Friendship?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what this is.¡± Her eyes didn¡¯t leave mine. ¡°A friendship.¡±


    It burned. Because this wasn¡¯t friendship. This ended with her as our wife. But I smiled instead, indulging her. If it made it easier for her to let us back in her life.


    ¡°Can I convince you to stay at our penthouse then¡ª¡± I leaned closer, brushed her hair back, my other hand sliding off her neck, to the back of her neck. ¡°¡ªas a friend?¡±


    ¡°I have to go home,¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you every hour,¡± I murmured, thumb against her pulse. ¡°Message every half hour.¡±


    She giggled, soft and unguarded, and I let myself breathe it in. God, I¡¯d missed that sound. I kissed the side of her head again, slower this time, holding her in ce.


    Bastion walked in, he looked went from her to me, reading the air in a second.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends now,¡± I told him, dry.


    ¡°Friends,¡± he repeated, as he walked toward us.


    Emilia¡¯s fingers paused on my arm. ¡°If you don¡¯t want friends, I¡¯m happy to take it back.¡±


    Bastion dragged a chair towards us, his hand sliding to her thigh. Fuck. It took everything inside me not to say what good girl she was to not pull away from us.


    ¡°No. Friends work.¡± Bastion thumb traced her knee.


    We both knew it was one step closer to having our girl admitting she wants us back.

 The Silent War: Chapter 20

    Charlotte¡¯s kitchen had gone quiet in the focused way that only happens when friends are doing something they shouldn¡¯t be good at.


    The balms sat in rows. Vivienne¡¯s fingerprint-locked cases on side. Charlotte steadied another tube, drew the brush along the rim with a painter¡¯s care, and clicked it shut.


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe on it,¡± Vivienne said, deadpan, as if exhaling could trigger a felony.


    ¡°I have steady hands,¡± Charlotte repeated.


    ¡°Your hands shake when your mother calls,¡± Vivienne said.


    Charlotte didn¡¯t miss a stroke. ¡°That¡¯s muscle memory, not nerves.¡±


    ¡°Hold it steady,¡± Vivienne muttered, leaning over with a precision that came from years of threading nes instead of syringes. Her bracelets clinked as she pushed a fingerprint-lock case closer. ¡°One wrong swipe and you¡¯ll put yourself under.¡±


    Charlotte rolled her eyes. ¡°Thank you for the vote of confidence.¡±


    Vivienne ignored her, snapped another case open, and began slotting the balms inside. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I like you, Adams,¡± she said to me without looking up. ¡°These cases cost more than my entire winter wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°You say that every time,¡± I said.


    ¡°And it¡¯s true every time,¡± Vivienne shot back.


    I leaned against the counter, watching them work. It should have felt surreal¡ªmy friends dosing cosmetics like it was a parlor game¡ªbut nothing about our world had been surreal for a long time. It was dynasty. If you weren¡¯tundering, you were smuggling. If you weren¡¯t smuggling, you were coating lip balm with poison.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Charlotte said again to herself, slipping the brush over another rim. She moved slow, deliberate, the picture of a girl who wanted her mother¡¯s approval even when her mother wasn¡¯t in the room.


    I smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten good at that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so surprised.¡± She twisted the balm shut with a sharp click. ¡°Micro-dosing is an art.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lip gloss,¡± Vivienne said dryly. ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯re Michngelo.¡±


    Charlotte flicked her hair over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯d kill for my hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d kill for your inheritance,¡± Vivienne shot back. ¡°Not your manicure.¡±


    The banter rolled easy between them.


    ¡°So. The crash.¡± Charlotte nced at me.


    My throat tightened.


    Vivienne looked up, bracelets chiming. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die before I do. It ruins my brand.¡±


    ¡°It was¡ª¡± I started, then stopped. The lie felt heavy before it even formed. ¡°Bastion pulled me out.¡±


    There was a beat of silence that wasn¡¯t empty at all.


    Vivienne was the first to recover. ¡°Of course he did.¡±


    Charlotteughed once. ¡°Nothing like a Crow.¡±


    ¡°You used to call them gutter kings,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°I was a child.¡± She angled the brush. ¡°And my mother liked it when I said her lines for her.¡±


    ¡°Your mother likes it when anybody says her lines,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°It saves her breath for the mirror.¡±


    Charlotte snapped the balm closed. ¡°You didn¡¯t know this, but I was auditioning for the role of ¡®good daughter¡¯ for twelve years straight. The show was terrible. Zero stars. Do not rmend.¡±


    ¡°You got the part,¡± I said.


    ¡°I did,¡± Charlotte said, then shrugged one shoulder with a sadder smile than she meant to show. ¡°And then I quit.¡±


    Vivienne slid a finished row into a case. ¡°You only quit on paper. She still lives in your head.¡±


    ¡°She pays rent,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Which is more than I can say for the men in mine.¡±


    Vivienne¡¯s mouth curved. ¡°Plurals.¡±


    Charlotte didn¡¯t blink.


    The cases clicked as Vivienne arranged them into foam cutouts, velvet straps, tiny ck hex keys maized to the lid. ¡°You know,¡± she said, eyeing me, ¡°for someone who almost turned into a rumor on Dockway, you¡¯re awfully calm.¡±


    ¡°I already did my panic,¡± I said, which was true. It had been quiet and private and I had hated every second of it.


    ¡°What was he like?¡± Charlotte asked, not bothering to pretend she didn¡¯t care. ¡°In the car. Bastion.¡±


    ¡°Steady,¡± Itnded heavier than I wanted. ¡°Like the storm was happening around us, not to us.¡±


    Vivienne made a soft sound that wasn¡¯t quite augh. ¡°Of course.¡±


    I hated the way heat rose in my cheeks. ¡°He¡ªhe put his jacket over me. He used his body to cover mine when the cutters¡ª¡± I stopped. I didn¡¯t want to give them the scream, the way it had torn out of me, how his voice had anchored me to the world. ¡°I¡¯m alive because he was there.¡±


    ¡°Crow math,¡± Charlotte said lightly. ¡°If something is going to break, first you put your body under it.¡±


    ¡°And then,¡± Vivienne added, ¡°you dare it to try.¡±


    I swallowed. My hand found the edge of the table because it needed something to hold.


    Vivienne¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Em.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Vivienne and Charlotte exchanged a look.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I repeated, slower. ¡°I¡¯m here. We¡¯re doing war crimes at your kitchen table.¡±


    Charlotte pointed the brush at me. ¡°Micro-dosing lip balm is not a war crime. It¡¯s art.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s premeditated flirting,¡± Vivienne winked. ¡°Which is worse.¡±


    Charlotte smirked, but her eyes went softer when she looked back at me. ¡°Do you know,¡± she said idly, ¡°my mother used to tell me that Crows don¡¯t feel things. That they learn the shapes of feelings likenguages they can perform.¡±


    ¡°Your mother also thinks ¡®grief¡¯ is a scheduling issue,¡± Vivienne continued to put the balms in.


    ¡°She thinks everything is a scheduling issue,¡± Charlotte rolled he eyes, ¡°But she was wrong about that. The Crows feel. They just don¡¯t announce it.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked, trying to sound like I wasn¡¯t asking.


    Charlotte¡¯s smile went private. ¡°Field research.¡±


    Vivienneughed outright. ¡°Just say Rome. She¡¯s sleeping with Rome.¡±


    Charlotte didn¡¯t dignify it with more than a neatly raised eyebrow and an extra-slow click of a lid.


    ¡°Field research,¡± she repeated, and the phrase sat there with too much gloss on it to be idental.


    ¡°Rome is a bad idea,¡± I said, purely on principle.


    ¡°So is oxygen,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Still inhaling.¡±


    Vivienne shook her head, amused. ¡°And for the record, if we are doing confessions, I like knives and difficult men who pretend they have a soul. Which is to say¡ªNiki.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Niki,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°He looks like a line you shouldn¡¯t cross.¡±


    ¡°He looks like a threat assessment,¡± Vivienne corrected. ¡°And then he opens a door, and you think: oh.¡±


    ¡°And after that?¡± I asked, because apparently I wanted to suffer.


    Vivienne¡¯s smile wentzy, the kind that suggested secrets. ¡°After that, you remember that my mother taught me to never leave without my own key.¡±


    ¡°Your mother taught you to marry a treasury,¡± Charlotte said.


    ¡°She taught me to be one,¡± Vivienne said, and slid thest balm into its velvet tray.


    ¡°Well that exins the extra four months overseas.¡± I said, moving an empty tray towards Charlotte. I felt useless with one hand.<fnab65> This content belongs to f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fnab65>


    Vivienne just smiled. I should have realised it was a man keeping her in those Dynasty halls, and not her grandparents.


    We let the work move our hands for a few minutes. Lids. Clicks. Cases.


    ¡°What did Alexander say?¡± Charlotte asked, too carefully casual. ¡°After?¡±


    ¡°About the crash?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About you being pulled out of a car by a Crow.¡± She didn¡¯t look up when she said it, which meant she cared.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t covered that,¡± I paused for a moment. ¡°Yet.¡±


    ¡°Then he already knows.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡±


    Alexander knew everything, except the parts I buried where even I couldn¡¯t find them.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be at the reunion,¡± Vivienne finished clicking thest of the maic taps on.


    Thest thing we wanted was someone who didn¡¯t know what the lip balm was using it. The owner fingerprint matched to the cap.


    Dynasty daughters knew what the balms where, but outside of that no one.


    ¡°The reunion,¡± Charlotte repeated. ¡°On the yacht.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s the yacht,¡± Vivienne moved a new line vial towards Charlotte . ¡°Where else do dynasty children go to pretend the water can still baptize them?¡±


    ¡°Floating court,¡± Charlotte said, eyes bright. ¡°Floating confessional.¡±


    ¡°Floating trap,¡± Vivienne added.


    I swallowed. ¡°You two are making it sound like a haunted house.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°Only the ghosts wear stain.¡±


    ¡°Are you going?¡± I asked.


    Charlotte¡¯s mouth went sideways. ¡°I am¡ªhow do I put this politely¡ªvery busy not attending. Unless I receive a¡­ persuasive calendar invite.¡±


    ¡°That means if Rome asks,¡± Vivienne tranted.


    Charlotte watered the basil on her windowsill like the nt had personally offended her. ¡°We cannot all be stoic and pure, Emilia. Some of us have appetites.¡±


    Vivienne¡¯s bracelets chimed. ¡°Niki texted an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Of course he did,¡± Charlotte and I said at the same time.


    Vivienne showed us her screen: Bring a case. Not for me<span>.


    ¡°Not for him,¡± Charlotte repeated, smug. ¡°Trantion: for her.¡±


    Vivienne slid the phone away. ¡°It¡¯s possible we are conducting a small market test on the west docks this weekend.¡±


    Charlotte lifted a brow. ¡°Is it a you test or a balm test?¡±


    Vivienne looked scandalized. ¡°Please. I market-test men all the time. This is business.¡±


    ¡°Is business why you have a cufflink in your purse?¡± I asked, because I¡¯d seen the N earlier when she¡¯d searched for a lip balm scoop.


    Vivienne didn¡¯t blush. ¡°It¡¯s coteral.¡±


    ¡°What does Rome keep at your ce?¡± I asked Charlotte lightly, and she didn¡¯t answer, but the faint red mark just under her jaw did.


    ¡°Do your mothers know?¡± I asked before I could stop myself.


    ¡°Mine suspects everything and admits nothing,¡± Charlotte stopped sorting the vials. ¡°She pretends I¡¯m still twelve and can be dressed into obedience.¡±


    ¡°Mine knows and keeps a ledger,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°Everything with her is ounts. Losses, gains, daughters.¡±


    ¡°And mine,¡± I said, then stopped. The kitchen went quiet. ¡°My mother would have told me to stop embarrassing the family.¡±


    Charlotte looked at me a long beat. ¡°Your mother would have told you to stop breathing loud.¡±


    I didn¡¯t cry. We are trained better than that.


    My mother choose freedom. Gave the Dynasty full control of me. To this day I¡¯m only dragged to her events if ordered.


    Perhaps if our mothers had cared more about us, than the Dynasty, we might not be micro-dosing lip balms.


    Charlotte softened the moment by holding up a balm. ¡°Here. Consider it a party favor.¡±


    ¡°From my own party,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°You¡¯re giving away inventory.¡±


    ¡°Add it to your ledger,¡± Charlotte said sweetly.


    Vivienne pretended to scowl, then tucked an extra into my palm. ¡°Just don¡¯t actually use it unless you mean it. You¡¯d be surprised what a kissed wrist can do if someone¡¯s blood sugar is low and their ego is high.¡±


    ¡°Which is to say,¡± Charlotte murmured, ¡°everyone we know.¡±


    I weighed the tube in my hand. It looked like any other gloss¡ªchic, minimal, no hint of danger beyond the people holding it.


    Vivienne smirked, snapping the case closed with a sharp click. ¡°Heirs will pay triple for something that makes them float and still lets them walk back into a g without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°Gets them high,¡± Charlotte added, stacking the tubes neat. ¡°Not dead. Too much mess in that. Don¡¯t underestimate cosmetics, Emilia. Dynasty boys will lick anything off your mouth if you let them.¡±


    Luxury disguised as innocence.


    Charlotte watched me watch it. ¡°We could have been normal,¡±


    ¡°Normal never invited us,¡± Vivienne said.


    ¡°Normal didn¡¯t send you a Crow,¡± Charlotte added, and there it was: the truth they were dying to pull into the light.


    I gave them a look. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend with us,¡± Vivienne touched my arm gently. ¡°We saw your face when you said his name or should we say their names.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a face.¡±


    ¡°You made a face,¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°It was small and full of ruin.¡±


    I wanted to deny it again. ¡°He¡ªhe put his hand on my cheek in the car,¡± I heard myself say. ¡°He told me not to close my eyes. Neither of them left the hospital until I was discharged.¡±


    Vivienne reached for another case just to have something to do with her hands. ¡°And did you close your eyes?¡±


    ¡°I did. But only after he let me.¡±


    We all sat with that for a moment. Both of them remembered how they broke me. It was around the same time we started micro dosing lip balms.


    ¡°Here is what I know,¡± Charlotte said, leaning back, looking like a judge in a trial. ¡°If a Crow wants you, if he chooses you, if he decides you are under his jurisdiction, the rest of the city can fall into the ocean and he will still be there, holding your jaw, telling you to look at him. It¡¯s not romantic. It¡¯s insane. It¡¯s also?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Useful,¡± Vivienne said practically.


    ¡°¡ªterrifying,¡± Charlotte finished, but she smiled when she said it.


    ¡°How is Rome terrifying?¡± I asked, because if I had to think about the twins any longer I would start shaking.


    ¡°He knows where every exit is,¡± she said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t brag about it. He just always stands with his back to the correct wall. That¡¯s a man who lived without permission long enough to make it policy.¡±


    ¡°And Niki?¡± I asked.


    Vivienne¡¯s eyes went distant for half a second. ¡°He makes you feel like your heartbeat is a secret only he can hear.¡±


    ¡°Gross,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Are you two warning me,¡± I asked, ¡°or advertising?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they said together, and weughed in a way that felt like breathing.


    When the cases were full, Vivienne locked them with her thumb, then pressed a secondary key sequence only she knew. She stacked them like treasure and slid the whole thing into a matte travel trunk.


    ¡°Delivery?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Dispersal,¡± she corrected. ¡°One to the south warehouse. One to the docks.¡±


    ¡°Now as for the yacht. You don¡¯t have to go,¡± Charlotte said.


    ¡°Yes, she does. If she doesn¡¯t, the story writes itself without her.¡±


    ¡°I hate when you¡¯re right,¡± Charlotte told Vivienne.


    ¡°You love it,¡±


    I moved my hand over the travel trunk¡¯s lid. ¡°It¡¯s just a reunion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never just a reunion,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°Not on that boat.¡±


    ¡°Stop being ominous,¡± Charlotte told her. ¡°She knows.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know everything,¡± Vivienne said, and the way she said it made me lift my eyes.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Vivienne weighed the moment. ¡°They¡¯ll be there,¡± she said that as if she hadn¡¯t warned me about that a few moments ago. ¡°Luca. Bastion.¡±


    ¡°Trantion: don¡¯t be alone on any balcony.¡±


    ¡°Or do,¡± Vivienne corrected, ¡°if you can live with what happens after.¡±


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t?¡± I asked. Because a part of me needed them to tell me if I could.


    ¡°I think you already decided to drown once,¡± Vivienne touched my hand, ¡°And you survived. That makes you dangerous.¡±


    And perhaps it made me stupid to go back knowing how this ends.


    We stood there a long moment, three dynasty daughters, surrounded by lip balm that could kiss a man intopliance.


    ¡°I have to go back to the penthouse after this,¡± I reached for my phone to check if Alexander had messaged. My car ident had been an inconvenience.


    ¡°Take a case,¡± Vivienne said.


    ¡°Leave a case,¡± Charlotte countered. ¡°At my ce. Or his.¡± She said his in a way that could have meant the twins or my brother; that was the problem with girls like us¡ªwe knew too many pronouns and not enough safe nouns.


    I slipped the extra balm into my pocket and pretended not to feel its weight.


    ¡°Text us from the elevator,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Lie and say you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Send a picture,¡± Vivienne already tucking her hair behind one ear. Most likely nning which dress she was going to wear to the yacht.


    ¡°Of what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of you,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°Alive.¡±


    I looked at them¡ªCharlotte with her ridiculous brush, Vivienne with her cases.


    My girls. My proof that something of me still existed outside hospitals, Dynasty events and two crows that kept me up at night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a picture,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°And if you see Rome?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tell him you said hi?¡± I offered.


    ¡°Tell him I said nothing,¡± she replied, smug. ¡°He will know what it means.¡±


    Vivienne set the trunk gently into her car like it was a person. Charlotte locked her door and slid an extra balm into the mailbox for luck.


    ¡°We should do face masks,¡± Charlotte said suddenly, as if she needed to swing the pendulum back to something pretty.


    ¡°We literally just weaponized the face,¡± Vivienne said.


    ¡°I meant the hydrating kind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do masks after the reunion,¡± I said. ¡°If we still have skin.¡±


    Charlotteughed, relieved by the joke she hadn¡¯t been able to make herself.


    Vivienne started the car. Charlotte hummed a song that had lived on the radio when we were ten, the year our mothers still believed the world would shape itself around us instead of the other way around.


    We hadn¡¯t be our mothers.


    We hadn¡¯t be normal.


    We had be girls who knew how to build a thing that could pass for either salvation or sin, depending on who opened it.


    Which, as Charlotte liked to say, is a kind of art.

 The Silent War: Chapter 21

    Alexander sat at the head. Corvin on his right, hand t on a leather folder. Marus on his left, sses clean enough to make him look thoughtful instead of dangerous. Two handlers stood near the door, tablets ready, eyes down.


    A month ago I would have sat small. I would¡¯ve counted light fixtures and told myself to be grateful I was allowed in the room at all.


    Maybe the twins were a bad influence on me.


    Alexander didn¡¯t look at me first. He never did. He nced at Corvin, then at Marus, as if checking a mirror that would answer back.


    ¡°We¡¯re pausing all mergers,¡± Alexander said, like it was the weather. ¡°Until the ord paperwork is formalized.¡±


    ¡°The Adams spine isn¡¯t something we can risk,¡± Corvin added. ¡°We need the right man to stabilize it.¡±


    ¡°The right man,¡± Marus repeated.


    I let them speak over me for another minute.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, even. ¡°Before we continue¡ªI have a condition.¡±


    Corvin¡¯s eyes lifted in a slow, practiced blink. Marus¡¯s pen stilled. Alexander finally looked at me.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unwell we can¡ª¡± Marus started.


    ¡°Contractual,¡± I said. ¡°Not medical.¡±


    The closest handler coughed into a sleeve. Alexander¡¯s mouth ttened.


    ¡°State it,¡± he said.


    ¡°I want to raise my child,¡± I said.


    ¡°The heir,¡± Corvin corrected, almost kindly.


    ¡°My child,¡± I corrected back.


    A small shift went through the room, not loud enough to call a reaction.


    ¡°You want to¡­ raise them,¡± Marus said, as if I¡¯d misused the verb.


    ¡°I want full control over their life,¡± I said. ¡°No dynasty advisor or handler can overrule me. I want it in writing. Irrevocable.¡±


    ¡°To what point?¡± Alexander asked. ¡°You can¡¯t change a system, or a lineage.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe if our mother had chosen you, Alexander, you¡¯d be different. Maybe the whole dynasty would be different if someone chose the child before the bloodline.¡±


    All three men looked at me, as if I was too naive to understand what I was saying.


    Alexander¡¯s jaw didn¡¯t move. ¡°Loving one child won¡¯t change the bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not. But maybe my child will choose their children. And maybe those children will choose theirs. Maybe in three generations there¡¯s a better bnce between love and the ledger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve read too many fairytales,¡± Alexander said. It wasn¡¯t an insult. It was a diagnosis.


    ¡°And why do you think I turned to them?¡± I asked, not raising my voice. ¡°Is it so terrible I want it recorded that I¡¯m the mother next to my child¡¯s name¡ªnot only the dynasty¡¯s crest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be recorded,¡± Corvin tapped his finger on the folder. ¡°There are lines next to lines for lineage. This isn¡¯t personal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± I kept my voice calm, controlled. I would not let them put my request down to emotions.


    Marus rubbed his thumb against the edge of his pen. ¡°Even if we indulged this¡ªhypothetically¡ªwhat are you asking for in practice?¡±


    ¡°A use. I make decisions about the child¡¯s education, medical care, travel, security. I can deny ess. I can refuse handlers. I can refuse the role of heir if the child isn¡¯t well. And if I¡¯m incapacitated, my choice of guardian stands. Dynasty approval is advisory only.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be undone?¡± Alexander asked.


    ¡°In writing,¡± I said. ¡°With teeth.¡±


    Corvin opened his folder. It was for show¡ªhis eyes were on me, not the paper. ¡°You¡¯re asking us to weaken the spine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you not to break a child on it.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s silence stretched enough to be called a distance.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to like my answer,¡± he said.


    ¡°I rarely do,¡± I said.


    Corvin¡¯s pen tapped once. ¡°The question of who raises the heir is an internal family matter?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then make it ours,¡±


    Marus took off his sses. He looked less dangerous with them on. ¡°If you insist on a use, it will be ceremonial. A statement of maternal preference.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a preference,¡± I said. ¡°I want authority.¡±


    Alexander leaned back. ¡°Authority without ountability is a wish. You want to be a mother and not a piece of the machine. We don¡¯t get to be both.¡±


    I could have let it go there. That was the old script¡ªhe gave the limits, I nodded, the meeting ended with other men¡¯s names attached to my future. I thought about standing and leaving, quiet and careful, a good Adams daughter.


    Instead I looked at him. The kind of look that acknowledged the man and not just his chair.


    ¡°There was a time you weren¡¯t like this,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe if our mother had protected you from the dynasty, you wouldn¡¯t be so?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Capable?¡± Alexander cut in. ¡°I took ownership of you. I kept our house respected. I didn¡¯t get swallowed by cousins, uncles, rtives. That¡¯s the job.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I was going to say lonely.¡±


    Something changed around his eyes. A flicker, gone fast enough that if I told anyone they¡¯d call it fiction.


    ¡°Lonely keeps you alive,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe. It also keeps you empty.¡±


    Marus cleared his throat. ¡°We can table the poetry and return to terms.¡±


    ¡°Terms,¡± I repeated. ¡°Fine.¡±


    I slid a page across the ss. Not a legal draft. A list in my handwriting. It felt childish and braver than anything I¡¯d done here.


    Corvin nced down. He read quickly.


    ¡°Education: parent-directed, with external tutors chosen by the mother. Medical: primary consent vested in the mother. Security: veto power over assignments entering the household. Travel: mother determines international movements within legal parameters. Heir status: conditional on health as defined by the mother¡¯s physician of record.¡± He paused. ¡°Guardian: preselected by the mother.¡±


    ¡°Add: no handlers in the home without my consent,¡± I said. ¡°Add: no performance training before age seven. Add: no physical branding. Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I added when Marus¡¯s mouth moved. ¡°We both know there¡¯s a line item in the Codex that would make room for it.¡±


    ¡°Removed,¡± Corvin said smoothly. ¡°Several years ago.¡±


    ¡°Then write it here,¡± I said. ¡°In case someone forgetster.¡±


    Marus put his sses back on. ¡°Even if we were inclined to humor this, there is a practical concern. The right man will want a say.¡±


    ¡°And the wrong man will want the whole child,¡± I said. ¡°If the ord is really about stability, you don¡¯t need a man who can¡¯t stand the word no.¡±


    Alexander watched me like he was trying to find the seam in what I was saying. ¡°You think this makes you stronger.¡±


    ¡°I think this makes the child safer,¡± I said. ¡°And if the dynasty is as unkible as you say, it will survive a mother who loves her child more than the crest.¡±


    ¡°Sentimentality is expensive,¡± he said. ¡°We pay for it in blood.¡±


    Silence. The handlers pretended to read their screens.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a new precedent,¡± Corvin said. ¡°Others will demand it.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll ask,¡± I said. ¡°And if we¡¯re lucky, in three generations more mothers will have their names next to their children¡¯s.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s mouth ttened again. ¡°You learned to speak like this somewhere.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    He looked at my list without picking it up.


    ¡°The mergers pause until the ord is formalized,¡± he said atst, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything else. ¡°We vet candidates. Slowly. Carefully. The spine holds.¡±


    ¡°And my use?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t blink. ¡°We¡¯ll draft a statement of maternal prerogative.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be undone,¡± I said.


    ¡°It can be amended,¡± Marus said.


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    Corvin watched me. ¡°You won¡¯t get ¡®no¡¯ in this room. You¡¯ll getnguage that looks like it. If you want more thannguage, you need leverage.¡±<fn977f> The rightful source is f?ndnovel</fn977f>


    ¡°I know,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Alexander asked.


    I thought about a set of dark hands dragging me out of a crushed car. I thought about another set of hands steadying me in a hospital chair, voice low in my ear telling me to breathe. Leverage had a dozen shapes. I wasn¡¯t ready to put any of them on the table.


    Alexander tapped one finger once against the ss. ¡°The right man,¡± he said again. ¡°We¡¯ll find him. We¡¯re not risking the Adams spine on a romance.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a romance,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡±


    ¡°To a child who doesn¡¯t exist yet,¡± Marus said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said.


    They looked at me like I was dangerous because I was sincere.


    ¡°Emilia,¡± Alexander said, softer than I expected. ¡°You don¡¯t want my job.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your job. I want to do mine.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± he asked, no sarcasm in it this time.


    ¡°To protect what¡¯s mine. Even if I have to write the protection myself.¡±


    We sat with that. The ss cooled under my hands. I could see my reflection looking back¡ªstill,posed, not the girl who used to make herself smaller when men raised their voices.


    Alexander exhaled. The sound was almost augh and wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°We¡¯ll draft something,¡± he said. ¡°It won¡¯t be what you want. It will be more than we usually give.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll read it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll mark it.¡±


    ¡°Of course you will,¡± Corvin murmured, and for the first time his voice sounded almost like approval.


    Marus slid a calendar across to Alexander. ¡°Timelines,¡± he said. ¡°If we¡¯re pausing mergers?¡ª¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Alexander said. ¡°No new entanglements until the ord is inked. I don¡¯t want another family using this moment to charge us interest.¡± He turned back to me. ¡°You will show up. On time. In cream. Not ck.¡±


    I almost smiled. ¡°It photographs as grief.¡±


    ¡°It is grief,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°And yet you¡¯d like me to smile,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we do. We carry and we smile.¡±


    ¡°For the record,¡± I said, because I couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°you weren¡¯t always like this. There was a time you walked me home from school and stopped to buy oranges because I said they smelled like summer.¡±


    He stared at me. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And you were kind. It didn¡¯t make you weak.¡±


    ¡°It made mete,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is that what it is now?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re alwayste to yourself.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer that. He looked at the list again, not picking it up, not pushing it back.


    ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± he said finally, formal again. ¡°Corvin will coordinate the draft. Marus will review. We reconvene in a week.¡±


    I stood. My chair didn¡¯t scrape. I pushed it in like a good student. I didn¡¯t bow my head.


    At the door, he said my name.


    I turned.


    His face had gone smooth again. ¡°Don¡¯t confuse loving one child with saving the world. They¡¯re not the same skill.¡±


    ¡°I know. I want the first. You can keep the second.¡±


    Something like a smile ghosted across his mouth and died there. ¡°You always were the easiest and the hardest problem.¡±


    ¡°Maybe stop thinking of me as a problem,¡± I said. ¡°Start thinking of me as a mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing,¡± he said, and looked back at the papers.


    I should have cared that he dismissed me. I should have cared that I¡¯d asked for something they would bend into a shape that served them first. That in a week we would sit at this table again and pretend we were in control of anything but the words.


    I didn¡¯t.


    I thought of Vivienne¡¯s, Charlotte¡¯s mothers. Even my own. I thought of the eleven Emilia Adams that came before me. How circles don¡¯t break unless you stop repeating it.


    I walked to the elevator. My phone buzzed once in my pocket and I ignored it, just to know I could. I breathed in and out and counted to five the way a voice had taught me. By four, my hands had stopped shaking. By five, I could feel the outline of a promise I¡¯d said out loud in a room that hated hearing it.


    My child.


    I didn¡¯t have one yet.


    But I had a use. And a list. And the quiet conviction that sometimes you start a war with a sentence, and sometimes you end one the same way.

 The Silent War: Chapter 22

    It had been nearly over six weeks since the ident.


    The bruises were gone, the cast reced by a lighter brace. My arm was healing better than the doctors promised. But the real fracture wasn¡¯t that.


    It was them.


    Bastion and Luca hadn¡¯t stopped. Every morning a message waiting: take your pills, don¡¯t skip breakfast, good morning, angel. Every night the same ritual before I turned my phone face down: sleep, baby. goodnight.


    During the day it was worse. Bastion asking if I¡¯d booked the follow-up appointment, sending me links to braces that looked less clinical.


    Luca reminding me to change the ice pack, to keep pressure off the joint. Sometimes it was a car waiting outside with food I hadn¡¯t ordered.


    Sometimes it was a courier with flowers that looked like nothing out of a florist, because they weren¡¯t ¡ª they were from the greenhouse that I loved.


    It felt as if three years never happened.


    I told myself to hate it. To see it as control. But every time my phone lit up, the part of me that hated them was drowned out by the part of me that had been starving.


    I loved it. I hated that I loved it.


    Waking up wasn¡¯t empty anymore. The days had a thread through them, stitching me back to something I thought I¡¯d lost. It was dangerous how quickly my body remembered. Dangerous how quickly I missed them.


    And the truth was the same whether I said it or not.


    I had missed them every day for thest three years.


    Iy in the dark, staring at the ceiling, then I reached for my phone without thinking.


    For a few moments I stared at the chat name: OURS


    I opened it. This time, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    Are you awake?


    Luca: You okay?


    Bastion: Always for you.


    I didn¡¯t think¡ªI just flipped the camera. A short video. Close-cropped, nothing but skin: corbone, the drag of my fingers down my stomach, over the curve of my hip, tracing to my thigh. No words. I hit send before my brain could catch up.


    Bastion: Fuck.


    Luca: Baby, what did we do to deserve that?


    Bastion: do it again with sound.


    My pulse spiked. I should have been embarrassed. Should have deleted the whole thing.


    You reminded me I had a voice.


    Bastion: Did they listen when you spoke?


    Luca: We can make them.


    Bastion: Force them on their knees. Take their hearing if they don¡¯t.


    Luca: Hearing your voice as theirst sound is too good for them


    You two make me smile


    Luca: Good.


    Bastion: I miss seeing it.


    Bastion: And we miss hearing you beg, baby.


    The phone buzzed again. This time, not with a message. An iing call.


    OURS ¡ª Audio.


    My throat tightened. A three-way line. Both of them waiting.


    I froze. Thumb hovering. If I answered, there¡¯d be no hiding behind text. They¡¯d hear me. Every nervous breath.


    The screen kept shing. My chest tightened. Then, I pressed ept.


    ¡°There she is.¡± Luca¡¯s voice was low, in a way that made my skin flush.


    ¡°Our angel finally picked up,¡± Bastion said, rougher. God. How did their voices have such an effect on me.


    I swallowed hard. ¡°Hi.¡± My voice shook more than I wanted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep baby?¡±


    ¡°Um. No. Why?¡± This time my voice sounded more steady.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to help you. Lie back,¡± Luca said. ¡°Put the phone by your head. I want to hear everything.¡±


    ¡°Touch yourself for us,¡± Bastion added.


    I let out a sharpugh, nervous. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°If you were fine, you¡¯d be asleep,¡± Luca said, with that calm controlled way, that made me nervous.


    ¡°Be a good girl. Do as you¡¯re told.¡±


    The heat in my stomach twisted. My hand trembled as I set the phone on the pillow beside me.


    ¡°Start slow,¡± Luca murmured. ¡°Just fingertips. No lower yet.¡±


    My hand hovered against my stomach, hesitant.


    ¡°Now lower,¡± Bastion pressed. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡±


    I obeyed before I meant to. My breath caught.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Luca said softly. ¡°Good girl. Ours.¡±


    ¡°Louder. Let us hear you.¡±


    A sound slipped out, small and humiliating.


    ¡°There,¡± Luca soothed. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it,¡± Bastion muttered. ¡°Daddy wants it raw.¡±


    My thighs trembled. I bit my lip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bite,¡± Luca ordered. ¡°Breathe.¡±


    Of course he knew. I exhaled shakily.


    ¡°Now, hold it.¡±Luca said.


    ¡°Say who it¡¯s for,¡± Bastion growled.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± My voice cracked. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Both of them exhaled at once.


    ¡°That¡¯s our good girl,¡± Luca praised.


    ¡°Ours,¡±


    The ache climbed sharper, needier. I was already close. Too close.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Luca warned. ¡°Hold it. Count with me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I gasped.


    ¡°You can baby, for us. Count. One.¡±


    I shook my head against the pillow. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Luca continued. ¡°Three. Breathe. Four. Hold. Five?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Beg,¡± Bastion said, ¡°Daddy wants to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I whispered, voice breaking.


    ¡°Louder,¡±


    ¡°Please,¡±


    ¡°There she is,¡± Luca murmured. ¡°That¡¯s our angel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my good girl,¡± Bastion praised, rough but proud. ¡°Now slow.¡±


    My body was trembling.


    ¡°Hold it again,¡± Luca ordered.


    A sob of frustration tore out of me.<fn3c46> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fn3c46>


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said, satisfied. ¡°Control. That¡¯s what makes you ours.¡±


    ¡°I hate you,¡± I panted.


    ¡°You love us,¡± Bastion said.


    ¡°We love you,¡± Luca added.


    The cage snapped tighter. Their voices pressing from both sides.


    ¡°Now,¡± Lucamanded, sharp. ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°Come for us, baby,¡± Bastion demanded.


    ¡°That¡¯s our girl, nice and loud,¡±


    The rush broke through me. My body arched, shaking, climax ripping raw as I gasped into the phone. My voice echoed in my own ears, mixed with theirs.


    I copsed back against the sheets, chest heaving.


    ¡°Breathe,¡± Luca murmured. ¡°Slow, angel.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion said, softer now. ¡°Daddy¡¯s proud.¡±


    A shakyugh slipped out of me. ¡°I hate you for knowing exactly what I needed.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Luca said gently. ¡°You love us for it.¡±


    ¡°Only ours,¡± Bastion added. ¡°You hear me, angel? You touch yourself, it¡¯s for us. You breathe like this, it¡¯s for us.¡±


    I bit my lip, breath uneven. ¡°It was¡­ good.¡±


    ¡°Good because we told you how,¡± Luca said. ¡°Good because you obeyed.¡±


    ¡°Next time youe, we¡¯ll be doing it for you.¡± Bastion said.


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise baby. We¡¯ll have you dripping on our fingers, tongues, our dicks.¡±


    I pressed my thighs together.


    ¡°We¡¯d do it now if you like,¡± Luca said, voice dipping darker. ¡°Break into Alexander¡¯s penthouse. Sit you on my face where you belong.¡±


    Heat flushed through me.


    ¡°Mmm. Then what?¡± I asked, soft.


    A sound like Bastion¡¯s growl tangled with Luca¡¯s exhale. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re teasing us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing,¡± I said, almost innocent. ¡°I¡¯m remembering.¡±


    The silence on the line broke with their breathing¡ªsharper, heavier, like they couldn¡¯t stop themselves from picturing it.


    ¡°What happens after that?¡± I asked, letting my voice change, softer, lower. ¡°When I¡¯m on your face?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d edge you,¡± Bastion said. ¡°Because you need it.¡±


    ¡°And we¡ª¡± Luca began.


    ¡°We fucking love it,¡± he finished with Bastion, the two voices ovepping.


    My thighs clenched.


    ¡°I¡¯d lick your pussy,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°And I¡¯d hold you still, baby,¡± Bastion followed. ¡°Not letting you finish until you fill Daddy¡¯s mouth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be good,¡± I whispered.


    Both of them groaned, rough, involuntary.


    ¡°We know,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Our good girl,¡± Bastion added.


    Their words tangled in my head, heat crawling across my skin. I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, needing them closer.


    ¡°You¡¯d cry for us,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°You¡¯d shake, beg, try to pull away,¡± Bastion murmured. ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t let you. Because that¡¯s what good girls do¡ªthey stay where Daddy puts them.¡±


    I gasped. ¡°Both of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luca echoed. ¡°Your daddies. The only ones who know how to break you open and keep you safe at the same time.¡±


    A sharp sound slipped out of me, raw.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion praised immediately. ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s what we wanted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± Luca added. ¡°Ours. Our angel.¡±


    I whimpered, the sound humiliating and intoxicating all at once.


    ¡°Say it,¡± Bastion demanded.


    ¡°My daddies,¡± I whispered, shaking.


    Both of them groaned like the word undid them.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Luca said, rougher now. ¡°That¡¯s all we need.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, baby,¡± Bastion urged. ¡°Touch yourself for us again. Do it while you say it.¡±


    My hand slid back down, still trembling from before.


    ¡°My daddies,¡± I said again, softer, needier.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± they said together.


    The sound of their breathing filled the line, low curses tangled with praise.


    ¡°Pick up the pace baby,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, now slip your fingers in.¡±


    ¡°Your pussy is nice and wet isn¡¯t it baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    They groaned together, which nearly finished me.


    ¡°Rub your clit baby.¡±


    ¡°Such a good girl doing this for us,¡± Bastion rasped. ¡°Fuck. We¡¯d ruin you if you were here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d make you beg until you couldn¡¯t speak,¡± Luca added.


    ¡°And then we¡¯d still keep going,¡± Bastion finished.


    ¡°I¡¯d let you,¡± I whispered, voice breaking.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re ours,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re Daddy¡¯s good girl,¡± Bastion corrected.


    The praise pushed me over, the moan was louder this time. The sound echoed on the line, answered by both of them groaning, breaking with me.


    They didn¡¯t hide it¡ªthe way their breath dragged like they were finishing too, undone by the word daddies on my lips.


    The line went quiet except for breathing.


    Then Luca¡¯s voice, soft. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s followed, lower. ¡°Our perfect angel.¡±


    I closed my eyes.


    It felt likeing home.

 The Silent War: Chapter 23

    The Adams penthouse wasn¡¯t meant to house anyone but family. That¡¯s what made it feel like an intrusion when I stepped out of the elevator and saw him there.


    ric Vale.


    He was leaning against the marble bar, jacket undone, posture all dynasty ease and old-world training. He looked like he belonged here, and that was the problem.


    Alexander had mentioned it brieflyst week¡ªtoo briefly. Something about the Vales considering a merger, the ord on the table if they agreed to terms. If Alexander had spoken about the ord with them, it wasn¡¯t casual. It was dynasty-serious.


    And now ric was staying here. Not in some distant suite with his entourage. Or tucked away in another wing of the hotel. No¡ªhe was in our penthouse, until the suite below opened next week. That¡¯s what Alexander had told me with a shrug, as if it meant nothing.


    It didn¡¯t feel like nothing.


    ¡°Emilia,¡± ric said, like my name was a greeting he¡¯d been waiting to use. His smile was smooth, courteous, but his eyes carried the same weight I¡¯d seen in every dynasty heir who knew too much. ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d cross paths again.¡±


    I forced a polite smile. Dynasty training. Never let them see you hesitate. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to move into our space to find me.¡±


    Hisugh was soft, practiced. ¡°Temporary inconvenience. The suite below will be ready soon. Until then¡­¡± He gestured to the view of the city through the ss. ¡°Not a terrible exile.¡±


    I stepped further in, heels clicking on the marble, refusing to let himmand the room just because he was already inside it. ¡°Alexander didn¡¯t tell me you were staying here.¡±


    ¡°Alexander and I go back a long way.¡± ric straightened, and suddenly he wasn¡¯t lounging¡ªhe was present. Intentional. ¡°He thought it best. Old friends should stay close when discussing futures.¡±<fn9580> For original chapters go to find(?)ovel</fn9580>


    There it was. Futures. Not business or trade. Futures.


    I kept my face smooth, even as my stomach twisted.


    ¡°He¡¯s always valued your advice.¡±


    ¡°And your brother has always been a man of vision,¡± ric said easily. ¡°When he mentioned the ord, it felt less like an offer and more like a continuation. Something we¡¯d spoken about years ago. Promises waiting to be collected.¡±


    My throat tightened, but I didn¡¯t flinch. If ric knew about the ord, then Alexander had already crossed a line. This wasn¡¯t hypothetical. This was dynasty binding.


    I tilted my chin, meeting his gaze. ¡°Promises don¡¯t bind unless both sides agree.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± ric said, studying me. ¡°But sometimes both sides don¡¯t realize how much they¡¯ve already agreed to.¡±


    That was the thing with dynasty heirs: they could make a threat sound like apliment.


    I smiled faintly, the way I¡¯d been trained. ¡°Enjoy the view while you can. The suite below should be ready by next week.¡±


    He inclined his head in mock-bow. ¡°Until then, I¡¯m your guest. I¡¯ll try not to overstay my wee.¡± His eyes flicked to mine, holding. ¡°Though I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing more of each other anyway.¡±


    And then he was gone, disappearing into the hall as if he hadn¡¯t just cracked open the ground beneath my feet.


    I stood in the silence he left behind, staring out at the city lights.


    ric Vale was living in our penthouse. Alexander had told him about the ord. And if the Vales agreed to the terms of a merger, I wasn¡¯t just Emilia Adams anymore. I was leverage. A piece of dynastyw already being negotiated.


    And for the first time in years, I felt the walls of the dynasty closing in.

 The Silent War: Chapter 24

    Alumni gathered like they mattered. Men I¡¯d put through tables now trying to shake hand like they¡¯d forgotten.


    None of it touched me.


    All I cared about was her.


    Emilia stood near the rail in a dress that was almost not a dress. White. The bikini beneath was faint and enough to make my jaw tight. I hated that anyone else could look.


    I hated it more that I didn¡¯t have permission to use my fists to stop them or that my fists weren¡¯t a deterring factor to stop people for looking.


    I moved through a group of heirs, sses raised, jokes about Oxford on their tongues. I didn¡¯t hear one word. I grabbed a ss from a passing tray, and walked towards her.


    She noticed me before the drink. Her beautiful eyes, locked with mine. Then that soft lift at the corner of her mouth¡ªthe one she gave when she let herself be warm. Not dynasty-warm. Her warm.


    I offered her the ss. She reached her fingers just brushed my knuckles. I chose to believe it wasn¡¯t by ident.


    She looked at me when she took it.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Mm.¡± I followed her eyeline across the bow.


    ¡°The boat?¡± I said.


    She inhaled like I¡¯d offended her on purpose. ¡°Do not call this a boat like it¡¯s a piece of tin. It¡¯s a pce.¡±


    I yed dumb. ¡°Is it?¡±


    Her eyes lit. She turned a half step so the whole thing was hers to point at. ¡°Look at this finish. That staircase¡ªcustom. No vendor does those balusters off-the-shelf. And the lines. God, you can tell she was designed to sit there¡ªsee the rescued curve at the stern? It¡¯s soft, not a cut. Whoevermissioned her wanted people to linger. And the sound¡ªlisten?¡ª¡±


    I listened. Not to the yacht. To her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hear engine up here,¡± she went on, soft, happy. She listed the helipad we would rarely use. The suspendedp pool cut on the top deck. Crew cirction path that kept staff invisible¡ªand I let her talk like I didn¡¯t know every spec by blood.


    Luca and I had signed on the line for this shipst winter, built into the ledger under a shell so dense our ountants cried.


    We bought the super yacht because we couldn¡¯t buy the sky. In case she ever wanted the water to be quiet under her feet.


    But I didn¡¯t tell her that.


    I liked hearing her talk. Full sentences. Not dynasty answers.


    ¡°So,¡± I said, just to keep her going, ¡°you think whoever built this knows what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    She side-eyed me. ¡°I think whoever owns it knows exactly what they like.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± My mouth tipped. ¡°Heard they¡¯re assholes.¡±


    Augh slipped out of her fast, surprised. Real. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, then seemed to remember it wasn¡¯t pinned and let it fall again.


    The see-through dress tried to make a liar of the word modest. I pretended I wasn¡¯t praying for wind.


    Background noise didn¡¯t stop trying to grab our attention.


    ¡°Do you ever turn it off?¡± she asked, soft.


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ weight.¡± She didn¡¯t look at me when she said it. She looked at the horizon like it might answer first.


    ¡°No.¡±


    She took that like she expected it. ¡°Then maybe tonight you pretend,¡± she said. ¡°At least until they start giving speeches.¡±


    ¡°What do I pretend?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re just¡­ here. On a pce, remember?¡± Her shoulder bumped mine. ¡°Not a Kingpin.¡±


    I swallowed down the reflex to argue. She didn¡¯t need me to win the point. She needed me to try it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°For ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Ten,¡± she repeated, amused. ¡°Generous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a start.¡±


    I looked across the dining tables, thin stems arranged like calligraphy. Someone had spent a lot of money to make it look like no money had been spent at all.


    ¡°Careful,¡± she murmured, following my look. ¡°You¡¯re in danger of appreciating something.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate. I just don¡¯t p.¡±


    On cue, apuse rose from the aft, where a small crowd had formed around two menparing port contracts like baseball cards. The kind of reunion story where sess sounded like the part you didn¡¯t say out loud.


    I felt it before I saw it: a heat at the base of my skull. Not a threat. A habit.


    Luca.


    He was moving along the upper walkway, jacket off, sleeves rolled once, jaw set. Two of our cousins nked him like they wanted a favor and an audience for it. If they¡¯d cornered me, it would have turned into a game I don¡¯t y. They knew better. They¡¯d tried Luca instead. On the surface, a smart choice. He smiled for the world more than I did.


    Except he wasn¡¯t smiling.


    I watched his eyes. t. Cutting. He listened to whatever pitch they were saying, then slid his gaze over the rail like a man looking for air.


    He saw me first.


    My mouth tilted. I lifted my head toward the deck likee on, then, and he sent me that re he saved for when he¡¯d been polite three times too many. I smirked. Couldn¡¯t help it. I knew they had him tangled in talk about votes, permits, cousins of cousins with careers that needed saving.


    Then Luca¡¯s re disappeared. Not because of me.


    Because he saw her.


    His whole face changed in a breath. He cut the conversation clean, a single word that made two men shut their mouths without understanding why, and stepped away.


    Emilia felt it too. That quiet shift in the air like pressure dropping. She didn¡¯t turn at first. Her body knew my brother wasing before her mind did.


    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± she turned.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°You good?¡± I asked. I could tell by the tension in his shoulders.


    He nodded once at me¡ªyeah, I¡¯m good, yeah, I¡¯ll kill themter¡ªand then his focus was all on her.


    ¡°You look¡­¡±He didn¡¯t finish.


    He didn¡¯t have to. We were both trying not to look, and failing.


    She stood taller but didn¡¯t pull the dress closer. I loved her for that. For not apologizing for being watched when she didn¡¯t choose this life and still wore it without flinching.


    ¡°Luca,¡± she said. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Cornered,¡± he said, eyes not leaving her face. ¡°By family who think speeches are a currency.¡±


    ¡°And are they?¡±


    ¡°They keep buying the wrong things.¡±


    I almost smiled. She did first.


    ¡°You two promised me ten minutes,¡± she said. ¡°No fighting. No nning. No empire talk.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t promise,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°You did now,¡± she said.


    I let myself catalog her. It was oxygen.


    Luca flicked me a look¡ªstop drinking her with your eyes, hypocrite¡ªand shifted to put his shoulder between her and a group of heirs who had suddenly discovered the scenic value of this exact spot.


    He does that without thinking. Puts his body between her and whatever might look like attention. He makes it look casual.


    She noticed. She always did.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°For what,¡± he said.


    ¡°For pretending the wind is worse than it is.¡±


    He said nothing. Which was the right answer.


    I leaned on the rail.


    ¡°I was telling Bastion about the pce,¡± she said. ¡°He called her a boat. Like a tin can.¡±


    ¡°Only to make you gasp,¡± I said.


    ¡°You like me mad,¡± she said.


    ¡°Like you loud,¡± I corrected, and heard the way Luca¡¯s breath shifted at that. How the wordnded under his skin same as mine. Loud meant alive. Loud meant not polite. Loud meant Emilia without dynasty hands on her throat.


    She took a sip of champagne, then made a face and held the ss out to me. ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    I traded her, handed mine instead. Different bottle. Heavier pour. ¡°This?¡±


    She tasted, nodding. ¡°Better.¡±


    ¡°Keep that one,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    She squinted at me. ¡°Chivalry from a Crow?¡±


    ¡°Anomaly,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Miracle,¡± she corrected.


    ¡°Will you swimter?¡± I asked. The pool glowed three decks up like a promise. Night swimming. No eyes. If we controlled the guest flow¡ªwhich we did¡ªthere would be a window we could carve out of the night for her to breathe. ¡°The water¡¯s warm.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said, honest.


    ¡°Afraid of lightning?¡± Luca asked.


    Sheughed. You two would love that. A dramatic storm topliment your dramatic faces.¡±


    ¡°Weather obeys us,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°It absolutely does not. I¡¯m convinced you printed this sky.¡± She tipped her head back, eyes closing for a second. ¡°Feels fake. Perfect in a way that makes me suspicious.¡±


    ¡°You trust cities more,¡± I said.


    ¡°I trust walls,¡± she said. ¡°And a door that locks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got both,¡± Luca said quietly. ¡°When you want them.¡±


    Her eyes opened. She looked at him like she heard the whole sentence he didn¡¯t say. She always did.


    A cousin shouted our surname from across the deck like it was an auction lot and he was tired of losing. I ignored it. Luca didn¡¯t even look. Emilia¡¯s face barely flinched at the sound. Progress. A few months ago, she would have apologized just for being near the st radius of our name.


    ¡°Dance with me,¡± she said suddenly, eyes on me, then Luca, then the empty space between us where a song would go if one existed. There wasn¡¯t a dance floor. There wasn¡¯t music. Just waves and the buzz of too many people pretending to be young.


    ¡°No music,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s always music,¡± she said, and raised her hand like a dare.


    I took it.Because I¡¯m a sucker for her.


    Her palm was cool. Her fingers slid into mine like starting a car. Luca stepped in behind her instinctively, an orbit locking¡ªone beat to settle, then his hand hovered just off the small of her back, not touching, guiding anyway. She turned toward me, free hand lifting to my shoulder, and we moved the smallest amount a body can move and still call it dance.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrible,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± I said.


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°Never to you.¡±


    She swallowed¡ªthat I felt under my fingers more than I saw. The wind tried to lift the hem of her dress and I wanted to punch the air for thinking it could do what I wasn¡¯t allowed.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°That I hate sharing the view.¡±


    She flushed. Not embarrassed. She tipped her head, eyes suddenly softer. ¡°Bastion.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±<fn7e76> Th?s chapter is updated by find{n}ovel</fn7e76>


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Have to what.¡±


    ¡°Carry the whole ocean by yourself while pretending you¡¯re enjoying the party.¡±


    ¡°My arms are big.¡±


    ¡°Your arms are tired,¡± she said.


    I didn¡¯t answer. Couldn¡¯t without giving her too much.


    I turned her to Luca.


    He took her hand and slid into my ce, not missing a step. She pivoted like we¡¯d rehearsed it since birth. We have. Just with other rituals. Ones I had every intention of repeating tonight.


    I shifted behind her now. Her shoulder brushed my chest and I inhaled once like a drowning man breaking surface.


    ¡°You two look like you nned this,¡± she said, using.


    ¡°We n everything,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Not everything,¡± she said, eyes tipping up to meet his. ¡°Some things you just¡­ let happen.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look away. I watched the data scroll behind his eyes¡ªevery code he¡¯d write, every camera he¡¯d kill, every room he¡¯d bulldoze to give her one uncontested moment like this¡ªand then I watched him choose to do none of it right now. Just the moment.


    ¡°Some things,¡± he agreed.


    A burst of apuse from the stern announced a toast. Someone had stolen a microphone. God help us, I thought.


    ¡°Hide,¡± Emilia said, grinning.


    We did.


    Down a level, we slipped through the side passage the crew used.


    The air was cooler here. We ended in the viewing lounge where the ss dipped below the waterline. The world¡¯s noise muffled into hum. No one followed. Staff understood the orders from one look.


    She stepped up to the ss and leaned her forehead to it. I stood by the door, Luca took the corner where he could watch every angle.


    ¡°I used to dream about this,¡± she said softly. ¡°Being underwater without holding my breath.¡±


    We know baby. That¡¯s why this room is designed like this.


    ¡°Dream bigger,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the new dream,¡± I asked.


    She didn¡¯t answer right away. Her reflection looked back at me in the ss¡ªus beside her, like we¡¯d always been there. ¡°Being the girl who talks too much,¡± she said. ¡°Not the one with the perfect smile.¡±


    ¡°You are the girl who talks too much,¡± I said. ¡°When you¡¯re with us.¡±


    She smiled into the ss. ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡±


    Luca¡¯s phone buzzed. He killed it with a flick without looking down. I gave him a nod I didn¡¯t want to give¡ªwe¡¯ll check itter. He didn¡¯t move. Good.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s stupid,¡± she said. ¡°But when I was little, I used to want a house that didn¡¯t echo.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have one,¡± I said.


    ¡°And a couch that swallows you whole,¡± she added. ¡°And a kitchen that doesn¡¯t feel like a showroom. And a¡­ and a window I don¡¯t have to open to breathe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have all of that,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Will I?¡± she asked, and for once there wasn¡¯t a test in it. Just a girl on a ship she didn¡¯t know it was hers, asking for a thing she thought might be too much.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, and let the word be a vow.


    ¡°Tell me one thing you like about tonight,¡± she said, still facing the water.


    ¡°You,¡± Luca said.


    She huffed augh. ¡°Cheating.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± he said.


    She turned to me. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°The dress,¡± I said. Then¡ªbecause truth should be precise¡ª¡°The way you didn¡¯t straighten it when people looked.¡±


    We didn¡¯t kiss her. We didn¡¯t touch more than fingers. We stood there with her in a ss room that made the ocean feel tame and let our bodies relearn the shape of her breathing in real time.


    Someone started a speech upstairs. Our surname was in it. I didn¡¯t flinch.


    Her phone lit it. She checked it, then slid it away without reading. I didn¡¯t ask. She didn¡¯t owe me the content of her silence.


    ¡°Ten minutes are up,¡± she said, smiling a little like she hoped we¡¯d argue.


    ¡°We can renegotiate,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Terrible businessmen,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll give me the wholepany if I ask nice enough.¡±


    ¡°We already did,¡± I said.


    She looked between us like she understood more than we¡¯d said. Then she stepped close and reached up to fix a wrinkle in mypel I¡¯d put there on purpose so she¡¯d do exactly this.


    Her fingers stayed longer.


    ¡°Thank you for letting us on the pce,¡± she said.


    I didn¡¯t react. Not with my face. But my chest burned.


    ¡°You knew,¡± Luca said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± she said. ¡°And I listen when the yacht tells on her owners.¡±


    I wanted tough and couldn¡¯t. I wanted to lift her up, but I settled for what I could have.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I said.


    She looked back at the water, then at us, then at the door where the reunion waited with its speeches and cameras and alumni who wanted to pretend to like us now.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go let them think their lives matter for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Half,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Twenty minutes,¡± Luca bargained.


    ¡°Fifteen,¡± she decided, and started toward the hall with that small, fearless smile that made the whole world align.


    We moved with her.


    One step behind, then one step to either side. Not nking or caging.


    Just¡­ home positions.

 The Silent War: Chapter 25

    The party didn¡¯t end. It just shifted. sses refilled. Voices got louder.


    And she was gone from us. Pulled away by dynasty daughters with painted smiles and questions they didn¡¯t care about the answers to.


    Luca caught my eye across the bar. One look was enough. We weren¡¯t letting the night end with her stolen from us.


    We found her between the bar and the deck doors, caught in that narrow stretch. She¡¯d just set her ss down, polite smile still on her mouth, when we closed in.


    I blocked the exit with my body. Luca cut off her retreat the other way.


    Her eyes flicked between us. ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    ¡°Taking you swimming,¡± I said.


    ¡°At night?¡± she asked, halfughing. ¡°In that pool you built to show off?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Luca said t. No room for negotiation in his tone.


    Herugh softened, but she shook her head anyway. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that for me.¡±


    I leaned closer. ¡°We don¡¯t get to decide?¡±


    She met my eyes like she would say no to us.


    Luca¡¯s mouth curved, sharp. ¡°Then decide with us.¡±


    Her lips parted.


    God, I was high just being this close to her.


    She rxed before she even realized she had, shoulders easing, that perfect mask slipping just enough for us to see the real girl underneath. The one who teased. Whoughed without asking permission.


    Luca noticed it too. I could see it in the way his hand hovered, like he wanted to anchor her back where she belonged¡ªbetween us.


    And maybe she felt it, because she whispered, softer this time: ¡°If anyone sees?¡ª¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t. We¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    She looked at both of us, ready to argue.


    Luca leaned in, his voice low enough no one else could hear. ¡°Come with us, angel.¡±


    Her eyes flicked to me, like she needed a second opinion.


    ¡°We¡¯re not asking twice.¡± I was already tempted to just throw her over my shoulder and take her upstairs.


    Her breath stuttered, but then she nodded. Tiny. Almost nothing. But enough.


    We moved.


    Luca at her side, my hand at her back, guiding her through the corridor and up the side stairs where no guests wandered. She let us lead, and I was proud of her.


    The pool glowed above. The water warm and waiting. No one there. We¡¯d made sure of it.


    She stopped at the edge, eyes wide, ncing back at theughter and music from below. ¡°This is insane.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Better than polite.¡±


    Luca¡¯s jacket was off first, tossed to a chair. He undid his cufflinks like he had all the time in the world. ¡°Dresses off.¡±


    She gasped, half augh, half warning. ¡°Luca?¡ª¡±


    I stepped closer. ¡°You wore a bikini under it. You knew what you were doing.¡±


    Her cheeks flushed, but she didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°Be a good girl,¡± Luca murmured. ¡°Let us see you.¡±


    Her hands lifted slow, gathering the straps. Fabric slid down, dropping to the ground. White bikini left, thin straps.


    I exhaled rough. Couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Our angel,¡± I said under my breath. ¡°Look at you.¡±


    She shifted like she wanted to cover herself, but I caught her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Her eyes flicked up.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect like this. Don¡¯t hide.¡±


    She stilled. Then nodded, letting me hold her hand down.


    Luca was already in the pool. ¡°Come here, sweetheart.¡±


    She hesitated. I leaned in, mouth brushing her temple. ¡°Jump. We¡¯ll catch you.¡±


    She smiled, then stepped in, water over her shoulders. Luca¡¯s hands slid to her waist immediately, grounding her. I followed.


    Her hair floated around her. Luca pressed closer, mouth to her ear. ¡°Good girl. Always listening.¡±


    I bracketed her from behind, chest against her back, my hands on her thighs. ¡°Baby, you were made for our hands.¡±


    She leaned back into me, head tipping against my shoulder, eyes fluttering shut when Luca kissed her jaw.


    Her hands floated up, fingers brushing both of us.


    The party below kept roaring. None of them knew their queen was up here, between the only two men who¡¯d ruin any of them if she asked.


    Her body went weightless in the water, and still I felt every line of her. My chest against her back, Luca¡¯s hands braced at her waist.


    ¡°Angel,¡± he whispered, lips brushing her jaw. ¡°Let us taste you.¡±


    Her head turned before she kissed him first, soft. The kiss deepened instantly¡ªLuca¡¯s hand sliding up her spine, holding her like she was fragile and ours.


    I pressed my mouth to her shoulder. ¡°Good girl, baby.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself, the fact she was giving in. It meant everything. I kissed up, slow, until her throat arched, and then I caught her mouth when she turned back.


    Her lips were warm, and fuck¡ªI¡¯d forgotten how quiet the world got when she kissed us back.


    She had one hand on Luca¡¯s shoulder, nails dragging lightly. Her other hand on my chest.


    She broke the kiss just enough to whisper, ¡°You¡¯ve changed these.¡±


    I looked down. Her fingers traced the new tattoos on my chest, that weaved into the older work.


    ¡°When?¡± she asked softly, as if it bothered her she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Last year.¡±


    She dragged her nail over a scar, pale against ck tattoos. ¡°And this?¡±


    ¡°Enforcement,¡± I muttered. ¡°Southside.¡±


    Her mouth tightened, then softened again. She kissed the mark, right there. My throat burned. Her hand left me, slid across to Luca. She traced the tattoos across his chest, his throat. Only to stop on the pale line that ran over his ribs, jagged and deep.


    The one that caused a night of madness. It still made my blood rush hot. Luca wasn¡¯t just my brother. One soul, two bodies. The bastards died slowly for it.


    ¡°This one?¡± she asked him.


    Luca caught her hand mid-trace, pressed her palm t over it. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I survived it.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It matters to me.¡±


    Christ. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Her touch lingered, moving between us, mapping everything we¡¯d carved and everything that had carved us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t like people hurting you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t take hurt, angel. We give it.¡± I gently traced her back, trying to ease the concern from her face.


    That earned a small smile from her. ¡°And that¡¯s what I never liked about your dynasty.¡±


    My brows pulled. ¡°What part?¡±


    She looked between us. ¡°Most heirs¡­ they inherit. Money. Status. Titles. But you¡­¡± Her thumb traced another scar, gentler this time. ¡°¡­you inherit the violence as well.¡±


    Her hand stayed there. On Luca¡¯s chest. Then it drifted back to me, sliding over the lines of ck ink that covered my ribs, pausing on another scar.


    ¡°You carry it everywhere,¡± she whispered.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong, but still, I hated seeing it in her eyes. As if our pain hurt her.


    ¡°It¡¯s only fair,¡± I said.


    Her brows knit. ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Our turn.¡±


    I trailed my hand down her spine, fingers spreading wide. I mapped her the way she had mapped us.


    Luca mirrored me. His fingertips brushed the other side of her back, moving lower, deliberate, until she was caught between us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± she breathed, barely above water. ¡°I don¡¯t have tattoos. Or scars.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Luca said.


    She turned her face to him, startled, lips parting.


    My hand ttened against the small of her back. His did too. Both of us tracing the same path, meeting in the middle.


    Her breath caught. Her eyes flicked between us.


    We both knew what we were thinking. The same picture. The same vow.


    Ink across her back. Our names tattooed into her skin. Crow Dynastyw, a bond that never breaks.


    She didn¡¯t wear it yet. But we saw it already.


    She closed her eyes slightly, as if enjoying our touch. ¡°The party¡¯s almost over.¡±


    Luca didn¡¯t even nce toward the decks below. ¡°What party?¡±


    I smirked against her shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t notice one.¡±


    She exhaled, half augh, half a protest. ¡°You two can¡¯t just pretend it doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± Luca said, sliding his hand lower over her back, thumb brushing just above the line of her bikini.


    ¡°Already did,¡± I muttered, my palm spreading at her hip under the water.


    Her body stiffened, then softened¡ªlike she wanted to push us away and lean in at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­our girl,¡± I murmured, lips brushing her ear. ¡°Ours, even when you try to run polite.¡±


    Luca angled her chin, stole another kiss, slow.


    I slipped my hand lower, sliding beneath the thin band at her hip. ¡°Good girl,¡± I whispered. ¡°Always letting us in.¡±


    She gasped, head tipping back against my shoulder. ¡°Bastion?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Say stop,¡± I breathed against her throat. ¡°Or let me keep touching.¡±


    Her answer was silence, broken by the way her thighs parted under the water.


    Luca¡¯s hand followed mine, slipping under her other hip. His palm curved against the top of her thigh, thumb tracing just beneath the bikini edge. ¡°Angel,¡± he whispered, ¡°you¡¯re too perfect like this.¡±


    Her eyes fluttered shut, but her words came shaky. ¡°Someone¡­ someone could see?¡ª¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s here,¡± I said, nipping her ear. ¡°Only us. Only yours.¡±


    She whimpered, and the sound tore something in me open.


    ¡°Our angel,¡± Luca praised, kissing the corner of her mouth between words. ¡°Still blushing like it¡¯s the first time.¡±


    I slid my fingers over her hipbone, dipping lower until I brushed her clit.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I groaned. ¡°Letting Daddy in.¡±


    Her nails scraped against Luca¡¯s chest, gripping like she needed the anchor. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t what?¡± Luca kissed her throat. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t want us? Shouldn¡¯t let yourself be ours?¡± He kissed her harder. ¡°Baby, you were made for this.¡±


    I pushed a finger inside her, slow, coaxing. ¡°Made for us,¡± I echoed.


    Her lips parted on a moan, and she tried to smother it, but Luca caught it with his mouth, swallowing every sound.


    She trembled, caught between us, between protest and surrender.


    I moved my hand with excruciating patience. Fuck. We had to go slow. But the way she arched back into me made it near impossible.


    Luca broke the kiss just long enough to murmur against her cheek, ¡°Be a good girl and let us have you. Here. Now. Let the whole ocean know you¡¯re ours.¡±


    Her body trembled between us, her head caught between Luca¡¯s mouth and my shoulder.


    I worked my fingers slow. Not taking. Worshipping. Then she clenched around me, every shift of her hips breaking me open further.


    ¡°Such a good girl,¡± I whispered against her ear. ¡°Always so good for us.¡±


    She moaned, muffled against Luca¡¯s lips, hands clutching his chest like she¡¯d fall without him.


    ¡°Angel,¡± Luca murmured, ¡°look at me.¡±


    Her eyes flicked open. He held her there, his thumb brushing her cheek as he kissed her soft, then rougher, devouring every gasp I pulled from her with my hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he coaxed. ¡°That¡¯s our girl, being nice and loud.¡±


    I curled my fingers just right, dragging across the spot that made her break. Her thighs tightening around my wrist.


    ¡°Breathe, baby,¡± I muttered, kissing her temple. ¡°Daddy¡¯s got you. Daddy¡¯s going to take his time.¡±


    ¡°Bastion¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± I soothed, never stopping. ¡°Don¡¯t hide it. Give it to us.¡± I kissed her shoulder. ¡°Moan,¡± then I kissed her throat, ¡°Whimper for us.¡±


    Luca caught her lower lip between his teeth, groaning against her mouth. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re beautiful. Are you clenching on Daddy¡¯s fingers?¡±


    Her nails dug into his shoulders, leaving marks.


    ¡°He asked a question, baby. Answer him or Daddy¡¯s fingers will stop.¡±


    She opened her eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡ª¡± She gasped.


    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying it, baby, mm?¡± Luca cupped her face. ¡°Want Daddy to get his own answers, so you keep whimpering?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I praised, voice ragged now. ¡°Such a good girl, letting us ruin you like this.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers joined mine.


    She tried to fight it, tried to hold the sound in, but I felt her give in.


    ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re about toe, aren¡¯t you, baby?¡± My hand tightened on her stomach.


    She started clenching hard around my fingers. We kept giving her exactly what she needed, until she shook in both our arms.


    Luca swallowed her cry with a kiss, his other hand steady at her jaw. ¡°Ours,¡± he whispered against her lips. ¡°Every sound. Every breath. Ours.¡±


    I slowed my hand, easing her down, murmuring into her wet hair. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. That¡¯s our good girl. So fucking beautiful when youe for us.¡±


    Her head dropped against my shoulder, chest rising fast between us.


    Sheughed once, broken, soft. ¡°God. You two?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not God,¡± I cut in, brushing her cheek with my knuckles. ¡°Just yours.¡±


    She dropped between us, her head tucked on my shoulder, chest still rising too fast. The water carried her weight, but we didn¡¯t let it. We held her.


    My hand slid from her hips up her spine, palm t, steady. ¡°Easy, baby. We¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Herugh came small, shaky. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t feel my legs.¡±


    She moved slightly, only to lean on Luca. Between us where she belonged.


    ¡°Good,¡± I muttered, pressing my mouth to the side of her throat. ¡°Means we did it right.¡±<fn6ffa> Find the newest release on find(?)ovel</fn6ffa>


    ¡°Angel,¡± Luca whispered, kissing her temple. ¡°You¡¯re safe. Breathe for us.¡±


    She did. Slow, soft. Each inhale steadier than thest, her body melting into ours.


    I kissed the curve of her shoulder, teeth barely grazing.


    Her fingers drifted weakly, tracing Luca¡¯s jaw, then brushing my chest like she needed proof we were real. ¡°You two¡­¡± Her voice broke, softer. ¡°You always know how to undo me.¡±


    Luca smiled against her skin, small and rare. ¡°That¡¯s the point, sweetheart.¡±


    We stayed like that. Her breathing settling. My arms braced under her thighs, his hand cupping the back of her neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re ours,¡± I whispered. She had no idea how much we meant it. ¡°Every breath. Every heartbeat.¡±


    She closed her eyes, lips curving faint. ¡°Yours.¡±


    And fuck. I could¡¯ve drowned happy right there

 The Silent War: Chapter 26

    Luca didn¡¯t hand me the towel. He dried me himself. Slow. His touch made me shiver harder than the ocean air had.


    Bastion stepped in close behind me. His chest was hot against my back, his mouth brushing my cheek. ¡°You cold, baby?¡± His voice was low as he kissed my shoulder.


    Luca kissed my hip while drying my thigh. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful,¡± he murmured, and when he looked up, the hunger in his eyes made my stomach dip.


    Bastion¡¯s hand brushed the bow at my bikini bottom. ¡°You say stop, we¡¯ll stop,¡± he said, voice firm, like he needed me to hear it as much as he needed to touch me.


    My hand went to his on my side, more to steady myself than to push him away. ¡°Is this¡­ is this a good idea? Us¡ªus fucking again?¡±


    Bastion let out a long, heavy breath against my ear. ¡°We never fucked you,¡± he said. ¡°Every touch is love. We worship. We don¡¯t fuck you.¡±


    Luca kissed the inside of my thigh, slow. So slow it made my knees weak. Bastion kissed my shoulder, again.


    ¡°Ask me to untie your top.¡± His mouth at my ear, the words were amand and a plea all at once, low enough I felt it.


    Heat rushed through me. My throat tightened. ¡°Bastion?¡ª¡±


    He kissed just below my ear, catching the tremor in my voice. ¡°Ask better, angel.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers brushed the bows at my hips, teasing loose without pulling. His touch was patient, coaxing. When I looked down, his eyes were on me.


    ¡°Take it off¡­ please,¡± I whispered.


    They both bent at once, mouths finding me like they¡¯d rehearsed it¡ªBastion¡¯s lips warm against my shoulder de, Luca¡¯s brushing the edge of my bikini.


    ¡°Prettier,¡± Luca murmured against my skin, the word vibrating through me.


    The heat rushed so sharp I forgot how to breathe.


    ¡°Can my daddies take my bikini off, please?¡±


    The sound they made¡ªlow, deep¡ªripped through both of them at once. I had forgotten what it did to me, the way their groans washed through me. My whole body remembered before my mind could.


    Bastion¡¯s fingers slid into my hair, gathering it up, holding it high while his other hand tugged at the ribbon at my neck. Slow. He kissed just beneath my ear as the knot gave way.


    At the same time, Luca worked lower, knuckles brushing my hips as he untied the bows at either side. The fabric drop. His breath skimmed the inside of my thigh as he whispered, ¡°Legs a little wider for Daddy.¡±


    The words went straight through me. My knees wavered, my chest tight with the kind of trembling that felt like falling¡ªbut I parted them for him anyway.


    Luca¡¯s fingers brushed me between my thighs¡ªbarely there, just enough to steal the air from my lungs. My hips twitched toward him before I could think.


    Bastion¡¯s mouth soothed at my shoulder. ¡°Easy, angel.¡± His voice was soft, but dipped with possession.


    Luca¡¯s hand lingered, deliberate, teasing, not giving me what I wanted but enough to make me tremble. ¡°Be good, baby,¡± his eyes flicked up, the hunger in them pinning me in ce. ¡°Let us take what¡¯s ours.¡±


    The top had already slipped free, Bastion tugging it away as if he couldn¡¯t stand it between us anymore. He let his knuckles drift slow down my side, grazing the curve of my ribs, my waist, my hip. The touch was devoting and iming all at once.


    ¡°You can take our love, can¡¯t you, baby?¡± he asked against my ear.


    Luca stood then, rising slow, eyes locked to mine, and the hunger there made my stomach clench. He didn¡¯t need to touch me anymore for me to feel consumed.


    Bastion pulled me back into him, my spine pressed to his chest, his arm firm across my stomach. I felt his breath drag over my shoulder, steadying me even as my knees weakened.


    Then Luca pushed one finger inside me¡ªslow, deliberate. My lips parted on a sharp gasp.


    His mouth curved into something dark and hungry. ¡°Awe¡­ what a good girl,¡± he murmured, voice thick with possession. ¡°Already wet for your daddies so soon.¡±


    The words sank through me, leaving me trembling against Bastion¡¯s hold, every part of me caught between them, already undone.


    Bastion loosened his grip on me, and before I could even draw a full breath, Luca¡¯s arms slid under me.


    The next second I was in the air¡ªweightless, thenid out on the bed.


    Bastion¡¯s stood at the end of the bed. ¡°Drop your legs, angel.¡±


    Heat rushed into my face so fast I felt dizzy. My body obeyed before my mind caught up, thighs trembling as they parted¡ªbut shame tugged at me all the same, and I tried to sit up, to hide.


    I started to push myself up, the heat in my cheeks unbearable, but Bastion¡¯s hand pressed gently to my chest, easing me back.


    ¡°Shh,¡± he murmured, his weight steady. His eyes burned down at me like he was holding something sacred. ¡°Don¡¯t hide from us, baby. You¡¯re perfect like this.¡±


    The reverence in his voice made my throat tighten. I sank back, my pulse hammering against his hand.


    Between my thighs, Luca hadn¡¯t moved away. His gaze was fixed on me¡ªhis hand slid to the inside of my knee, coaxing me open again, wider this time.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion whispered against my temple, grounding me while Luca¡¯s kissed up my thigh.¡°That¡¯s it. Just let us look at you. Let us love you the way we were meant to.¡±


    Luca¡¯s head dipped, his mouth hot against clit. Then with one slow lick¡ªmy whole body arched off the bed with a gasp.


    And then he pulled back.


    ¡°Beg, baby. Beg Daddy.¡± His eyes cut up to mine, sharp.


    Heat ran up my spine, my voice catching. ¡°Please, Daddy. Please¡­I need you.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand stroked slow down my ribs, soothing, steady, while his mouth brushed my temple. Then his arms slid under me, lifting me. In the next breath I was straddling hisp, my back pressed to his chest, his arm across me.


    His mouth brushed my ear, voice low enough to shatter me. ¡°You¡¯re going to let Daddy eat, won¡¯t you?¡±


    The words melted every protest I thought I had. All I could do was nod, breathless.


    Luca was already between my thighs, his hands firm as he spread me wider, opening me like a secret only they were allowed to see. Bastion held me there, his grip strong on my legs, keeping me steady for his brother.


    I feltpletely undone¡ªcaught, disyed, worshiped.


    Luca¡¯s mouth dipped again, kissing me softly, almost tender, before his tongue slid slow over me. The heat of it ripped a gasp from my throat, my head falling back against Bastion¡¯s shoulder.


    He pulled back just enough to speak, lips brushing my skin. ¡°Been starving for your pussy, baby. You were made to sit on Daddy¡¯s mouth.¡±


    My thighs tried to close, but Bastion¡¯s grip tightened, holding me open for him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Bastion murmured in my ear, voice a low growl. ¡°Be a good girl. Let him feast on you.¡± His hand smoothed over my ribs, anchoring me as Luca¡¯s tongue dragged over me again, firmer this time.


    A broken sound tore out of me. Bastion¡¯s lips brushed my temple, his voice darkening. ¡°Our girl¡­ taking it so well. Look at you shaking for us.¡±


    Luca groaned into me, the vibration shooting through me. He pulled back just long enough to say, ¡°Beg louder, baby. Let Daddy hear how much you need it.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s mouth brushed my ear. ¡°That¡¯s it, sweetheart. Sob for us. Split yourself wide and give us every sound. Good girls let their daddies ruin them.¡±


    He caught my mouth, kissing me. ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re doing so well baby.¡± And then Luca sank back in, devouring me slow, consuming licks that made me arch helplessly in Bastion¡¯s hold while his brother sucked, licked.


    Bastion¡¯s breath dragged hot against my ear, his arm holding me open while I trembled. ¡°Awe¡­ is our girl starting to make a mess already?¡± His voice was thick with pride, rough enough to shatter me.


    Heat shot through me, my face burning as the words sank in.


    Luca pulled back just far enough to look up at me, lips glistening. ¡°Good girl. Letting Daddy taste every drop. You¡¯re perfect like this, angel¡ªso sweet, so ready for us.¡±


    Then his mouth was on me again, worshipping, devouring, every sound I made met with another groan of approval from both of them.


    ¡°Good girl¡­ taking it so well. Can¡¯t wait to watch you take us the same way. Every inch, angel. All of it.¡± Bastion¡¯s voice rumbled low against my ear, steady even as my body shook in his arms.


    The words undid me. My hips lifted against Luca¡¯s mouth, chasing more than I could handle.


    Bastion caught me instantly, his hands closing around my wrists, dragging them up and over my head before I could fight the tremor. He pulled my arms back until they hooked around his neck, locking me there against him.


    ¡°Hold on to Daddy,¡± he growled, his mouth brushing my ear, his grip tight. ¡°Don¡¯t you stop. You keep still and let him eat.¡±


    Luca pulled back, lips wet, chest heaving. His eyes were dark, hungry, locked on mine.


    ¡°She wants to finish,¡± he rasped, voice breaking into something feral. ¡°She¡¯s drowning me for it.¡±


    My whole body clenched at the words, heat flooding through me. Bastion¡¯s hand stayed firm around my wrists, holding me against him, his mouth brushing my ear.


    ¡°Hear that, angel?¡± His voice was low, cutting straight through the noise in my head. ¡°Even your begging is too much for him. Our good girl, so desperate she¡¯s trying to drown us.¡±


    Luca¡¯s mouth lifted, lips wet, eyes sharp on mine. ¡°Finish for me,¡± His thumb pressed against my clit, coaxing me open as he lowered again. ¡°Come in my mouth, baby. Give it to Daddy.¡±


    My body rushed toward it, hips trembling, thighs shaking¡ªbut the peak slipped away just as quickly. I shook my head. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t.¡± My voice cracked with frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s lips brushed my temple. ¡°Shh, angel. Don¡¯t force it.¡± His palm ttened against my stomach, steady and grounding. ¡°You don¡¯t need to fight. We¡¯ve got you.¡±


    Luca kissed me softly, pulling back just enough to speak against me. ¡°You¡¯re close, I can feel it. You¡¯re soaking for us. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t, baby. Your body¡¯s already begging.¡±


    My chest rising too quickly against Bastion¡¯s arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    Bastion tilted my chin, making me met his eyes. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with you. You¡¯re perfect. Listen to me.¡± His thumb stroked slow along my jaw, his tone soft. ¡°We¡¯ll teach you how to feel again. That¡¯s all this is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in your head baby, that¡¯s all.¡± Luca¡¯s tongue dragged over me again, firmer, more deliberate. He groaned low into my skin.


    Bastion kissed me just below my ear, slow and steady, his other hand stroking gently up and down my ribs. ¡°You don¡¯t have to control it, angel. You don¡¯t have to think. Just feel. Let us do the rest.¡±


    My breath stuttered. ¡°But?¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts,¡± Bastion cut me off softly, his voice still low. ¡°Do you trust us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then do it for us.¡± His lips pressed to my forehead. ¡°Be our good girl. That¡¯s all we want.¡±


    Luca hummed against me, his tongue circling slow. ¡°You hear him, baby? No pressure. Just feel my mouth. Just let me eat you the way you deserve.¡±


    ¡°Focus on him,¡± Bastion hand still firm at my stomach. ¡°Nothing else exists. Just Luca¡¯s tongue. Just my voice. That¡¯s all you need.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the panic, trying to listen to them, instead of my thoughts.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion whispered. ¡°That¡¯s it. Stay with us. Stay in your body.¡±


    Luca pulled back for air. ¡°Such a good girl dripping over daddy¡¯s face.¡±


    His tongue stroking me in a rhythm that made my thighs quake. My sob broke into the air, helpless.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, nice little noises.¡± Bastion soothed. His lips brushed my ear again. ¡°Good girl. So beautiful when youe. Let Daddy hear you.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I gasped, hips jerking helplessly. ¡°Please?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. Just like that,¡± Luca rasped against me, pulling back for a heartbeat to breathe. His eyes met mine. ¡°Give it to me. I want every drop.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand went around my throat¡ªnot tight, just steady, anchoring me between his fingers. ¡°Breathe, angel. In my hand. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re ours.¡± His voice cracked into gravel. ¡°Come for us. That¡¯s my good girl.¡±


    The world narrowed to their voices, their mouths, their hands. Luca¡¯s tongue pressed harder, faster.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it. You¡¯re perfect.¡±


    ¡°So sweet. So fucking sweet for daddy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think, angel. Juste. Come for us baby.¡±


    The tremor hit, sharp and unstoppable. My body clenched. I copsed against Bastion¡¯s chest, Luca groaning low into me as he kept working, licking every shiver.


    Bastion kept my legs open, stopping me from closing them. ¡°Not yet baby, let him lick you through it. That¡¯s my good girl.¡± Bastion kissed my temple.


    Luca¡¯s mouth slowed, savoring thest tremors. He kissed me gently, before pulling back, his face glistening, his eyes wild.


    ¡°See?¡± Bastion whispered, his hand stroking through my hair. ¡°Nothing wrong with you. You just needed us.¡±


    My body wanted to curl in on itself, hide from how exposed I felt, but Bastion wouldn¡¯t let me. His hand stayed firm at my stomach, holding me open on hisp, as if reminding me I was safe pinned between them.


    I tried to steady my breathing, but panic fluttered in anyway¡ªsharp, cruel. If this was already too much, how was I supposed to take them? After so long apart, after all the years of silence?


    Bastion felt the shift instantly. His grip tightened, his lips brushed my ear. ¡°Easy, angel. Don¡¯t drift. You¡¯re safe.¡±


    Luca¡¯s thumb stroked the inside of my knee. His gaze stayed locked on mine, sharper but careful. ¡°You¡¯re in your head again,¡± he murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Tonight is about teaching you. Nothing else.¡±


    I swallowed hard, trembling against them. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can?¡ª¡±


    Bastion cut me off gently, his mouth at my temple. ¡°Shh. You don¡¯t have to know. That¡¯s our job.¡± He pressed a kiss to my hairline, his voice rough with devotion. ¡°We¡¯ll get you ready. One step at a time. No rush.¡±


    Luca knelt on the bed between my legs. His eyes dropped to me open and wet for him. He groaned low in his chest. ¡°Look at her, Bastion. She¡¯s already begging for more.¡±


    Heat flushed through me at his words. My instinct was to shake my head, to deny it, but Bastion tilted my chin back until my eyes met his. ¡°Don¡¯t hide from it. You¡¯re ours. It¡¯s supposed to feel like this.¡±


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t?¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can. Because we¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Luca slid his hand down my thigh, his touch steady, grounding. ¡°Open for us, baby. Nice and wide. Let us show you how good it can feel to belong again.¡±


    My thighs parted, legs falling wider across Bastion¡¯sp until I was spread open for both of them.


    Luca¡¯s hand cupped me first. He let his thumb stroke slow circles, coaxing, teasing, my body twitching toward the touch.


    ¡°There she is,¡± he murmured, his lips twitched up. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Then his finger slipped inside me again, steady and unhurried. Bastion groaned low against my ear at the sight, tightening his arm. ¡°Fuck. Look at her take your fingers .¡±


    But this time Luca didn¡¯t stop at one. He curled his finger, then added a second, stretching me slow. My legs shook, instinct screaming to close, but Bastion¡¯s thighs braced me open.


    ¡°Shh,¡± he soothed, stroking my neck, tilting my head so he could kiss my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just two fingers. You can take that. Can¡¯t you?¡±


    Luca¡¯s jaw flexed as he watched me. ¡°Daddy¡¯s perfect girl. Clenching around my fingers.¡± His voice roughened. ¡°We¡¯re going to teach you. Stretch you until you¡¯re ready for us again.¡±


    The words sent heat rushing straight through me.


    I should protest, say it wasn¡¯t right. Everything in me wanted to deny the pleasure.


    Bastion kissed just below my ear. ¡°That¡¯s it. Let him work you open. You can take more than you think, angel. You were made for us.¡±


    Luca¡¯s pace stayed slow, two fingers easing me wider, deeper. Every push felt like a test, every curl a reminder. He pulled them out almost entirely, then slid back in, groaning at how my body resisted and then gave.


    ¡°She¡¯s shaking for it,¡± he muttered, his free hand gripping my thigh. ¡°So wet, Bastion. She¡¯s ready.¡±


    I let out a broken sound, half frustration, half need. ¡°Please?¡ª¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand stroked my stomach, his thumb brushing circles into my skin. ¡°You want us now, angel?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered, frantic. ¡°Please.¡±


    He kissed me, so slow, grounding me. ¡°No rush, baby. We¡¯re taking our time remember.¡±


    My head shook. ¡°No, Daddy. I¡¯m ready. I swear.¡±


    Luca stilled his hand inside me, his eyes on mine. ¡°She thinks she¡¯s ready,¡± he said darkly. ¡°But this isn¡¯t about thinking. This is about letting us show you.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s lips brushed my ear. ¡°Listen to him. He¡¯s right. You don¡¯t decide when you¡¯re ready. We do. And we¡¯ll never give you more than you can take.¡±


    My breath hitched. The words sank into me, heavy and certain. They weren¡¯t leaving me to figure it out alone. They¡¯d carry me through it.


    Luca pushed a third finger inside me. Bastion caught me, holding me in ce as I arched.


    ¡°Breathe, angel,¡± he murmured, kissing my jaw. ¡°That¡¯s all. Just breathe.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, she¡¯s gripping me like she doesn¡¯t want to let go,¡± Luca groaned, working me slow, careful. ¡°Hear that, Bastion? She¡¯s opening for us. Wet, and messy.¡±


    Bastion groaned low, his lips pressing hard to my temple. ¡°Good girl. You¡¯re taking us already. You can take more.¡±


    Luca withdrew slowly, his fingers glistening as he slipped free. He dragged the wetness across my thigh before meeting my eyes again. ¡°One at a time,¡± he promised, voice low, dark. ¡°We¡¯ll ease you in. No panic. No pain. Just us teaching you how to be ours again.¡±


    Bastion nodded, his breath hot at my ear. ¡°We¡¯ll go slow, angel. I¡¯ll hold you through it. Every inch, every sound, every tear. You¡¯ll take us the way you were meant to.¡±


    My chest heaved, the panic loosening into something else¡ªtrust, heavy and terrifying.


    Luca leaned closer, his lips brushing my knee. ¡°We¡¯ll ruin you slow. Worship you filthy. By the time we¡¯re done, you won¡¯t remember what it felt like to doubt.¡±


    Bastion tilted my face toward his and kissed me deep, anchoring me.


    He eased my wrists down from around his neck and kept my hands in his, bringing them to rest over his heart.


    Luca rose between my knees, ¡°Eyes on me.¡±


    I found him and couldn¡¯t look away.


    He guided his dick against me. My breath stopped. Bastion¡¯s hand against my throat, his voice rough and low. ¡°Breathe, angel. In my hand. That¡¯s it.¡±


    The first inch slid in and my body tightened instinctively, a sharp inhale rattling in my chest. Luca stopped. He didn¡¯t push. He simply waited, eyes steady, hand spreading against my hip.


    ¡°Look at you baby, taking my dick.¡± he murmured<fnc48c> Newest update provided by F¦ÉndNovel</fnc48c>


    Bastion kissed beneath my ear. ¡°Good girl. Let him in. Just like that.¡±


    I let the breath out, shaking, and the tightness softened. Luca stroked my thigh, then pressed the smallest bit deeper. My eyes blurred. Bastion held me upright in hisp, wide open.


    ¡°More?¡± Luca asked, and even the question sounded like worship.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered, ¡°Please.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Such good manners, asking for daddy¡¯s dick.¡± He moved in another inch¡ªslow, reverent¡ªand groaned like it undid him.


    Bastion¡¯s mouth against my ear ¡°That¡¯s my good girl. So fucking perfect.¡±


    The stretch ached, then shifted into something hot and low, the kind of heat that made my toes curl. He pushed more and then a bit more. Luca¡¯s jaw flexed, his restraint dropping. He was shaking, but he didn¡¯t hurry me.


    ¡°I¡¯m pushing fully in now, nice and deep for you, baby,¡± he said softly. ¡°Tell me if it¡¯s too much.¡±


    I nodded, breathless, and he eased in.


    My fingers clutched at Bastion¡¯s arms.


    Bastion¡¯s hand slid to my chest, steadying me against the tremble, his other palm cupping my jaw until I looked up at him.


    His eyes were dark. ¡°No rush. Just feel.¡±


    I did. The fullness, the warmth, the rightness of it. Luca didn¡¯t move; he waited until my breathing evened, until the tension in my thighs softened beneath his hands.


    ¡°Move,¡± I whispered.


    His mouth curved¡ªhungry and gentle. He drew back an inch, then slid in again, careful. My lips parted. The drag was almost unbearable in its sweetness.


    ¡°Again,¡± I said, stronger.


    He did, and the small ache became heat. Bastion¡¯s lips touched my temple, a rhythm of praise with every thrust Luca gave me. ¡°Good girl. That¡¯s it. Taking him so well¡­ made for this.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hands tightened at my hips, pushing just deep enough to make my breath catch, pulling just far enough to make my body chase. He groaned each time I clenched around him.


    ¡°You feel it?¡± he asked, voice splintering. ¡°How you fit me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± My head tipped back against Bastion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Luca?¡ª¡±


    He bit off a curse and pressed a kiss to my knee without stopping. ¡°Say my name again.¡±


    ¡°Luca.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s mouth brushed my ear. ¡°Again, angel.¡±


    ¡°Luca.¡± My voice shook. ¡°My Luca.¡±


    Luca¡¯s thrusts were steady, deep. Pleasure rushing through me, and my legs tightened around his waist.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Bastion coaxed, his hand stroking down my stomach. ¡°Let him set it.¡±


    ¡°I can take more,¡± I breathed.


    Luca paused, his eyes were ssy with restraint.


    Bastion brushed my hair from my cheek. ¡°Give her a little. She¡¯s asking.¡±


    The next roll of his hips, his dick going deeper, and I cried out¡ªsurprised, overwhelmed.


    ¡°Good girl. Breathe.¡± Bastion caught the sound with a kiss at my cheek, grounding me. ¡°That¡¯s it. Such a good fucking girl for us.¡±


    He dragged another trembling sound from me, then another, and his gaze burned with reverence as if every sound was holy.


    ¡°Tell me how it feels,¡± he said


    ¡°Full. Deep. Like¡ªlike I¡¯m supposed to.¡±


    Bastion forehead pressing to my temple. ¡°Ours.¡±


    ¡°Ours,¡± Luca echoed.


    I felt it building. Luca must have felt it too, because his hands softened, his mouth dropped to my knee again, his thrusts staying slow, measured, coaxing rather than chasing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run from it,¡± he said, low. ¡°Let ite to you.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Bastion whispered. ¡°Just feel.¡±


    I did. The heat climbed. Luca¡¯s control held. I shattered ¡ª quieter this time, softer, my body clutching around him as the wave rolled through.


    Luca eased out of me with care and lifted me off Bastion¡¯sp. I felt weightless as he turned around me, then lowered me until I straddled Bastion where he sat braced against the headboard.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± Luca said, and the way he said it sounded like trust.


    Bastion¡¯s hands framed my face, thumb at the corner of my mouth. He looked wrecked and gentle at once. ¡°You set the pace,¡± he said.


    I nodded. I took him in my hand, guided him to me, and sank down slowly. He swore under his breath, the sound torn and reverent, his fingers digging into my hips as if he didn¡¯t trust his own restraint. The stretch came but I was ready for it, and Bastion¡¯s eyes, God, the way he watched me.


    ¡°Stop me if?¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need to,¡± he said, voice wrecked. ¡°You¡¯re perfect.¡±


    I set the rhythm. Small at first, careful. Bastion groaned helplessly every time I found a depth that made both of us gasp. Luca stood near the foot of the bed, watching.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t fair,¡± breathless and a little drunk on the heat. ¡°I could¡ª I could take you in my mouth.¡± I looked at Luca, heat racing to my face. ¡°I could?¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Luca said softly, his knuckles running down my back. ¡°Not tonight.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hands slid to my waist, steadying my pace without stealing it. ¡°This is for you,¡± he said, catching my eyes. ¡°Just you. Watching you is everything.¡±


    My throat closed around the ache of it. I rocked a little deeper and Bastion¡¯s head tipped back, a rough sound escaping him. ¡°Good girl,¡± his voice broke a little, ¡°Take what you want.¡±


    I did. I moved the way my body asked, slow, then slower, circling down until heat rushed through me. Every time it felt like too much, Bastion¡¯s voice caught me; every time I faltered, Luca¡¯s quiet, praise steadied my hands on Bastion¡¯s chest.


    Bastion¡¯s hands trembled where they held me. He was fighting not to take control, fighting himself for me.


    ¡°You can,¡± my hands moving to his shoulders. ¡°You can move me.¡±


    His eyes shot to mine, ruined and hopeful. ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He groaned, a sound low, then his grip shifted. Strong hands locked at my waist, and before I could gasp, he flipped onto the bed. His weight pressed me down, not crushing but grounding, like he needed me pinned where he could see every inch.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured, his lips brushing my jaw. ¡°Letting Daddy take care of you.¡±


    His hands smoothed down my sides, tracing every curve like he had to relearn me. He opened my thighs wider with his palms, coaxing me apart.


    ¡°Stay open for me,¡± he whispered, voice thick. ¡°That¡¯s it. Let me see you.¡±


    My breath catching as he filled me inch by inch. Bastion kissed my cheek, my neck, his praise warm against my skin. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡°


    My legs tightening around his hips. He pressed deeper, groaning as my body clutched at him. ¡°Fuck¡­ baby. You¡¯re taking me so well. ¡±


    His pace stayed steady at first, every stroke deep but controlled. His eyes drank me in, reverent and wrecked. His hand cupped my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone.


    ¡°Look at me. That¡¯s it¡­ don¡¯t hide. I want to see every sound you make for me.¡±


    Each movement driving me closer.


    My back arched. The rhythm grew rougher, until my whole body trembled beneath him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered against my mouth.¡°I missed you baby. Every fucking day.¡±


    I kissed him back, tears stinging my eyes. His lips brushed down my jaw, my neck, desperate and gentle, marking me with softness.


    When he finally pulled free, he didn¡¯t let me go. Bastion slid his arms beneath me and lifted me off the bed, carrying me against his chest.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he murmured, kissing my hair. ¡°Always.¡±


    And as he carried me through open door, I heard the shower running¡ªLuca waiting.


    Lucas had his arms open, as Bastion ced me into him like an offering, and Luca caught me instantly, his arms wrapped around me.


    The hot water rushing down him before me.


    I tucked my head instinctively under his throat. He kissed the top of my head, my temple. ¡°Easy, angel,¡± he murmured against my hair. ¡°Daddy¡¯s got you.¡±


    His hands smoothed down my back, memorizing me. Every inch he touched felt branded, permanent. He pressed another kiss beneath my ear, reverent. ¡°Missed you. Missed the weight of you here. You don¡¯t even know what you do to me.¡±


    ¡°You feel like home,¡± I whispered before I could stop myself.


    His breath caught. He pulled me tighter. ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°You feel like home.¡±


    He groaned, rough like my words were enough to undo him. His mouth found mine then, unhurried but consuming. He kissed me like he was starving¡ªlike he needed to own every part of me he¡¯d been denied.


    When he finally pulled back, his lips brushed my ear. ¡°Tonight¡¯s not about taking. It¡¯s about giving you back what we stole. Slow. Gentle. You¡¯ll only remember worship.¡±


    He turned me carefully until my palms pressed against the tiles, the water running over my shoulders. His chest then pushed against my back, his breath hot at my neck. One arm wrapped across my stomach, the other spreading my hip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go slow,¡± he promised. ¡°You¡¯ll tell me if it¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered.


    He guided himself to me, pressing carefully until his dick slid in me. His mouth pressed to my shoulder, grounding me. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Just me. Just us. Safe.¡±


    He eased deeper, groaning low as I opened for him. ¡°Still so tight,¡± he rasped. ¡°Like the first time, every time. My perfect girl.¡±


    I whimpered, hips shifting against him. His hand mped my hip tighter. ¡°Slow,¡± he whispered. ¡°I want to feel every second of this.¡±


    And he did. Each stroke was deliberate, reverent, his hips dragging against me in a pace that was worship disguised as possession. The water hit the tile, masking our noises, but his groans broke through.


    ¡°That¡¯s my good girl. Look how perfect you¡­take Daddy¡¯s cock.¡°


    The words wrecked me. My legs shook, my forehead pressed against the tile. He didn¡¯t let me slip. His arm across me tighter, hand spread over my ribs, holding me against him.


    You don¡¯t stand on your own when you¡¯ve got us,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve got you. Always.¡±


    His pace built gradually, still controlled, still coaxing, but deeper now, sharper. I gasped, my body arching back against him. He kissed my shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Give it to me. Show me you¡¯re still ours.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I choked. ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡±


    He groaned like the words gutted him. His hips pushed harder.


    I cried out, clenching tight around him. Luca groaned, grinding deep as my release pulsed around him. ¡°Fuck, baby¡ªyes. Hold me. Don¡¯t let go.¡±


    Another thrust and he came inside me, groaning into my shoulder, his whole body pressed against mine. He stayed there, buried, kissing my neck ¡°Mine,¡± he breathed. ¡°My angel. My love. Never again without you.¡±


    His breath slowed, his arm still locked across me like he couldn¡¯t let go. I dropped into him, trembling, but safe in the cage of his body.


    The ss door slid. Bastion walked in.


    Luca finally pulled out, turning me gently in his arms. He pressed ast kiss to my forehead before handing me back¡ªlike I was something precious¡ªinto his brother¡¯s waiting hold.


    He caught me against him and grinned, wicked and soft all at once. ¡°She¡¯s too sweet to stop now.¡±


    ¡°It will help her sleep tonight,¡± Luca said, voice still rough. ¡°One more time.¡±


    They grinned together, like a secret they¡¯d already decided.


    Before I could answer, Bastion pressed me to the tile, lifting one of my legs higher with his hand. ¡°Open for Daddy.¡± His voice was low, gravelled. ¡°Let me in, angel.¡±


    I gasped as he pushed forward, thick and hot, filling me again. The stretch stung, but his hand stroked my stomach, soothing, while his other cradled my jaw. He kissed me hard as he slid all the way in, swallowing my whimper.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured against my mouth. ¡°Taking me right after him. So perfect for your daddies.¡±


    I trembled, thighs shaking. He held me steady, one hand locking around my thigh, opening me wider. His pace was slow at first, grinding deep, groaning into my neck each time I clenched around him.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Taking me so fucking deep.¡±


    ¡°Bastion¡ª¡±


    His mouth brushed my ear. ¡°Shh. Just feel, angel. Be our good girl. Daddy¡¯s got you.¡±


    The words melted me, my body trembling against the tile as his hips rolled deeper, slower, forcing me to take every inch. My knees buckled, but his arm locked under my thigh, holding me open and steady for him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Good girl. Let him stretch you. Look how sweet you are for Daddy.¡± Luca¡¯s breath grew ragged. When I managed to look over, he was stroking himself, slow and deliberate, eyes locked me open under the water. His jaw was clenched, his body taut with restraint.


    Heat flooded me. The shame, the reverence, the devotion in their words tangled until I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°You see what you do to us?¡± Luca asked, voice hoarse. ¡°Haven¡¯t even touched me yet and I¡¯m already shaking.¡±


    My lips parted, my throat tight. ¡°You can?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he cut in, voice fierce. ¡°This is your night. We¡¯ll worship you first.¡±


    Bastion groaned deep, hips pushed forward harder, his forehead pressed to my temple. ¡°Fuck, angel. You feel too good. I could stay inside you forever.¡±


    ¡°Twice each,¡± Luca¡¯s voice dropped lower, his hand closing firmer around himself. ¡°That¡¯s all it¡¯ll take to help her sleep tonight.¡±


    Bastion chuckled against my ear, the sound rough. ¡°She¡¯ll beg for more.¡±


    They grinned at each other over my body, and the thought made my stomach clench, my walls tightening around Bastion. He groaned, his thrusts stuttering. ¡°Hear that? She likes it. Our angel¡¯s dripping because we¡¯re nning how to take care of her.¡±


    I gasped, voice breaking. ¡°How¡­ how are you so¡ª¡± The words tangled, my face burning. ¡°So hard, so ready?¡±


    They both went still. Bastion¡¯s thrusts slowed, Luca¡¯s fist froze around himself. For a moment, all I could hear was the water.


    Then Bastion¡¯s lips brushed my ear. ¡°Because we haven¡¯t touched anyone else.¡±


    Luca¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Three years, Emilia. Three fucking years. You¡¯re the only one we¡¯ve ever needed.¡±


    My chest tightened painfully. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªdon¡¯t lie to me. Please.¡±


    Luca caught my face in his free hand, tilting me until I was forced to meet his eyes. They were wild. ¡°Does it look like we¡¯re lying?¡±


    I swallowed hard, unable to speak, because no¡ªit didn¡¯t. His truth burned so fierce I could barely hold it.


    Bastion groaned into my neck, thrusting harder now, desperate. ¡°Ours. You¡¯ve always been ours. We weren¡¯t made for anyone else. Just you.¡±


    Luca pressed his forehead to mine. ¡°We starved without you. We lived off the memory of you. No one else, angel. Never.¡±


    The words wrecked me. My body clutching around Bastion as if to prove them right.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion whispered fiercely. ¡°That¡¯s it. Take me. Take us.¡±


    Bastion groaned, grinding deep as I shattered, my release pulsing around him. He cursed low, his rhythm breaking as he finished, spilling inside me.


    But he didn¡¯t let go. He stayed buried, his arms locked around me, his lips dragging over my face. ¡°Mine. Always ours. I¡¯ll never stop loving you.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hand closed around my waist, easing me forward. Bastion kissed me onest time, then slowly pulled out, groaning as he did.


    ¡°Turn,¡± Luca ordered softly. His hands guided me, lifting me into his arms. My legs wrapped around him instinctively. He pressed me to the tile, lined himself up, and slid into me with one sure stroke.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Luca groaned, burying himself deep. ¡°She¡¯s still clenching from you brother. Our angel, is going to kill us.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand stroked my hair back, his lips brushing my temple. ¡°Good girl. Take him too. Show us how perfect you are.¡±


    Luca¡¯s thrusts were slow at first, deliberate, his forehead pressed to mine. His voice dropped into a hoarse whisper. ¡°Three years, and I dreamed of this every night. Not just the way you feel, but the way you look at me. Like I was still yours.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± I gasped. ¡°You both are.¡±


    Bastion groaned, his hand closing around my throat¡ªnot tight, just grounding. ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± My voice broke. ¡°You¡¯re both mine.¡±


    Luca cursed, thrusting harder, his control fraying. ¡°Good girl. Say our names while I fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Luca,¡± I sobbed. ¡°Bastion.¡±


    My body broke again, tighter, louder, sobbing into Luca¡¯s mouth as he swallowed my cries. He groaned deep, hips grinding, and spilled inside me, holding me tight as if he¡¯d never let me go.


    When he pulled back, Bastion was already there, lifting me between them. My body dropped but they held me up together¡ªone arm each, hands steady.


    ¡°Twice each,¡± Luca said, voice raw.


    Bastion grinned against my temple. ¡°She can take it.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± I whispered. ¡°Please¡ªdon¡¯t stop.¡±


    They traded me then, seamless. Bastion pushed into me again while Luca held my face.


    Bastion groaned, grinding deep. ¡°Good girl, letting Daddy fuck you while he watches. Look at her, Luca¡ªshe¡¯s ours.¡±


    Luca stroked my cheek. ¡°Only ours. Always.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion hand held me tighter.


    ¡°Such a good fucking girl for us.¡± Luca groaned softly, his hand brushing down my stomach.


    My lips parted, a weak sound slipping out as I melted against them. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t form words, only leaned heavier into Bastion¡¯s chest, my body boneless.


    His arms tightened around me, anchoring me against him. ¡°You tired, baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered, my eyes fluttered shut.


    Luca kissed the side of my face. ¡°You did such a good job for us, baby. It was a lot, wasn¡¯t it? But you still took it.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s lips brushed my ear. ¡°We really are so fucking proud of you. For taking both your daddies like this¡±


    Tears stung my eyes. I nodded faintly.


    ¡°Love you, angel,¡± Luca whispered, kissing the corner of my mouth.


    ¡°So fucking much, baby. Always.¡± Bastion added my neck.


    Luca caught my face, forcing me to look at him even as tears streaked my cheeks. ¡°One more time, baby. Then you¡¯ll sleep.¡±


    Bastion kissed my ear, whispering. ¡°You can do it. Just once more. You¡¯re such a good girl for us. Can youe one more time for your daddies? Drip down our cocks for us baby?¡±


    Thest thing I felt was their mouths on me, their voices wrapped around me .


    My body gave out atst, and the way they kissed me, praised me. It broke me in a way I¡¯d forgotten was possible.

 The Silent War: Chapter 27

    The phones hadn¡¯t stopped all night. The world pressed against us in buzzing reminders¡ªcalls, missed messages, Rome waiting on reports. I ignored all of it. Luca ignored all of it too. Nothing mattered outside this room. Not afterst night.<fn3dde> This content belongs to find?novel</fn3dde>


    Emiliay between us, naked, the sheet on her hips. She breathed softly, face turned toward Luca.


    I could have watched her for hours. I did.


    Every part of me wanted to wake her. To roll her onto her back and kiss her until she gasped, to worship every inch until she forgot there was a world outside this bed. It took everything I had not to. I held still instead, memorizing the weight of her against the mattress, the way her hair clung to her cheek, the faint tremor of her chest as she slept.


    Last night had been a beginning. She had given us pieces of herself she had not let go of in years.


    She had let herself be vulnerable again, even if only for moments. That didn¡¯te easily for her. She had been raised to hide every crack, to smile through pain, to keep the dynasty mask in ce until she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Letting us see her soft was an act of defiance against everything she had been taught.


    And she had done it. For us.


    I was proud of her. Really fucking proud of her.


    Luca was awake, too. I didn¡¯t need to look to know. His hand moved in a steady rhythm against her arm, fingers tracing lightly, keeping her anchored even in sleep.


    He hadn¡¯t looked at his phone once, though it vibrated just inches away on the nightstand. Neither of us would move. Rome could carry the empire until we were ready to answer.


    She stirred then, shifting in the sheets. Her hand slipped out before her eyes opened¡ªone palm finding my chest, the other wrapping around Luca¡¯s arm. She reached for us without thought, her body remembering what her mind hadn¡¯t yet caught up to.


    I nearly groaned at the feel of it. That instinct. That pull back to us.


    She blinked waking. When her eyes opened. She didn¡¯t reach for the sheet, didn¡¯t cover herself. She justy there, naked, ours.


    I bent down and pressed my mouth to her shoulder. ¡°Morning, baby.¡±


    Luca leaned in from the other side, lips brushing her neck. ¡°Morning, angel.¡±


    Her lips curved into a small smile, fragile but real. ¡°Morning.¡± She stretched arms sliding above her head.


    The movement ended in a wince. The sound of it shot panic through me. My hand gripped her hip before I realized, and Luca¡¯s hand closed over her arm. We both froze, braced to catch what hurt her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she whispered, eyes soft but steady. ¡°Just sore.¡±


    It eased me, but only a little.


    She pushed up onto her elbows, her hair falling around her face, and nced around the suite for the first time. Her mouth parted in surprise. ¡°Geez¡­ this room is impressive. I¡¯ve never seen windows like that before.¡±


    The floor-to-ceiling ss curved around the room in a perfect arch. Cut low to the floor, it framed the endless ocean beyond.


    I knew what she was seeing. What she didn¡¯t know was why. We¡¯d had the windows cut lower so the view would meet her eyes the moment she woke. Reinforced them with tech that made them one-way so no one could ever look in. So no one would ever see her naked.


    I didn¡¯t tell her. Luca didn¡¯t either. We just let her believe it was about the view.


    She sighed, dreamy. ¡°Imagine waking up at a tropical ind. Crystal blue waters.¡± She grinned at the thought.


    My eyes hadn¡¯t left her. Neither had Luca¡¯s.


    But my mind filled instantly. I saw her in bikinis, stretched out on the deck for weeks. I saw her sprawled across every inch of this yacht, letting us feed her, cook for her, carry her inside when she fell asleep. I saw her fucked on ss, on wood.


    ¡°Sounds like a honeymoon,¡± I said, the words slipping out.


    ¡°Sounds like next weekend,¡± Luca answered, voice just as low, just as raw.


    Herugh cracked, and I felt it in my chest. God, I had missed that sound. ¡°I missed you two.¡±


    My hand found her chin. I tilted her face until she looked only at me. ¡°Say that again.¡±


    ¡°Louder,¡± Luca added from her other side.


    She rolled her eyes at us, amused. ¡°You two are impossible.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re yours,¡± Tracing her jaw with my thumb.


    Her eyes flicked between us, teasing. ¡°That so?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡±


    ¡°Forever,¡± Luca added.


    Her hand finding mine and then Luca¡¯s. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe we should just try for just now.¡±


    I saw the fear in her even as she smiled. She was scared to trust us. Scared we¡¯d let her fall again.


    And she was right, that fear was our fault.


    But I¡¯d have patience. We both would. We¡¯d prove to her that this doesn¡¯t end in maybe.


    It ends only one way

 The Silent War: Chapter 28

    A dozen men on their side, rifles hanging loose. Half a dozen on ours, watching, silent.


    Business. That¡¯s what it was supposed to be.


    I was in a good mood. Couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d said that. Yesterday had been the first day I¡¯d felt it. Last night the first night. Emilia between us. Finally breathing.


    And now this.


    The bastards robbed us. Skimmed cash. Lifted crates. Cut corners like they thought we wouldn¡¯t notice. Rome was home. Luca and I made him. The city had run us all into the ground. We¡¯d wed it back. Earned one night of calm.


    And now they were stealing it again.


    Luca started. He didn¡¯t raise it. Didn¡¯t need to. Heid the numbers out, one by one. Territory lines, shipment counts, the ces the product had bled off.


    They tried to smile through it. Talk their way around it. Words like supply chains and shortages. Weak math and weaker excuses.


    Luca kept them talking. He always did. He¡¯d let a man tangle himself in words until he didn¡¯t know which way was up.


    Me¡ªI watched their hands. Their eyes. The way they shifted in their seats when the truth pressed too close.


    The smirk across the tablended wrong. He leaned back in his chair like he thought the room belonged to him.


    That cracked my tolerance.


    I leaned forward. Palms t against the table.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    The smirk dropped, then tried to recover. ¡°It¡¯s just business, Crow.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Business is numbers. This is theft.¡±


    His eyes darted to Luca, like he might find softer ground. My brother gave him nothing. Just that steady cold stare.


    ¡°So what then?¡± the man asked. ¡°You gonna burn every deal over a few crates?¡±


    ¡°Not every deal,¡± I said. ¡°Just yours.¡±


    I stood. The chair scraped back. My hand went to the gun at my side, not to draw¡ªjust to remind.


    ¡°You think we wed this city back to lose it over scraps?¡± I asked. ¡°You think after yesterday, afterst night, I¡¯m going to sit here and let you take from us?¡±


    He opened his mouth. Wrong choice.


    I moved before the first wordnded.


    The table flipped, crashing against his legs. Men shouted, rifles raised. Our side moved too, safeties clicking off.


    But my focus was locked. My hand fisted in his cor, dragging him up and across the wreck of the table. His eyes went wide, the smirk gone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t take from me,¡± I growled, low enough only he and Luca could hear. ¡°Not when I¡¯ve finally got something worth keeping.¡±


    He stammered, tried to speak, and I mmed him into the concrete wall. His breath wheezed out.


    ¡°Yesterday I let this city live,¡± I said. ¡°Today I don¡¯t owe you that mercy.¡±


    The room froze.<fn1088> Fresh chapters posted on FindN0vel</fn1088>


    ¡°Bastion.¡± Luca¡¯s voice was calm. Not stopping me. Just pulling me back from the edge.


    I knew what he was doing. He wasn¡¯t protecting them. He was protecting me. Keeping me from losing my moodpletely to the violence that always controlled me.


    I pressed my gun under the bastard¡¯s jaw, close enough he could taste the steel.


    He whimpered. That broke him more than the steel.


    ¡°Bastion.¡± Luca again, firmer.


    I inhaled through my teeth, slow. Emilia¡¯s face flickered behind my eyes¡ªthis morning, curled in our bed, wearing one of our shirts.


    I pulled back. mmed him once more into the wall for good measure. Then dropped him.


    He copsed, coughing, scrambling to find his chair that was no longer there.


    I holstered my gun. Turned to the others. All watching.


    ¡°Pick a side,¡± I said. My voice carried through the warehouse. ¡°With us or against us. You¡¯ve got one chance to make the right call.¡±


    Silence. Then slow nods. Eyes lowering. Weapons dropping back down.


    I looked at Luca. He gave me the smallest nod.


    I should¡¯ve felt better, this was technically a win. But all I wanted was her. Back on that yacht. Back in our bed. Back where the world didn¡¯t get to touch her.


    That was calm.


    This was noise.


    And I was already sick of it.<hr>


    The fallout dragged.


    Half an hour of breathing the same air as those men. My hands ached from holding back. My jaw too. The calm I¡¯d carried fromst night was gone.


    We left them scrambling. Syndicate lieutenants falling over themselves to patch holes, swear loyalty, cough up double. Luca let them. He was better at the details. I didn¡¯t hear most of it. Didn¡¯t care.


    I was already gone. Back on the yacht in my head. Back in our bed. Back where the world didn¡¯t get to touch her.


    The car door shut. Luca slid in across from me. Our phones buzzed almost at the same time. Another call. Another text.


    Problem after problem.


    Holdings being tested. Crews shifting territory lines. A truck held up at the docks. A cop who¡¯d decided to grow a spine.


    Our men were trying to keep pace, but every call was the same: the city wanted us back in it.


    I turned my phone over. Face down. Didn¡¯t matter. It still vibrated against the leather seat, every buzz another reminder that nothing we built stayed still without blood to hold it.


    Luca lit a cigarette. He leaned back, took a drag. He wasn¡¯t any calmer than me.


    I could see it in the way he inhaled too deep, exhaled too slow. He looked like calm, but he was fraying just as bad.


    I knew the weight in his chest. The burn behind his eyes


    The phones wouldn¡¯t stop. My chest wouldn¡¯t stop tightening.


    I looked at him. ¡°We should¡¯ve left.¡±


    Luca¡¯s eyes flicked to me. ¡°I thought that the moment she stepped on the dock.¡±


    I pushed back against the seat, jaw locked, fists tight on my thighs. ¡°I want her home,¡± I muttered. ¡°I want her in our fucking bed. We leave shit like this, and we go home to her.¡±


    I reached out, took the cigarette from his fingers, dragged the smoke deep until it burned my lungs.


    I wanted our peace back with our girl.

 The Silent War: Chapter 29

    The table was set for three. My brother¡¯s chair remained empty.


    ¡°Alexander sends his apologies,¡± ric said lightly, as if my brother¡¯s absence were a small weather inconvenience. ¡°Something urgent. He thought it best we continue without him.¡±


    I nodded. The room felt wrong. Alexander¡¯s penthouse was supposed to be an extension of him¡ªevery polished surface carrying his order. With ric sitting at the head, it felt less like home and more like a table already set for negotiation.


    We spoke first of polite things. The hotel¡¯s construction schedule. The dy in the suite below ours. How long he would be staying with us until it opened. He smiled easily, though there was calction in the way his eyes lingered on mine¡ªas if he were reading not just my words but what I withheld between them.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the conversation to turn.


    ¡°The ord is weighty,¡± he said. ¡°But the spine will hold if the right heirs continue it.¡±


    ¡°Children,¡± I said evenly. ¡°Not heirs.¡±


    A faint lift of his brow, the ghost of a smile. ¡°Of course. Children.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t mean it. He spoke with the certainty of someone who¡¯d only ever known lineage asw.


    I leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ve already made my terms clear to my family. If I marry¡ªif there are children¡ªthey will be raised by me. Not by handlers. Not by dynasty tutors. Decisions about education, security, health¡ªthose will be mine.¡±


    He set his fork down. ¡°That is¡­ not tradition.¡±


    ¡°Neither is love,¡± I said quietly. ¡°And yet children need it more than tradition.¡±


    For the first time, hisposure changed. ¡°Dynastic children belong to more than their mothers. They belong to the house. To the Dynasty bloodline.¡±


    ¡°My child will belong to me,¡± I corrected. My voice didn¡¯t rise. I wouldn¡¯t let him mistake calm for weakness.<fnfe3a> Find the newest release on Find?Novel</fnfe3a>


    He studied me. A long silence followed.


    ¡°Our children,¡± he said atst. ¡°Ours will be raised with discipline.¡±


    The wordnded like a cut. Ours.


    It echoed in my chest, terrifying. For a second, I couldn¡¯t feel the room around me¡ªthe candles, the wine, the white linen. Only that single word tightening around me like a im I hadn¡¯t agreed to.


    I swallowed carefully. My face stayed still. Inside, that was different.


    I let out a slow breath. ¡°If you think discipline is the opposite of a mother¡¯s authority, then you misunderstand me. I¡¯m not asking for indulgence. I¡¯m asking for protection. That requires rules. Rules made by the one who carries the child, not the one who names it.¡±


    His mouth lifted, faint and unreadable.


    ¡°Most daughters,¡± he said finally, ¡°concern themselves with gowns and guest lists. You concern yourself with guardianship. It¡¯s¡­ admirable.¡±


    I didn¡¯t thank him. Admiration was not what I wanted. Agreement was.


    He lifted his ss. ¡°Perhaps there is strength in it. To raise one¡¯s own blood. To write your hand into the spine instead of letting it write you.¡±


    The rest of the meal blurred. He asked about books I¡¯d read. I asked about ports his family controlled. Polite exchanges, practiced phrases. Yet the word he had said¡ªtheirs, ours¡ªstayed in my chest like a stone.


    When I rose from the table, he stood as well. Formal. Already a shadow of tomorrow¡¯s negotiations.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing how far you¡¯ll take these terms,¡± he said.


    I inclined my head. ¡°As far as I must.¡±


    After dinner, drinks were offered. Which only meant one thing. He wanted me to charm him, entertain him.

 The Silent War: Chapter 30

    Bastion was out.


    Half a bottle of whiskey and a night of holding the city together had ripped him under in thirty minutes. He was on his side, arm thrown across the sheets like he expected her to be there. He twitched now and then, some fragment of a fight reying, but he slept. He deserved to.


    When he drank like that, I never let him sleep alone. Not since we were teenagers. Heavy whiskey meant his chest slowed, meant his body sank too deep, meant Iy awake cataloguing every breath and waiting for the one that didn¡¯te.


    Pride said he could handle it. My paranoia said he¡¯d choke, quit breathing, leave me with silence I couldn¡¯t crawl out of. So even when he passed out face-down, I kept a hand near him.


    Four-oh-eight. Two hours since we walked in. I couldn¡¯t sleep.


    So I reached for the phone.


    Habit. Compulsion. Religion. Call it any word you want; it was the one thing I trusted when my control stopped feeling like control and started feeling like drowning.


    Swipe. Open. Her dot steady, right where it should be: Alexander¡¯s penthouse. Security we vetted. Staff we reced. Windows we upgraded. Locks we changed. If she had to sleep anywhere that wasn¡¯t between us, it would be under our systems. Under my eyes we controlled.


    She was safe.


    It should have been enough.


    It never was.


    My thumb hovered over the microphone icon. The line that turned location into proof of life. One second, I told myself. One breath. Just listen. The way I listened when we were kids and Bastion and I pressed our palms to iron bars to make sure the other was still breathing on the other side of the dark.


    I told myself no.


    I clicked anyway.


    Static. Then the softest inhale. A held pause. The gentle fall. Again. Again. The rhythm I knew better than my own pulse.


    Good girl.


    I took my first real breath all night. The vice around my ribs loosened. Iy there with the phone to my ear, and I counted her breaths like prayer.


    Then the other sound slipped in.


    A voice.


    Male.


    Not Alexander. Not family. Not anyone who should have been there.


    ric.


    I went still in the way only a predator does. Everything in me narrowed to a point¡ªears, eyes, fists, the cold anger rushing through me and that never stopped tightening unless she was physically under my hands. The phone casing creaked in my palm.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± ric murmured, close enough to sound like he was standing at the foot of her bed. Smug. ¡°I¡¯m with her now. Sleeps like an angel¡­ pity she¡¯s bing disobedient.¡±


    Her inhale touched my ear the same second his voice did, and the two sounds shouldn¡¯t exist in the same world. Innocence and trespass. Sanctuary and intrusion.


    My jaw locked until it hurt.


    He kept talking. Like he had the right to narrate her sleep while she trusted the dark.


    ¡°I want a wife that listens,¡± he said, almost conversational. ¡°Not one who chooses to defy me.¡±


    Wife.


    I stared at the ceiling so I didn¡¯t put my fist through it. Wife was a dynasty word, sure. A contract word. A performance word. But from his mouth it was theft.


    She wasn¡¯t his wife. She wasn¡¯t his anything.


    She was ours.


    Ours to watch sleep. Ours to guard. Ours to wake with a kiss and a ss of water and a hand at her nape when her head hurt. Ours to keep soft in a world that worshipped breaking everything.


    ¡°You can promise what you want, Alec,¡± he added, voice pulling back like he was talking to the doorway¡ªquiet, restrained, the kind of careful that told me he was used to getting away with it. ¡°But I¡¯ve been with her for weeks.¡±


    Weeks.


    My lungs forgot how to work for a full second. The phone made a small noise under my hand. Bastion stirred at the movement, settled again.


    Her inhale again the speaker, soft and unaware.


    ¡°She was quieter at dinner,¡± ric continued, almost amused. ¡°Even with cocaine. You hear me? They lined the table with powder and she still sat there like a statue. One smile. One sip. Polite. Pretty. But stubborn.¡± A chuckle. ¡°That won¡¯t hold. She¡¯ll learn.¡±


    Cocaine. Measuring her obedience by whether sheughed for him while men cut lines.


    My hand shook once. I looked at it like it belonged to someone else and then willed it still. I don¡¯t shake. I don¡¯t ever shake. Not even when I took the backend of an entire social tform just because her video buffered for two seconds and I hated that anything in the world between her and me was unstable.


    Her breath. It was still there. It kept me from breaking the line. From waking the whole city to walk to her in the next five minutes and shoot a man for standing too close to a girl who deserved to sleep without men performing power over her like it was theatre.


    I switched the phone to my other ear and stared at the ceiling again, cataloging every sound, mapping the room by audio the way I do when I¡¯m in surveince mode.


    The floor creaked near her door, someone shifting their weight. The sound of fabric, his sleeve.


    The faintest tick from a wall sensor. We¡¯d installed those. Our men. Our equipment. The small satisfaction of there is nothing here you can use against her that I haven¡¯t already sanitized.


    I could see the penthouse in my head. The new blind system Bastion had orderedst year. The fresh paint in the hall. The textured rug we¡¯d sent because she slips in socks when she¡¯s tired.


    The nightstand drawer with the anxiety pills she never touches. I rece them before they expire, so no dynasty tribunal will ever use it against her.


    The softer sheets we forced in when that brand switched factories and the finish changed by two thread counts.


    He didn¡¯t know any of that. He didn¡¯t know he was walking through rooms built with mypulsion, my code, my single-minded, unrepentant need to control everything that might hurt her.


    He didn¡¯t even know the camera he thought he¡¯d disabled in the corner was a decoy and the real one was the motion sensor in the thermostat.


    He didn¡¯t know the ss wouldn¡¯t shatter for him no matter what he threw, or that the balcony door needed a biometric she didn¡¯t even have because we don¡¯t want her stepping outside alone when she¡¯s lightheaded.


    But he knew where she slept. And he was standing there, narrating her breath to someone else, evaluating her obedience like she was a horse he meant to break in front of a crowd.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said softly, moving foot to foot. ¡°I¡¯m watching her now. She curls her fingers when she dreams. Didn¡¯t know that. Cute, isn¡¯t it? She¡¯ll stop fighting once she understands who leads.¡± A pause I wanted to fill with a gunshot. ¡°Training takes time.¡±


    My mouth went dry. The wordnded wrong. He liked it. He liked the way it felt when he tried to fit it around her¡ªtraining, disobedient, wife. He was building an entire lexicon in the dark, believingnguage alone could make her his. Men always think words are enough until they meet a Crow.


    I listened to her inhale again. Counted to three. Listened to the exhale. Counted to three. She¡¯s safe, I told myself. She¡¯s sleeping. He¡¯s just talking. He hasn¡¯t touched. If he had touched, her breath would have changed. I know what her body sounds like when she¡¯s ufortable in sleep. I know the swallow hitch, the reflex of a hand clutching the sheet. None of those were there. She was peaceful. The only reason she was peaceful was because she didn¡¯t know he was there.


    My throat burned. Because the only reason he was there was because I wasn¡¯t. We weren¡¯t there.


    I closed my eyes, and my head did the thing it always does when something threatens to unmake me: it went to systems. To solutions. To pre-empt the next ten disasters before the first one finished happening.


    Her breath. Again.


    Bastion shifted, a low sound at the back of his throat. He curled closer without waking, palm ttening at my arm like he was checking I was still there. He does that when he¡¯s too tired to move properly. He reaches. It¡¯s a reflex older than most of our scars. I¡¯m not sentimental. I am very good at remembering.


    The phone warmed against my cheek. ric kept talking. Filling the space with himself.


    ¡°She won¡¯t tell me where she wentst night,¡± his ego sounded bruised by a girl asleep in another room. ¡°Looked through me when I asked. She¡¯ll learn.¡±


    He loved that phrase. She¡¯ll learn. He believed in a future where she was smaller, because he mistook quiet for weakness. The dynasty trains girls to be calm while they bleed. We were trained to hear that calm and know where the wound is.


    I put his voice on one side of a scale and her breath on the other. His side weighed nothing.


    There were a dozen ways to end this quickly. Walk into his world and tear his throat out in front of the men he uses to feel tall. Leak a rumor to the wrong house and watch him get eaten by politics sharp enough to make him cry for a mother he doesn¡¯t deserve.


    Pull him into a casino conversation and let numbers show him why confidence is a currency and he can¡¯t afford ours.<fnde17> Discover more novels at findnovel</fnde17>


    Lure him into a back hallway and say I¡¯m going to speak now and that means you¡¯re going to listen and then make the listening permanent.


    Quick would cost her. Quick would look like the thing everyone fears when they say Crow with their lips tight. She isn¡¯t a rumor. She¡¯s sacred. You don¡¯t spill the sacred in public.


    So we wouldn¡¯t.


    We¡¯d make this clean.


    We¡¯d make him useless.


    We¡¯d cut every ce where he could stand between her and the door and call that protection.


    We¡¯d make himte untilte felt like humiliation. We¡¯d surround him with smiling men who answered to us and watch his jokes die in empty rooms. We¡¯d let him realize he had no routes left. And when he left¡ªbecause men like that always leave when they can¡¯t perform power¡ªwe¡¯d make sure he believed it was his idea and that leaving her was his proof of love. He¡¯d tell someer that he stepped back for her own good and they¡¯d nod and p his shoulder and we¡¯d smile in the dark.


    The animal in my chest, the one that was trained to be a crow, didn¡¯t want clean. It wanted immediate. It wanted to break the bone in his wrist that held the door-frame and then use that hand to make him open every door he¡¯d ever closed around her. It wanted to kneel at her bedside and say we¡¯re here, angel, sleep, while the floorboards dried where we¡¯d dragged him out.


    Her breath stopped me. Every time.


    She doesn¡¯t need to wake to blood. She needs quiet. She needs to open her eyes and see light she likes. She needs water she will actually drink without me having to coax it between her lips with a thumb at her chin. She needs to know that if she says no to dinner, no one calls her disobedient like a man who¡¯s never been told no by anyone who could make it matter.


    Bastion murmured again, a broken sound like the ones he makes when the memory of cages creeps in too close. I turned slightly and pressed my palm to his arm. He settled.


    ¡°Week after week,¡± ric was saying, lower now, as if he¡¯d walked further into the hall and turned his mouth away. ¡°Promises don¡¯t move her. That¡¯s the problem with girls like this¡ªtoo many handlers and they think no one leads. She¡¯ll figure out I¡¯m different. She will.¡±


    You¡¯re not different. You¡¯re ordinary. Crows kill ordinary.


    I let the thought pass. I catalogued his confidence. I pinned each phrase to the board in my head and drew strings between them the way I do with ports and manifests and missing crates. With her now. Weeks. Dinner. Cocaine. Disobedient. Wife. She¡¯ll learn.


    He wanted a pet. He wanted her to be an object he could point at and say see? Look how good I am at owning. That was the punchline. He wanted a mirror.


    We don¡¯t want a mirror. We want a woman. A mind. A mouth. A spine that pushes back when the world tries to bend her. We built a city so she could be the version of herself the world wouldn¡¯t let her be without fear. We didn¡¯t bring her to an altar to shrink her. We built the altar to hold her weight.


    Her breath changed¡ªbarely. A deeper exhale, a longer inhale, the kind thates before the body turns over if it¡¯s free to. I listened with everything I had. If his feet moved closer, I would hear it. If she woke, the first word in her throat would be our names even if she didn¡¯t say them out loud.


    Nothing. She settled.


    I closed my eyes finally, not to sleep, but to let the room arrange itself behind my eyelids with the precision I need to make war without looking like one.


    The phone warmed my cheek. My free hand slid under Bastion¡¯s forearm when his twitched sounded too familiar. The whiskey had dragged him to the darkness.


    Tomorrow he would ask what was happened. I would tell him everything in the smallest number of words necessary. He would go very quiet. The quiet that means he¡¯s decided the shape of the violence, not that he¡¯s doubting it.


    We¡¯d start by making sure breakfast arrives exactly when she sits up, because she forgets to eat, when she is worried and we will not let a man who wants obedience also oversee her hunger. We¡¯d seed a text she never sees that pulls ric across town so she has an empty doorway when she leaves her room. We¡¯d move three men. We¡¯d wipe two numbers. We¡¯d speak to one doctor. We¡¯d send a jacket to her room because she always forgets a jacket and today the wind will hit the ss and we can¡¯t control the wind.


    ric¡¯s voice had faded to a murmur I could barely catch. He said something that sounded like she¡¯ll be easier by the weekend. The words didn¡¯tnd. I stopped listening to him. There was nothing else in his mouth that mattered. He¡¯d already given me everything I needed.


    Her breath filled the line. I counted three more cycles. Four. Five. Bastion exhaled.


    I ended the connection.


    The silence after was heavier. Just the room, and the man who is my mirror, and the thought of her, and a city that would try again at seven, and again at eight, and every hour after until we reminded it who it belonged to.


    I set the phone face down. My hand didn¡¯t shake anymore.


    He thinks he¡¯s been with her for weeks.


    He¡¯s about to learn¡ªshe¡¯s been ours all along.

 The Silent War: Chapter 31

    I woke wrong. The kind of wrong that means something moved in the night and I didn¡¯t.


    Luca was upright in the chair by the window. Shirt half-buttoned. Phone face-down like it offended him. He didn¡¯t look at me. He looked at the city. That told me enough.


    ¡°Say it,¡± I rasped.


    He didn¡¯t. He stood, crossed the room, put a hand on the back of my shoulder and squeezed once¡ªgrounding me like I was the one that needed it. ¡°He was in the hall.¡±


    Heat hit the base of my skull. ¡°Who.¡±<fne92d> The source of th?s content is Find¡ïNovel</fne92d>


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said. ¡°He thinks it does.¡±


    I swung my legs off the bed. Smoke. I needed smoke. ¡°Where.¡±


    ¡°Alexander¡¯s tower. Outside her room.¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°Talking.¡±


    ¡°Talking,¡± I repeated. Did he drug her. Did he touch her.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t touch,¡± Luca added, he¡¯d read the next question. ¡°She slept through it.¡±


    My fingers curled. The scars along my knuckles ached. My head went quiet. That was when things got dangerous. I walked to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth. I shaved. I pulled on ck. Shirt, jacket, gun. Chain. Three rings.


    Luca watched me. ¡°We can do this clean.¡±


    ¡°I am clean,¡±


    ¡°Bastion.¡±


    I met his eyes. The kind of look that said everything we didn¡¯t name. I know. I hear you. I won¡¯t put blood in her morning.


    He gave one small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll move the pieces. You go look him in the face.¡±


    I was already at the door.<hr>


    Our men at the lobby didn¡¯t ask questions.


    The elevator doors opened. The corridor to her wing had soft carpet, expensive paint.


    He stepped out of her hallway like the building belonged to him. It didn¡¯t. We owned it under a shellpany. First building we acquired after the academy.


    You could tell the type by the first five seconds. Expensive shoes. Shoulders back in a way that tried to sell height he didn¡¯t have. He saw me and did the little smile men do when they think they¡¯ve met a peer.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he said.


    I leaned against the wall and took my time lighting a cigarette. The first drag hit. ¡°Is it.¡±


    He clocked the ink at my throat. Clocked the ck. The gun. Decided to pretend none of it meant anything.


    ¡°Do you live here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I haunt it.¡±


    A flicker of confusion. He covered it with a chuckle. ¡°That supposed to be funny?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He shifted his weight. The corridor made men honest if you let it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been circling,¡± I said. My voice carried just enough to fill the space between us. ¡°Seeing what sticks. Who looks at you. Which doors open.¡±


    His smile tightened. ¡°It¡¯s a big tower.¡±


    ¡°Too big for you.¡±


    The little re in his eyes told me I¡¯d hit something he cared about. He straightened. ¡°You always block hallways like a bodyguard, or is this new?¡±


    I took another drag, slow. ¡°Depends who tries to use them.¡±


    ¡°Rx. No one¡¯s unsafe.¡±


    ¡°You mistake quiet for permission.¡±


    Heughed again. ¡°You mistake silence for power.¡±


    I stepped off the wall, closed the distance. Close enough for him to feel how much bigger I was. Close enough to watch his pulse jump. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I measure power by whether a man understands he doesn¡¯t have any.¡±


    He held my stare one second too long. Then he gave me the kind of smirk that gets teeth knocked out in cheaper buildings. ¡°You here to impress me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I flicked ash. ¡°To measure you.¡±


    ¡°Measure away,¡± he said lightly.


    I looked down him like inventory. Shoes, scuff at the right toe from dragging it when he¡¯s bored. Soft hands. No gym. The way he kept ncing past me¡ªnot toward her door, toward the elevator. Flight built into the posture of a man who likes to perform near danger and leave before it acts.


    ¡°You like talking near sleeping girls. Makes you feel tall.¡±


    The smirk twitched. ¡°You know how dynasty is,¡± he said too quickly, like we were friends. ¡°Lots of handlers. Someone has to lead.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t lead anything here,¡±


    ¡°You think you do?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°You can¡¯t own every hallway.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to. I own the ground under your feet.¡±


    I watched the math click behind his eyes. Syndicate. Dynasty. Crow. He hadn¡¯t decided which part of that scared him yet. That was fine. Fear was a slow burn.


    I stepped back and exhaled smoke. ¡°You¡¯ve been measured,¡± I said. ¡°Now you¡¯ll be moved.¡±


    He adjusted his watchband. ¡°You can¡¯t clock a man out of a life he chose.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t choose this one. It doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    He started toward the elevator. I didn¡¯t move. He had to stall shuffle sideways to give me space. I let him brush a shoulder¡ªjust enough contact to feel bone under my arm. The doors slid open. He hesitated with ast little smile, the kind of thing men do when they think they¡¯ll see you again.


    ¡°You won¡¯t like what happens if you keep standing in other people¡¯s rooms,¡± I said softly.


    He swallowed. ¡°Whose rooms?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. The doors closed on his face.


    I didn¡¯t say her name. Didn¡¯t need to.


    He was already a problem in motion. And I was the hand that would pin him to a wall when the time came.


    I stepped into the second elevator. I took it to the lobby, walked outside. The ports were leaking. Something to feed the fire inside me until I could put my fist through the right person.


    I texted Luca: Measured. Move him.


    He sent back two: Already moving.


    I smiled and I headed for the docks.

 The Silent War: Chapter 32

    By the time Bastion¡¯s elevator hit street level, the city was already in my hands.


    I don¡¯t kill men first thing. I move their mornings. It costs them longer.


    Step one was simple: duplicate and poison the ess he didn¡¯t deserve. The keycard he¡¯d been using, by noon had a silent error. The real doors would still open; his wouldn¡¯t. It would take him exactly three humiliations to realize it was personal.


    Step two, the elevator. I tied a loop to the lobby call button that sent him to Floor 42 for one heartbeat on every ascent¡ªnothing obvious, just a ghost stop. A three-minute leak of time. It would make him miss coffee by seconds, meetings by inches.


    Step three, mornings. Emilia wakes quiet. Mornings are sacred for our girl. No voices allowed. I reassigned the concierge on her floor, reced the security on the east stairwell, reprogrammed the housekeeping route so no cart rolled past her door before nine. If he liked to hover, he¡¯d hover into empty air.


    I didn¡¯t tell her. She needed sleep, not systems.


    Rome called. I let it ring twice, then answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± he said, voice rough like he¡¯d spent the night enforcing the club¡¯s snd streets.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep,¡± I said


    ¡°Ports are bleeding,¡± he said. ¡°You want me or you?¡±


    ¡°Bastion¡¯s already en route. You get the trucks. I¡¯ll get the paper.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡± He paused. ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Does Bastion know?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    He grunted, which for Rome is a nod you can hear. ¡°Call if you need bones broken.¡±


    ¡°Right now. I need silence,¡± I ended the call.


    The board lit up across my screens¡ªess logs, cameras, staff rosters.


    I dragged strings between timestamps until a picture formed, where he¡¯d stood, who had looked past him, who hadn¡¯t. Three staffers paused too long by her hallwayst week. One had that twitchy habit of smoothing her skirt when she lies. One had a boyfriend with debt. One was bored.


    I pulled their contracts. Moved two to day-shift. Sent the bored one home with pay and a red g on her file that would make other buildings say no. She¡¯d think it was her idea to leave. It was mine.


    She drinks her coffee at fifty-six degrees because anything hotter makes her stomach hurt. Anyone who changes that gets reced.


    I advanced our machine start time by four minutes and set a reminder to myself to have Bastion toss the first cup if she reached for it distracted tomorrow. He forgets these things, then hates himself for forgetting. I don¡¯t forget.


    He¡ªric; fine, I¡¯ll name him once on a private screen¡ªhad bragged about dinner, about powder on the table like it was a centerpiece.


    I traced his schedule with hers. He¡¯d been near three of her public events in thest two weeks, one brunch, one gallery opening, one ¡°private tasting¡± that wasn¡¯t.


    None of those contact points existed in official logs. Men like him like to be ¡°off-book¡± because it feels like power.


    All off-book routes run through doors someone else owns. Today that someone else was me.


    I mirrored his phone for metadata only. Consent is a line. He didn¡¯t get consent, so I didn¡¯t bother worrying about his. I took his rhythms instead, the times he checked, the times he lied about checking. He liked to text at 07:12 and 19:41. He liked to call at 22:03. Cute. The kind of clockwork that begs for a wrench.


    At 07:09 I pushed a courier alert to his screen from a restaurant he tries to impress people with. A ¡°your table is avable now¡± bluff. He bit. He always would. Men who stand on empty floors love to be seen on busy ones.


    He left the lobby at 07:11 and missed her elevator by twenty seconds. She didn¡¯t see him; she saw the jacket I¡¯d sent¡ªlight weight she¡¯d actually keep on.


    I watched her walk to the car. Headache threshold reading low¡ªgood. She got in. The driver knew not to speak to her before she wanted words. He didn¡¯t. Good.


    I didn¡¯t look at her face. Looking when I¡¯m working makes me stupid.


    At 08:30, I cut the building¡¯s lobby music by half and raised the ss tint by seven degrees. She doesn¡¯t like re before ten. No one noticed the change; they never do. They just behave better when the world fits them.


    Bastion texted me a photo from the tower corridor¡ªempty. He¡¯d left nothing behind, like I asked.<fn1c3a> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? f?ndnovel</fn1c3a>


    He doesn¡¯t say much when he does what he promises. The message said Measured. Move him.I sent back Already moving.


    By noon, his keycard failed in front of a junior heir he wanted to impress. Heughed it off; the heir didn¡¯t. I saw his embarrassment. He would go looking for the source of that feeling. He wouldn¡¯t find me.


    By two, I pushed a small scheduling error into his calendar that had him double-booked with a handler he fears and a friend he uses. He chose the friend. The handler sent three messages with clipped punctuation. He¡¯d think the day turned on him. Days don¡¯t turn. People do.


    At three, I called a doctor. Not the ones dynasty uses to carve girls into numbers. Ours. The one who knows how to say ¡°rest¡± without making it sound like failure. I had him hold a slot for a headache she might not have. We n for the worst; we never speak it aloud.


    I checked her cameras, then rerouted motion alerts for that corridor directly to my phone. They wouldn¡¯t ping staff anymore. They would ping me. I don¡¯t mind being the only one who hears it.


    The elevator ghost-stop reported a 7% spike in his heart rate every time it hit 42. By early evening, he¡¯d decide the building was broken. It wasn¡¯t. He was.


    I ordered dinner delivery to the restaurant we own because it saves time to ept the truth of ownership. I had them put the wine Bastion likes on the table and the lighter one she can actually drink without getting dizzy. No smoke allowed; Bastion would light anyway. I gged the host to look away.


    Rome updated me from the docks: three men in concrete, one runner, manifests recovered from a phone he threw toote. Ports bleed louder. They demand Bastion¡¯s version of conversation. Good. He needed somewhere to put his hands that wasn¡¯t a throat I couldn¡¯t let him crush.


    I set onest thing before I shut the screens: Veil alerts for a single ount. Not to stalk. To know when the day finally gave us back what it stole.


    If she posted, I wanted the vibration to find Bastion¡¯s pocket.


    At 19:03, Bastion texted: Ports.


    I replied: Feed them to the cement. When your phone buzzes, look.


    By 19:41, the alert I built for a man I won¡¯t name went off again¡ªpredictable. He was somewhere he thought important, saying words he thought mattered. I muted him.


    I put on a suit that said everything I needed without talking and went to dinner.


    We would sit her between us. We would tell her the truth. We would listen to hers.


    After, we would take her home.


    Between now and then. While Bastion made the city quiet the way only he can, I would make sure the only sound he heard was the one we both live for: her, choosing us, even when she didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    When the elevator doors opened, I set thest automation: if she posted, route the buzz straight through the noise, past concrete and trucks, to the exact pocket where my twin keeps his phone when his hands are bleeding.

 The Silent War: Chapter 33

    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    It wasn¡¯t dynasty-polished smiling either. Not the kind they trained into us at etiquette dinners.<fn7642> For original chapters go to find?novel</fn7642>


    Vivienne finally set her ss down, tilted her head.


    ¡°Alright. Spill it. You look like you¡¯ve been microdosing joy. Did you sneak something into your mimosa? Because you¡¯re practically high on your own smile.¡±


    Charlotte leaned in with a grin, stabbing her fork through a strawberry. ¡°Forget drugs. She¡¯s clearly overdosing on lip balm. Honestly, Em, that¡¯s the only way dynasty daughters survive brunch. Lip balm and sarcasm.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s not drugs.¡±


    Vivienne arched a brow, lips curving. ¡°Not lip balm either?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ men.¡±


    Both of them froze. And then grinned like they¡¯d rehearsed it.


    ¡°Ohhh.¡± Vivienne dragged out the word until it was practically a song. ¡°Plural.¡±


    Charlotte gasped, hand to her chest. ¡°Plural men. Emilia Adams, you scandal.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± I tried to hide my face, which only made themugh harder.


    Vivienne leaned closer. ¡°So which men? Because if I were you, I¡¯d be smiling like that too if ric Vale had finally decided to loosen up.¡±


    ¡°God, Viv,¡± Charlotte groaned, rolling her eyes. ¡°Vale doesn¡¯t loosen. He probably irons his socks.¡±


    I choked on my water,ughing too loud. A few heads turned from the next table, all pretending not to listen while very much listening.


    Vivienne flicked her gaze toward them, then back at me with a smirk. ¡°Ignore them. They¡¯d sell their grandmothers for a whisper of gossip.¡±


    Charlotte nudged me under the table. ¡°So if it¡¯s not Vale, then who? You can¡¯t drop men like that and not exin.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not exining.¡±


    Vivienne gasped, eyes going wide, then narrowed like she¡¯d just solved a riddle.


    ¡°Oh my God. It¡¯s them, isn¡¯t it? The Crow twins.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s fork ttered against her te. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. Which was as good as confession.


    Charlotte covered her mouth, whisper-squealing. ¡°Emilia.¡±


    ¡°Well, that exins the smile.¡± Vivienne grinned, ¡°And the glow. And the way you just looked down when I said their name.¡±


    Heat ran up my neck. ¡°You two are impossible.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s grin only widened. ¡°You¡¯re back with the Crows.¡±


    Vivienne clinked her ss against mine before I could protest. ¡°Em wins.¡±


    ¡°Wins what?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Vivienne leaned in, ¡°Charlotte¡¯s been sneaking around with one brother. I¡¯ve been sneaking around with one brother. And you¡ª¡± she gestured at me with her ss, eyes bright, ¡°you¡¯ve gone and doubled the score. Two Crows. At once.¡±


    Charlotte covered her face, half-mortified, half-giggling. ¡°Vivienne!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t even pretend,¡± Vivienne shot back. ¡°We¡¯re all keeping secrets. Might as well toast them.¡±


    I shook my head,ughing so hard it hurt. ¡°You¡¯re both terrible.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Charlotte said, ¡°but you¡¯re the scandal, Em. Not us.¡±


    Vivienne lifted her ss again. ¡°To dynasty daughters who know better, and do it anyway.¡±


    We clinked. Because happiness was usually short lived in our world. So when you had it, you held on to it for as long as possible.

 The Silent War: Chapter 34

    Cement trucks beeped as they reversed. My men moved in rhythm ¡ª chains scraping across the pit¡¯s edge, ropes pulled tight around thrashing bodies.


    ¡°Headfirst or feet first, boss?¡± one of the enforcers called, shovel braced on his shoulder.


    I dragged smoke into my lungs. Let it burn down. Exhaled.


    ¡°Headfirst. Faster.¡±


    The man nodded, hauled the rival forward. A wet thud, then the scream cut short. Another Friday night in Viin. Another leak to cauterize.


    Someone thought they could bleed us without consequence. Leaking manifests before the containers even touched the dock.


    Luca was tightening encryption, rerouting everything through offshore shells. I was here handling the other side ¡ª the human side. Which meant dragging traitors out of their beds, breaking fingers until they admitted who whispered numbers into ears, and feeding what was left to cement and tide.


    My phone buzzed in my pocket.


    My hand moved before thought. Pulled it out, thumb swiping across.


    Veil lit up.


    Her.


    Fresh post.


    Pink clung to her ribs. Light traced her corbone, skin glowing like it had been staged for me. For us.


    My thumb tapped open before I could stop it.


    @bastioncrow: That dress is a problem.


    Behind me, another body hit the pit.


    @emiliaadams: Why? Too pink for you?


    The corner of my mouth twitched. I flicked ash into the pit instead.


    @bastioncrow: Too tight. Can¡¯t stop staring.


    ¡°Boss?¡± another man shouted over the churn of the trucks. ¡°You want the rest bagged or straight in?¡±


    My eyes stayed on the screen. ¡°Headfirst. No bags. Cement¡¯s cleaner.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Concrete poured. Screams muffled into slurry.


    @emiliaadams: Then stop staring.


    I ground the cigarette out against the steel pir, thumb moving before thought.


    @bastioncrow: Can¡¯t. Even if I wanted to. You know that.


    She made me wait this time. Long enough for the sounds of work to push in ¡ª men grunting, chains rattling, the p of boots as they shoved another rival closer to the pit.


    @emiliaadams: Maybe I like it when you stare.


    Heat hit me harder than smoke.


    @bastioncrow: Careful, angel. I don¡¯t stare. I take.


    Another rival thrashed, elbows cracking against the concrete edge. My men shoved harder, boots holding his spine down until his voice cut off. The cement rose higher.


    @emiliaadams: Then maybe I want to be taken.


    My pulse mmed, louder than the trucks, sharper than the groans of dying men.


    @bastioncrow: Say it again.


    @emiliaadams: Maybe I want you to take me.


    My grip tightened around the phone.


    @bastioncrow: Good girl. You have no idea what that does to me.


    @emiliaadams: What does it do?


    The corner of my mouth tugged.


    @bastioncrow: Makes me want to ruin that dress. Put you on your knees. Hear you choke on my cock until you cry, and still call you perfect.


    ¡°Boss?¡± one of my men asked, shovel braced in drying cement. ¡°b¡¯s ready. You want us to pour?¡±


    ¡°Do it. I want silence by sunrise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    @emiliaadams: Bold words. What else would you do?


    My jaw flexed. She knew what she was doing¡ªpushing, teasing, driving me past control with her little blue bubbles while men drowned behind me.


    @bastioncrow: I¡¯d tear that dress down the middle. Push you t on your back. Make you spread those pretty legs until you begged me to let youe.


    @emiliaadams: Maybe I wouldn¡¯t beg.


    I almostughed. Almost.


    @bastioncrow: You¡¯d beg, baby. You always do.


    Another body thrashed. My men nced my way, waiting for a nod. I didn¡¯t give it. My eyes were locked on the screen.


    @emiliaadams: after I beg toe?


    My chest tightened.


    @bastioncrow: thumb in your mouth, first, then my cock in your throat, I¡¯d ruin you slow, whispering good girl until you broke.


    @emiliaadams: You sound like you¡¯ve thought about this.


    @bastioncrow: Every fucking night.


    @emiliaadams: Then maybe I¡¯ll let you.


    I dragged bloodied knuckles down my jaw, the weight of it almost too much. She thought she was in control, dangling those words like bait.


    @bastioncrow: Careful, sweetheart. I don¡¯t do maybe.


    The screen pulsed. Three dots.


    @emiliaadams: Then don¡¯t. Do it.


    Cement poured heavy, filling thest grave. Silence spread, thick and final.


    @bastioncrow: Keep that dress on. I want to take it off you after dinner.


    Almost smiled.


    Tonight wasn¡¯t going to end with concrete. Tonight we¡¯d walk into a marble dining room in ck suits, pretend to be businessmen while the city pretended to believe it.<fna3e5> Read full story at find(?)ovel</fna3e5>


    And then, when the wine was poured, when the waiter turned away, she finally looked at us the way she used to, I¡¯d make good on every word.


    Because this empire wasn¡¯t built for the ports.


    It was built for her.

 The Silent War: Chapter 35

    They were already seated when I walked into the restaurant. Of course they were. And of course they looked like that.


    Luca ck shirt was unbuttoned showing his tattooed chest that went up his throat. The silver chain, the rings on his fingers that I could already feel against my skin.


    Bastion sat across from him, ck sleeves rolled to his forearms. The tattoos running from his arms to his fingers.


    I wondered for a moment if they even realised how many people were staring at them in this room. Because I wasn¡¯t the only one looking. Three different women in the room had already turned their heads.


    It still left me wondering, if they could have anyone, why me? Why keep circling back to me, when they could have any woman they wanted?


    My chest tightened when Luca finally spotted me. He smirked as he slid out of the booth.


    For a moment the nerves kept me still. Then I walked towards them. By the time I reached them Luca was out of the booth.


    Luca hand rested on my back, as he leaned closer. ¡°I¡¯d kiss you, but too many eyes. Unless you want me to.¡±


    I smiled instead, because if I spoke it would give too much away.


    He waited until I was settled before sliding in beside me. And then Bastion mirrored him. Boxing me in. I was in the middle. Exactly where they wanted me.


    It shouldn¡¯t make my blood rush as hot as it did.


    The restaurant was low-lit, marble polished to a shine, every table haloed by candlelight. A ce meant for quiet wealth. A ce where smoking wasn¡¯t allowed, which was why Bastion lit his cigarette first thing.


    ¡°Busy day, baby?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no smoking in here,¡± I murmured.


    He exhaled smoke anyway. Luca leaned close to my ear. ¡°It¡¯s fine, sweetie. We won¡¯t get in trouble.¡± His chin tipped toward the far wall. I followed, and saw it. Etched into the marble near the kitchen door.


    Obsidian Development Group


    Of course it was theirs.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have someone else owning our girl¡¯s favorite restaurant.¡± Bastion said, so casually as if what he said wasmon knowledge.


    My throat tightened. Not at the words, but at how easily he said our. And worse¡ªhow I didn¡¯t correct him.


    The waiter appeared,ying three sses of wine, one lighter, mine and then the tes. Exactly what I would have ordered. Except I hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°You already ordered for me?¡± I asked.


    Bastion didn¡¯t look even a little sorry. ¡°You hate menus.¡±


    ¡°I hate being controlled.¡±


    ¡°And yet,¡± Luca said, smirking as he gestured to the food, ¡°we got it right.¡±


    I wanted to be angry. But they weren¡¯t wrong. It was perfect. Still, I lifted my fork with a steady hand. ¡°You could¡¯ve let me pretend I had a choice.¡±


    Bastion flicked ash into the tray. ¡°You did. When you said yes to dinner.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hand slid over mine, thumb dragging once across my knuckles, steadying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shake,¡± he murmured. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to be nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    I was. I was incredibly nervous and it was stupid.


    Bastion¡¯s lowugh told me he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Lying already, baby? We just sat down.¡±


    I took a sip of my drinking, hiding my reaction barely. ¡°So,¡± I picked my fork up, ¡°What do you even do all day?¡±


    Luca leaned back slightly, as if debating whether to indulge me. ¡°This morning I gged three security risks in Viin. Two syndicates. After that, I handled logistics for the Obsidian Crown deal. Moved capital through sshouse. Laundering updates.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that means.¡±


    ¡°It means money moved clean,¡± he said, it in a way that wasn¡¯t mocking me for not understanding.


    Bastion exhaled smoke slow. ¡°I shot a man in the stomach at noon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Left him alive. Barely. He¡¯s in a freezer until we decide what to do with him.¡±


    ¡°He lied about a shipment manifest.¡± Luca added.


    ¡°Oh my God?¡ª¡±


    ¡°The rest are in concrete. And after that,¡± Bastion took a mouthful of his whiskey, ¡°we raided Lorne Street warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Raided,¡± Luca echoed, lips twitched. ¡°Six bodies. One surviving informant. Missing a thumb now.¡±


    ¡°And after that,¡± Bastion went on, like he was listing off errands, ¡°we brokered a ck-market trade deal for lithium stock futures. Luca¡¯s team secured the assets.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°Are you running a cartel?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Luca said mildly. ¡°We run the infrastructure that supports three.¡±


    Bastion hummed. ¡°Four, if you countst months deal, but we¡¯re still restructuring the funnel.¡±


    My fork was frozen halfway to my mouth.


    They kept going.


    ¡°I shut down an FBI probe before dinner. Waste of money. They never build a case.¡± Luca added.


    ¡°I buried a dead courier,¡± Bastion followed, ¡°and paid off his mother so she could leave the country before she started asking questions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and we bought out the private security firm your brother was negotiating with.¡± Luca added gently stroking my wrist, ¡°Made them ours before his signature dried.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±


    They weren¡¯t.


    Luca hummed. ¡°We own the name on your travel clearance now. Every time you cross a border, it pings us first.¡±


    My throat tightened. ¡°Why would you?¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too important to leave unmonitored.¡± Bastion took another drag.


    ¡°You¡¯re too theirs,¡± Luca corrected, tone sharp. ¡°And they don¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    I tried to sit back. Tried to breathe.


    That¡¯s when I felt Luca¡¯s hand.Sliding over the inside of my thigh resting it there.


    Bastion¡¯s traced my shoulder where my dress dipped, with his fingers


    My jaw tightened. ¡°You could¡¯ve lied. I wouldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d feel it,¡± Bastion said simply.


    Luca rested his hand on my thigh under the table. ¡°We don¡¯t lie to you. Even when it would make you sleep easier.¡±


    I took a slow inhale. ¡°I guess I just thought you two red at people all day. Probably in a casino. Or a nightclub. Maybe smoked a cigar. Bribed a few judges. Mafia movie basics.¡±


    Bastion smirked, ¡°You think we¡¯re that scary, baby?¡±


    My stomach dipped.


    Luca leaned closer, ¡°We could control a whole city with our eyes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t doubt it. They¡¯d already controlled me with a single look. More than once.


    I didn¡¯t say it out loud¡ªbut something in my face must¡¯ve given me away. Because they both stared at me.


    ¡°What about you, how was your day?¡± Bastion brushed my hair back.


    I gave them the curated answer: prep, photos, meetings. Brunch with Vivienne and Charlotte. But to be honest with them, I had to tell them the reason why we had brunch to begin with.


    ¡°And then I had a spa appointment.¡± I added.


    Bastion¡¯s fingers traced my shoulder. ¡°Good. You need to rx.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t rxing. Not the way you think.¡±


    They had been honest with me. I reminded myself before I was about to change the topic.


    ¡°It¡¯s scheduled quarterly. A medical review. They call it a wellness check, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s a quality assessment. Higher-tier dynasty advisors meet us there. One-on-one appointments.¡±


    My voice didn¡¯t shake. It didn¡¯t even soften.


    ¡°They draw blood. Check nutrient levels. Map hormone cycles. Full pelvic exam. Bone density, skin sticity, vein response. They run a vocal stress test while you¡¯re undressed to monitor neural patterns and spike response.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hand flexed on my thigh under the table.


    ¡°They check for internal bruising,¡± I added, tone matter-of-fact. ¡°External too. They measure hip spread ratios against your predicted birth window.¡±


    I looked down at my fork, still resting on them edge of my te.


    ¡°They keep records.¡±


    The silence that followed wasn¡¯t normal silence. For once, they were the ones stunned.


    So I shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t lie to me,¡± I said, still not looking up. ¡°So I figured¡­¡±


    I trailed off. Not because I was emotional. There was no emotion left in it. Just policy. Just my life.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d tell you.¡±


    ¡°You let them run diagnostics on you.¡± Bastion asked, his voice low.


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡±


    Luca looked like he wanted to argue. But he didn¡¯t. Because somewhere deep down, they knew.


    They had told me about shootings, syndicate raids, cartel funnels¡ªand they hadn¡¯t blinked.


    This was my version. Different battlefield. So I sipped my water. I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle the wine tonight.


    ¡°Why do they even need that information?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°They need it because it¡¯s all relevant,¡± I turned slightly to met his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s how they n legacy.¡±


    Luca said nothing, but I could feel the tension. His fingers stayed still on my thigh.


    ¡°They track my cycles,¡± I continued. ¡°Hormones. Ovtion windows. Stress levels. All of it is mapped.¡±


    Bastion stared at me. Luca looked like at me as if I spoke a differentnguage.


    ¡°When a wedding contract is drafted, they use that information to n the date around my fertility. That way, if the use includes a firstborn within twelve months, they can guarantee it.¡± I said tly, ¡°They align the wedding date with the projected conception week.¡±


    Suddenly, I wished for the conversation to go back to more criminal topics. Finally, I broke the silence. ¡°But how do you not know this?¡±


    Both of them looked at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re Crows,¡± I said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re born into this. I assumed your family would¡¯ve been involved. The vetting. The reviews. All of it. Especially before scheduling a match.¡±


    Bastion leaned back, cigarette burning low between his fingers. ¡°We don¡¯t vet brides the way other dynasties do.¡±


    Luca¡¯s eyes locked on mine, cold. ¡°We don¡¯t merge. We absorb.¡±


    The wordnded wrong, I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Absorb?¡± I repeated. ¡°You make it sound like extinction.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Luca said simply. ¡°Her bloodline is marked as absorbed in the central registry. Her holdings rerouted. Her familypensated, yes, but they no longer hold any rights over her.¡±


    ¡°No more dual surnames. No open bloodline ess. No use that allows another dynasty to challenge the im,¡± Bastion leaned closer, his fingers holding over my pulse for a moment. ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong to both. She belongs to us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they hate us,¡± Luca added, thumb moving small circles on my thigh. ¡°Because marriage to us doesn¡¯t create unity. It creates extinction.¡±


    ¡°Crow marriages don¡¯t follow dynasty customs. They vite them.¡±


    Luca leaned in slightly. ¡°There are rules, a ritualized path that every dynasty daughter walks. From the testing centers to the vetting interviews to the staged engagements. Everything is choreographed to preserve appearances. Purity. Bloodline and politics.¡±


    ¡°But the Crows don¡¯t care about appearances,¡± Bastion said. ¡°We care about possession.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°So you ignore the process?¡±


    ¡°We dismantle it,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Then rewrite it,¡± Bastion added.


    He tapped ash into the tray again, watching me like he was studying how much I could take.


    ¡°Our family¡¯s rituals don¡¯t appear in the dynasty codex. They were banned generations ago.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re final,¡± Luca said simply. ¡°Once the vow is made, the bride is sealed to the bloodline.¡±


    ¡°And the iming rite,¡± Bastion added, ¡°is done publicly. In front of every living Crow. Because it¡¯s not just a wedding.¡±


    ¡°They watch?¡± I asked.


    Bastion¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°They witness.¡±


    ¡°The entire dynasty?¡±


    ¡°Our dynasty,¡± Luca corrected. ¡°You think the others don¡¯t know? They talk about us like we¡¯re savages. Like we¡¯re unstable. Dangerous.¡± He leaned in. ¡°And they¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t perform power,¡± Bastion said. ¡°We own it.¡±


    I stared at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of the Sovereign Codex at all, are you?¡±


    Bastion¡¯s smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re afraid of us.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. I felt it every time someone whispered Crow like it meant something darker.


    Luca¡¯s hand was still resting on my thigh, warm and steady.


    ¡°You asked why our family doesn¡¯t follow the protocols,¡± he said softly. ¡°It¡¯s because we don¡¯t need to.¡±<fn232e> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? F¦ÉndNovel</fn232e>


    ¡°We don¡¯t borrow. We brand.¡±


    And I knew he wasn¡¯t just talking about business. Or dynastyw. He was talking about the bride.


    ¡°I¡¯m probably going to regret this,¡± I said, sliding my wine ss forward, ¡°but what does branding actually look like?¡±


    ¡°For us or?¡ª¡°


    ¡°Both,¡± I asked.


    Luca answered first. ¡°You¡¯re branded with the dynasty crest when you turn sixteen. But only if you take the Oath.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get the brand. You don¡¯t get the family. You¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°They carve it into your back. Not just ink¡ªcarve. Every line filled with blood first. The pain is part of it.¡±


    ¡°Four hours,¡± Bastion added. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to move or speak once the needle touches skin.¡±


    ¡°You say your vows first,¡± Luca said. ¡°Then silence. And after that¡­¡±


    ¡°You belong,¡± Bastion finished.


    Belong. That word hit harder than I expected.


    ¡°And wives?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°They get marked differently. But yes. Just as permanent.¡±


    ¡°The full crest goes across her back,¡± Luca added. ¡°During the wedding, the husband¡¯s name is tattooed shoulder to shoulder over it. The space is intentionally left nk until then.¡±


    Bastion finger traced my shoulder, causing my blood to rush.


    ¡°And the lock-in,¡± Bastion said, voice lower now. ¡°Five days in istion. Training his pet.¡±


    My spine stiffened. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°The thigh seal is applied during the lock in. That¡¯s only for Crow Dynasty wives. Invisible to the public, only the husband sees it.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Like a brand?¡±


    ¡°A vow mark,¡± he said. ¡°Kissed. Then tattooed. ced where he chooses.¡±


    Where he chooses. I was too shocked even shake my head.


    ¡°The lock in is also when the wife is cored.¡± Luca added, just as Bastion traced my neck.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t even hide my shock.


    ¡°You wear a cor,¡± Luca exined. ¡°Ne. Ring. Bracelet. It doesn¡¯te off.¡±


    All this time I thought their Codex was just rumoured to be different.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯te off?¡± I repeated. The words slipped out before I could stop them.


    I could¡¯ve left it there. I should have.


    But something bitter crept through me and the weight of the way they spoke about wives like they were roles, not people<span>.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what they are to your family?¡± I added quietly. ¡°Wives. Pets.¡±


    Our whole life we are told that Crows im, but hearing it from them, it hit differently.


    ¡°No,¡± Bastion said finally. ¡°They¡¯re not pets.¡±


    He leaned in slightly. ¡°A pet can be reced. A wife can¡¯t.¡±


    Luca¡¯s voice followed, ¡°When we cor her, it¡¯s not to own her body.¡±


    My jaw clenched.


    He saw it¡ªof course he did¡ªand added, ¡°It¡¯s to mark that she owns ours.¡±


    I nearly rolled my eyes,¡°I don¡¯t?¡ª¡±


    ¡°You asked how long it stays on,¡± Bastion cut in, eyes dark. ¡°The answer¡¯s forever.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Our Dynasty does not divorce,¡± Luca said simply. ¡°Ever. Not once the vow is made.¡±


    ¡°That cor isn¡¯t ornamental,¡± Bastion murmured. ¡°It¡¯s proof. Of loyalty, permanence.¡±


    ¡°And love,¡± Luca said, quieter now. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to mean love.¡±


    I sat still, the words thick in my throat.


    Bastion¡¯s hand grazed my shoulder, fingers brushing my skin like he was trying to anchor the weight of his own words.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason the lock-in is five days,¡± he added. ¡°It¡¯s not about breaking her. It¡¯s about binding us.¡±


    ¡°Training,¡± I whispered. ¡°That¡¯s what you called it.¡±


    Luca nodded. ¡°Training her to trust. To let go. To stop performing peace and start feeling it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t speak. I just looked at them, trying to find the line where devotion ended and domination began.


    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± I moved slightly, ¡°There are blood rituals. Crest tattoos. Blood tattoos. Cors. The lock-in. Training. A vow said over her thigh before you brand her skin.¡±


    Their silence was a kind of answer. I kept going.


    ¡°She loses her name. Her clothes. Her home. Her passport. Her file gets sealed and her schedule rerouted through your security servers. She gets assigned a driver, a medic, and a digital handler who makes sure she posts the right things, smiles the right way, bleeds at the right time.¡±


    Neither of them corrected me.


    Bastion¡¯s and Luca¡¯s hand stayed resting against my thighs, perfectly still.


    ¡°She¡¯s not allowed to leave the lock-in house. She is naked and fucked in front of the whole dynasty Then she is cored.¡±


    Luca¡¯s jaw flexed.


    ¡°She gets tattooed before she even signs her name. And when the wedding is over, if she passes, she¡¯s trained like an animal. Every instinct stripped out. Every emotion repatterned. Her old life extinct.¡±


    My throat tightened. ¡®And that¡¯s before the dynasty protocol starts.¡¯


    I paused long enough, so they could feel it.


    ¡°So what does she get?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°What does her family get?¡±


    Because I¡¯d been raised in dynasty circles. I knew the exchange rate. I knew the dance of value and cost and marriage as merger.


    ¡°If everything¡¯s erased and everything¡¯s controlled,¡± I asked calmly, ¡°what does the bride get in return?¡±


    Bastion¡¯s eyes burned into mine.


    ¡°Security.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Power,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Power you still control.¡±


    ¡°Legacy,¡± Bastion offered.


    ¡°Yours.¡±


    ¡°And loyalty,¡± Luca finished.


    ¡°To whom?¡± I asked. ¡°To the dynasty? To her husband? Or to the version of herself you¡¯ve written over?¡±


    ¡°To us,¡± Bastion said. There was no hesitation in it. ¡°To us. Not the dynasty. Not the family. Not thew.¡±


    He leaned forward, forearms resting on the table. ¡°She gives us everything. And in return, we burn the world for her.¡±


    The silence that followed Bastion¡¯s words felt scorched at the edges.


    Luca shifted his fingers moved from my thigh to my hand, lifting it gently, like it was something precious. Like I was something fragile. Not because I was weak, but because the truth unsettled me in a way he understood.


    ¡°They¡¯re not designed to hurt you,¡± he said, voice low. ¡°Our rituals.¡±


    I looked at him, but he was staring at my hand in his¡ªrunning his thumb slowly over the curve of my knuckle, memorizing it.


    ¡°They¡¯re not chains,¡± he added. ¡°They¡¯re anchors.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°That cor you asked about? It¡¯s not about control. Not the way you think.¡± He paused, as if searching for the rightnguage to make it sound less like a cage. ¡°It¡¯s about recognition.¡±


    That word caught me off guard. ¡°Recognition?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°In our world, everything gets taken. Land. Names. Lovers. Legacies. There¡¯s always someone waiting to strip you bare and call it business.¡±


    His thumb moved slower now. ¡°So when we find someone¡ªsomeone ours¡ªwe don¡¯t let them vanish into the noise.¡±


    He finally looked up at me, gaze searing but soft.


    ¡°We mark them.¡±


    I swallowed hard.


    ¡°Because we need the world to know,¡± he added. ¡°That she¡¯s spoken for. That there¡¯s a line no one crosses. That her pain, her joy, her blood¡ªall of it¡ªbelongs somewhere.¡±


    His fingers threaded between mine.


    ¡°She¡¯s not erased,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s imed.¡±


    ¡°She never has to look over her shoulder again,¡± Bastion said. ¡°Because we¡¯re already there.¡±


    ¡°And if anyone ever forgets,¡± Luca said, brushing a loose strand of hair from my cheek, ¡°the tattoos, the cor,¡ªthey¡¯re just reminders.¡±


    ¡°Reminders of what?¡±


    ¡°That she¡¯s not alone.¡±


    I let Luca¡¯s words settle.


    Anchors. Not chains. Recognition. Not control. And maybe there was a part of me that wanted to believe it.


    That wanted to close my eyes and pretend the cor wasn¡¯t symbolic of anything darker¡ªthat it was about protection, not power. But I wasn¡¯t that girl anymore.


    I¡¯d spent too long memorizing the fine print to confuse ritual for romance.


    So I drew my hand back slowly.


    And looked between them¡ªthese men who were raised on dominance and blood, who ruled like it was their birthright.


    ¡°Crows don¡¯t marry for love,¡± I said, voice even. ¡°You marry for leverage. So why,¡± I asked, folding my hands calmly on the table, ¡°would any Crow pledge that much of himself¡ªrituals, tattoos, ownership, oaths¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for power?¡±


    The question wasn¡¯t cruel. It was clinical. A truth we all knew, said out loud.


    ¡°Because when a Crow gives his name, his blood, his vow¡­¡± His gaze dragged over me, slow and possessive. ¡°It¡¯s not for the contract. It¡¯s not for the family.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± I challenged.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the war we¡¯re about to start.¡±He didn¡¯t look away. ¡°She bes the line we protect. The kingdom we burn everything else down to keep standing.¡±


    Luca picked up where Bastion left off. ¡°Dynasty calls it power. We call it possession.¡±


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer,¡± I said. ¡°Why would a Crow go all in?¡±


    Luca¡¯s voice was quiet, but absolute.


    ¡°Because sometimes, one woman is worth more than a thousand alliances.¡±


    ¡°But all Crows marry to end wars?¡± I said it like it was nothing. Because it was. Common knowledge. Dynasty curriculum 101. ¡°It¡¯s standard practice. Everyone knows most Crow marriages are forged to smooth over conflict. To settle vendettas. The bride is a gesture, an offering to stop the bleeding.¡±


    Neither of them denied it.


    Bastion¡¯s jaw ticked once. Luca leaned back.


    ¡°Common,¡± Bastion agreed. ¡°If not always the case.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded. ¡°Because there¡¯s always a war. And yet you two sit here. Act like it¡¯s for love.¡±


    Their eyes didn¡¯t move. Neither twin spoke.


    ¡°So why,¡± I continued, ¡°would a Crow¡ªone of your family¡ªwillingly give up his power and swear to protect someone who¡¯s nothing more than a peace g?¡±


    Bastion ran his knuckles across my shoulder. He traced a single line down my spine, right at the edge of my dress.


    ¡°Baby,¡± he knuckles paused, ¡°you¡¯re forgetting the most important part.¡±


    I arched a brow. ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°A war,¡± Luca mouth was beside my ear, ¡°has to start.¡±


    My breath stilled.


    ¡°And most times,¡± he continued, his fingers sliding inside of my thigh, ¡°it¡¯s because a Crow wants something.¡±


    Heat flickered low in my stomach¡ªbut I kept my voice even.


    ¡°And what¡­ exactly¡­ does a Crow want?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself,¡± Bastion voice was heavy against my other ear. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in a merger for the bride¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°We take,¡± Luca lips brushed my ear. ¡°Always have.¡±


    ¡°And most families,¡± Bastion fingers moved under the back of my dress, ¡°don¡¯t take kindly to having an investment stolen.¡±


    I swallowed, pulse ticking.


    Because I knew what dynasty daughters were. I knew what we were groomed for. A bargaining chip dressed in expensive dress.


    ¡°You start wars,¡± I said quietly, ¡°to take who you want.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Luca rings rested cold against the inside of my thigh.


    ¡°And no one stops us,¡± Bastion finished.


    I could feel their breath, warm at my neck. The air between us tightened.


    ¡°You look beautiful tonight,¡± Luca voice so low it made my thighs clench. ¡°You always do. But right now¡­ fuck, right now¡­¡± His fingers pressed in just slightly, reminding me he hadn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°You look flushed,¡± Bastion¡¯s knuckles now at the curve of my neck. ¡°Stay with us tonight. I made a promise, remember.¡± His mouth now against my ear, ¡°This dress belongs on the floor. And you belong between us. Naked. Begging.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± I turned my head slightly, ¡°I mightn¡¯t beg.¡±


    He took a rough inhale.


    Luca hand went up under my chin, his mouth grazing my cheek. ¡°Eat your dinner. So we can leave and eat you.¡±


    I took a broken breath and nodded.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion kissed my neck, at the same time Luca squeezed my thigh.


    And I didn¡¯t say anything, because as per normal. I had lost my ability to think clearly with their hands on me.

 The Silent War: Chapter 36

    Bastion stood by the window, threatening someone on the phone.


    Luca was in the shower. My eyes were locked on Bastion, his tattoos, the scars, the sliver chain. I gulped. How did I manage to get both of them.


    He nced over once, catching me. I gestured for him toe over. He didn¡¯t lower the phone as he walked towards me.


    I reached for his hand. Guided it down. Pressed his fingers at my zipper.


    Bastion took a sharp breath. Then he tugged.


    My dress dropped.


    His breathing shifted, quieter, heavier. I took his fingers, led them lower, settling them against me. Over my clit.


    He moved the fabric aside, touched me just barely¡ªhis finger circling soft as his voice turned sharp again into the phone. Another threat. Important, maybe. But I needed him here.


    I undid the knot of his towel, let it fall. I dropped lower, slower, my lips brushing his thigh. His hand dragged up my body, rough, reminding me who I belonged to.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered, low, almost off the call. He didn¡¯t let me stay there. He lifted me up, and set me on the edge of the bed, knees sinking into the mattress.


    Luca¡¯s footsteps came closer.


    Bastion looked once toward the doorway, then tossed the phone across the room. Luca caught it, as if he¡¯d been waiting. They didn¡¯t need words. One look was enough.


    And then Bastion was back on me.


    He pushed down my throat, thick and heavy, filling me until my eyes watered. His hand gripped the base of my neck, steady, rocking his hips with controlled force.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he breathed. ¡°Taking me so deep. Perfect mouth. Perfect angel.¡±


    My throat burned around Bastion, but his voice made it feel like heaven.


    ¡°Good girl¡­ choking so sweet on me. Our angel.¡±


    I moaned, the sound muffled. His hips rocked forward again, steady. Controlled. My eyes watered, and he brushed my hair back, thumb at my temple like he couldn¡¯t bear to see me undone without touching.


    The bed shifted behind me. A lowugh curved close to my ear. Luca.


    ¡°Already crying for him?¡± Luca¡¯s hand ran along my back, up to my neck, iming me with a touch as Bastion filled my mouth.


    Bastion didn¡¯t look at him. He didn¡¯t have to. They never did. Whatever passed between them moved without words¡ªjust the weight of a nce.


    Luca¡¯s hand slid under my chin, fingers brushing against Bastion¡¯s hand, controlling the rhythm together. He pressed me down, then eased me back, coaxing me to breathe around his brother.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Luca murmured, voice low and sharp. ¡°Breathe for us. Be our good girl.¡±


    Bastion groaned above me.


    When Bastion pulled free. Wiping my bottom lip, looking at me in a way that my heart twist. Luca thumb stroked my neck.


    ¡°You did so good baby,¡± Luca murmured. ¡°Now let us worship you.¡±


    Bastion caught my chin, tilted my face up to him. ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°I want you,¡± I whispered, the words breaking out of me. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    Luca kissed the corner of my mouth, his hand sliding down, over my breasts, my ribs, lower still until his fingers found me.


    ¡°Awe. Baby, you¡¯re needy aren¡¯t you.¡± Luca said, smug. His knuckles brushed Bastion¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯s soaked, You feel that, brother?¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand was already there, rougher, pushing in along aside Luca¡¯s. Two sets of fingers, two touches¡ªone teasing, one demanding.


    ¡°Fuck. That¡¯s our good girl,¡± Bastion murmured, his voice shaking like he was barely holding back. ¡°Open for us. Take us both.¡±


    Luca¡¯s mouth was against my ear. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Give in. Let us ruin you slow.¡±


    Their rhythm tangled¡ªBastion stroking deep, Luca circling higher, perfect torment. I gasped, arching, between the hands that owned me.


    ¡°Listen to her,¡± Bastion muttered, jaw tight, his eyes never leaving my face. ¡°Our angel¡¯s falling apart.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers flicking, coaxing.


    I sobbed against their hands, every nerve lit, every inch of me imed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep well tonight,¡± Luca whispered, lips brushing mine. ¡°When we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°You thought we were done, baby?¡± Bastion hand cupped my jaw, thumb rubbing over my cheek. ¡°We¡¯ve waited too long for you. Tonight you don¡¯t get mercy.¡±


    The bed shifted as they moved me, guided me, their hands sure, patient, reverent. One moment I was on the edge of the mattress, the next I was t, thighs parted, knees bent. Bastion¡¯s weight pressed against me from behind, holding me open, while Luca¡¯s mouth dragged hot kisses down my stomach.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Bastion rumbled, his palm ttening on my belly, pinning me down. ¡°Let him taste you, angel. Be good for Daddy.¡±


    Luca groaned into me like he¡¯d been starving. His tongue was relentless, licking deep, sucking slow, dragging me up toward another peak before I¡¯d even caught my breath. Then he pulled back.


    Bastion shifted, kneeling between my thighs. I felt the press of him, thick and demanding, nudging against me.


    ¡°She¡¯s dripping for us,¡± Luca murmured, pulling back just enough to smirk against my thigh. ¡°Beg for it, baby. Tell Daddy you want him inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªplease¡ª¡± My voice broke, desperation flooding out. ¡°I want you. I want both of you.¡±


    Bastion groaned, hand gripping my hip so tight it bordered on pain. ¡°Good girl. Always knew you¡¯d beg for us again.¡±


    He pushed into me, slow at first, stretching, filling until I gasped. My scream cracked, swallowed by Luca¡¯s mouth when he kissed me again, his tongue stealing my breath as his brother took my body.


    Bastion rocked harder, rough but steady, groaning in my ear. ¡°That¡¯s it. Take me, angel. Take Daddy¡¯s cock like the good girl you are.¡±


    Every thrust drove me further into Luca¡¯s arms. His fingers tangled in my hair, his lips brushing mine as he whispered filth soft enough to break me. ¡°Feel how deep he is? That¡¯s what you needed. That¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t sleep. Say it.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªneeded you. Both of you?¡ª¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand wrapped around my throat, not tight, just there, grounding me, iming me. His eyes burned into mine as he rocked deep. ¡°Ours. Every inch of you. Don¡¯t you forget it.¡±


    Luca slid lower again, fingers back on me even as Bastion fucked me harder, circling my clit in rhythm with his brother¡¯s thrusts. The pleasure hit sharp¡ªtoo sharp.


    Luca¡¯s hand snapped, a quick p to my clit.


    I cried out, body jolting forward, the sting pulling me right to the edge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall apart yet, baby,¡± Luca coaxed. His touch gentled instantly, teasing in slow circles. ¡°Be Daddy¡¯s good girl and hold it. You can take more for us. You will take more.¡±


    ¡°Please¡ª¡±


    Bastion caught my wrists before I could clutch the sheets. He pulled them up, locked them tight around his neck, his mouth brushing my ear. ¡°No hiding, angel. Hold on to Daddy. Let me y with you. You wanted this¡ªnow take it.¡±


    I whimpered, obeying, clinging to him as his thrusts stayed relentless¡ªfirm, brutal. He fucked me like he was carving it into my body that I belonged to him.


    Luca¡¯s hands slid higher, over my ribs, my breasts, pinching, teasing, making me arch harder into Bastion¡¯s cock.


    Luca mouth brushed my temple. ¡°Good girl. Look at you, chest rising for me, pussy choking on him. You were made for this. Let Daddy touch you how he wants. Let us take all of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Daddy,¡± I whispered, broken, desperate.


    Bastion groaned, his hand flexing at my throat. ¡°That¡¯s it. My good girl. Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Daddy.¡±


    Luca¡¯s smirk. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now beg us not to stop.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡ªplease?¡ª¡±


    Bastion¡¯s pace went brutal, driving into me.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± he growled, rocking into me so deep I screamed. ¡°Perfect angel, taking Daddy¡¯s cock just like you were trained to. Our good girl. Ours.¡±


    Luca pressed harder at my clit, his other hand taunting, my nipples. ¡°Come for us, baby. Let go. Make a mess for daddy.¡±


    I shattered, clinging to Bastion¡¯s neck while they worked me through it. Bastion never let me slip, never let me hide. His cock split me open with every thrust, Luca¡¯s fingers coaxed every tremor out of me until I was nothing but their girl, wrecked and shaking between them.


    ¡°Beg,¡± Luca whispered, lips grazing my ear. ¡°You don¡¯t get me until you beg for it.¡±


    ¡°Please. Please, Daddy¡ªfill me.¡±


    A lowugh rumbled from both of them. Bastion¡¯s hand caught my jaw, forcing my eyes to his. ¡°Do you know why we love it when you beg, angel?¡±


    I gasped, shaking my head.


    ¡°Because it proves you know who owns you,¡± he said, stroking my jaw.


    ¡°Because it makes you honest,¡± Luca added, thrusting in suddenly, sharp, deep. My cry broke into his shoulder. ¡°When you beg, we hear the truth you¡¯d never admit to anyone else.¡±


    Bastion kissed my lips hard, swallowing my moan as Luca filled me from behind, stretching me until I shook. Then he pulled out too¡ªleaving me aching, desperate.


    ¡°Open wider,¡± Bastionmanded, pressing me back. His cock slid into me again, while Luca¡¯s fingers found my clit, stroking slow, steady, just enough to make my hips buck.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Luca whispered, catching my gasp. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about finishing without us telling you.¡±


    When I got too close, Bastion pulled free again. Luca reced him, sliding in with a groan as Bastion¡¯s hand rubbed my clit, rough and deliberate. My body convulsed, pleasure building sharp and unbearable, and then Bastion stopped.


    I sobbed, shaking.


    ¡°Look at her,¡± Luca murmured, thrusting shallow, making me whimper. ¡°Dripping for us. Making a mess that belongs to no one but us.¡±


    Bastion smirked, thumb pressing lightly against my swollen clit without giving me release. ¡°That¡¯s why we edge you, angel. Because your mess is ours. And we like watching you get so wet you can¡¯t stop shaking.¡±


    They kept swapping¡ªone filling me, one rubbing me¡ªover and over, dragging me higher and higher, never letting me fall. Every time I thought it would break, they pulled back, leaving me on the edge, wrecked and ruined, begging louder with each denial.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion growled, kissing me rough. ¡°Beg harder.¡±


    ¡°Louder,¡± Luca ordered, thrusting slow, teasing, relentless. ¡°We want the whole city to know who you belong to.¡±


    I was shaking, half-sobbing, caught in their rhythm of denial. Every time I thought they¡¯d let me break, one pulled out, the other slowed down, leaving me trembling on the edge with nothing to hold but their voices.


    ¡°Look at her,¡± Luca murmured, his hand still stroking my clit inzy circles that never gave me enough. ¡°She¡¯s holding it. So good for us. Our perfect girl.¡±


    Bastion kissed the corner of my mouth, his grip iron at my waist. ¡°That¡¯s it, angel. Restraint. Daddy¡¯s so proud of you.¡± His lips brushed my ear. ¡°You¡¯re going to be even better when we give you both at once.¡±


    My body convulsed at the thought, need ripping through me. ¡°Please,¡± I whispered, desperate.


    Luca chuckled low, sliding two fingers inside me beside his cock as he thrust shallow. The stretch made me cry out. ¡°Hear that? She¡¯s already ready for us, brother. Begging to be split open.¡±


    Bastion groaned, his forehead pressing to mine as he held me still. ¡°She¡¯s going to take us so well. Our good girl¡ªtight little body made for her daddies.¡±


    I sobbed into his mouth, shaking harder, heat flooding through me with every praise, every promise.


    Luca pinched my clit, hard enough to make me jolt, then soothed it with soft circles. ¡°Not yet, baby. Hold it. Show us you can wait until we both fill you. Such a good girl for her daddies¡ªalways giving us what we want.¡±


    Bastion pulled back, watching my face like he wanted to brand every expression into his chest. ¡°You¡¯ll be perfect. You¡¯ll open for us. You¡¯ll let us ruin you slow.¡± His hand slid down, spreading me wider for Luca¡¯s fingers. ¡°And you¡¯ll thank us for every inch.¡±


    I moaned, my whole body humming. ¡°Yes, Daddy. I¡¯ll thank you. I¡¯ll take you both¡ªplease, I want it.¡±


    They both groaned in unison, that silent rhythm between them.


    Bastion kissed me rough, cutting off my cry as Luca slid his fingers deeper, stretching, testing, coaxing. ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion murmured against my lips. ¡°Holding back for us. So patient. So perfect.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s mouth dragged down my throat, hot and rough, his voice breaking against my skin. ¡°You ready for us, angel? Ready to take both your daddies at once?¡±


    My nails dug into his shoulders, clinging like I¡¯d drown without him. ¡°Yes. Please¡ªI¡¯m ready.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hands slid lower, firm and unrelenting as he spread my hips wider. His lips brushed my ear. ¡°You hear that, baby? That¡¯s begging. That¡¯s what we like. And you¡¯re going to keep begging until we give you all of it.¡±


    Bastion kissed me hard, his thrust shallow, teasing, his hand at my throat. ¡°So much cock, angel. You¡¯ll feel us everywhere. You¡¯ll drip all over us before we¡¯re even done.¡±


    ¡°I can take it. Please¡ªlet me.¡±


    Luca chuckled low, one hand stroking down to where I pulsed, slick and trembling. He rubbed over my swollen clit with two fingers, slow and taunting. ¡°Oh, you can take it. You¡¯re our good girl. You¡¯ll open up, beg pretty, ande all over both our cocks like you were made for it.¡±


    Bastion groaned, grinding harder, his forehead pressing to mine. ¡°Say it, angel. Say you want us both.¡±


    ¡°I want you both,¡± I gasped, holding his shoulders so tight my arms shook. ¡°Please, Daddy¡ªI need you.¡±


    Luca¡¯s grip on my hips tightened, forcing me open, readying me. ¡°Good girl. That¡¯s what I wanted to hear. Hold still, baby. Let us stretch you, fill you, make you ours in every way.¡±


    Bastion kissed the corner of my mouth, soft where his voice was brutal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, angel. Daddy¡¯s got you. We¡¯ll take you slow. We¡¯ll make you perfect.¡±


    Luca smirked against my neck, his fingers circling me again. ¡°She¡¯s already perfect. Look at her¡ªdripping for us, begging for us, made for us. She¡¯ll take every inch.¡±


    I cried into Bastion¡¯s chest, trembling, my body screaming with need as they coaxed me, praised me, promised me.


    ¡°Easy, angel,¡± Bastion whispered, kissing me slow, his hands holding me steady. ¡°We¡¯ll give you all of us. Just breathe for Daddy.¡±


    Behind me, Luca spread my hips wider, his chest hot against my back. His voice brushed my ear, low and coaxing. ¡°You¡¯re going to take us both, baby. Every inch. And you¡¯re going to do it beautifully, because you¡¯re our good girl.¡±


    My nails dug deeper into Bastion¡¯s shoulders.


    Bastion¡¯s thumb stroked my jaw, his forehead pressing to mine.


    Luca nudged against me, thick. ¡°Ready, baby?¡±


    I whimpered, nodding frantically. ¡°Yes, Daddy. Please.¡±


    My scream was muffled by Bastion¡¯s mouth when he kissed me through it.


    ¡°It hurts,¡± I sobbed, clinging to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± Bastion soothed, brushing my hair back, his voice wrecked with soft ¡°You¡¯re taking us so fucking beautifully.¡±


    They started slow. Just the press of them, thick, stretching me, their hands holding me steady. My breath came sharp, body tensing, thighs trying to close.


    ¡°No¡ªwait¡ª¡± My voice broke.


    Bastion¡¯s grip caught my hips, steady. Luca¡¯s hand smoothed over my stomach, grounding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, angel,¡± Bastion murmured, low. ¡°It¡¯s just your body, overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Luca whispered at my ear. ¡°You¡¯re doing perfect. Let us hold you. Let us carry the weight until you¡¯re ready.¡±


    They didn¡¯t push. They waited, their bodies trembling with restraint I could feel in the way their muscles locked. I trembled too, one hand fisting in Bastion¡¯s shoulder, the other curling tight around Luca¡¯s neck as I leaned back against him.


    ¡°Breathe for us,¡± Luca coaxed, brushing kisses against my temple. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, baby, push down just a little. That¡¯s all.¡±


    I swallowed hard, heart racing, then pressed down just a bit. The stretch made me gasp, my head falling back against Luca¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion praised, brushing his thumb across my thigh. ¡°So good for Daddy. So brave.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers slid between my thighs, soft circles on my clit, coaxing me through the ache. Bastion¡¯s hand cupped my breast, thumb teasing over my nipple until my back arched.


    I pushed down again, inch by inch. My head dropped forward, pressing into Bastion¡¯s shoulder.


    He caught my chin, tilting my face up, his eyes heavy and reverent. ¡°Look at me, angel. That¡¯s it. Eyes on Daddy. You¡¯re perfect. Keep going.¡±


    My whole body trembled, tears prickling. Bastion kissed them away, thumb swiping the tear from my cheek. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Take your time. We¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    Their hands stayed strong, holding me when I faltered, keeping me safe when I stopped. Every praise, every kiss made it easier.


    And then¡ªI pushed all the way down.


    The stretch split me, filled me, made me cry out, but their arms gripped tighter, holding me like I might break. Their muscles were tight, bodies shaking with the restraint


    ¡°Fuck¡ªlook at her,¡± Luca groaned, kissing the side of my throat. ¡°Taking us both. So perfect. Our angel.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s forehead pressed to mine. ¡°Good girl. Daddy¡¯s good girl. You feel how deep we are? You made us yours.¡±


    They kissed me¡ªLuca¡¯s mouth hot at my neck, Bastion¡¯s lips against mine¡ªas I started to move, rocking slow, my body finding rhythm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, baby,¡± Luca whispered, guiding my hips in slow circles. ¡°Savor it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Bastion murmured, kissing me harder. ¡°You¡¯re so perfect. Rock slow, angel. Let us feel every inch of you.¡±


    Every nerve burned, stretched so full I could hardly breathe, but their hands never left me. Bastion¡¯s grip steady at my waist, Luca¡¯s arms locked around me, holding every inch of my trembling weight.


    ¡°Easy, angel,¡± Bastion murmured, kissing the corner of my mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve got us both now. Perfect girl. Just let your body learn it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing so well,¡± Luca coaxed at my ear, his breath hot. ¡°Daddy¡¯s proud of you. You¡¯re taking more than anyone else ever could. Because you¡¯re ours.¡±


    I trembled, clinging to them both, too overwhelmed to think, too needy to stop.


    ¡°Move for us, baby,¡± Bastion whispered, brushing a tear from my cheek, his thumb stroking gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t wait on us. Show your daddies how much you want it.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers traced my hip, coaxing. ¡°Rock slow. That¡¯s it. Just a little. Let us feel how sweet you are when you give yourself to us.¡±


    I swallowed hard, dropped my head back to Luca¡¯s shoulder, and moved¡ªjust a small roll of my hips, a slow press down against them.


    They groaned in unison, their restraint breaking around the edges.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion growled, his lips catching mine. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re perfect. You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re doing to us.¡±


    Luca kissed the side of my throat. ¡°She knows. Our girl knows exactly how to ruin us. Look at her, moving for us, dripping for us.¡±


    I rocked again, finding a rhythm, trembling with every drag, every inch. Their bodies shook against me, but they held back, letting me control it, letting me show them I could.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, angel,¡± Bastion coaxed, his hand stroking down my back. ¡°Ride us. Nice and slow. Make us feel how good you are.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s perfect girl,¡± Luca praised, kissing my jaw as he guided my hips. ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Take your time. So wet dripping all over us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it, angel. That¡¯s Daddy¡¯s favorite mess. All yours, all ours.¡±


    Luca¡¯s fingers slid down, circling my clit slow, coaxing the tremors harder. ¡°Good girl. That¡¯s it. Let ite. You¡¯ve been holding back so long for us¡ªnow give it to us.¡±


    My face burned, shame and need tangling. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªI¡¯m?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Bastion kissed me hard, swallowing the words. ¡°Yes, you can. That¡¯s Daddy¡¯s girl. That¡¯s what we wanted. Give it to us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, baby,¡± Luca whispered, pressing his mouth to my throat, his fingers rubbing faster, firmer. ¡°Finish on us. Make a mess. Show us how perfect you are.¡±


    The praise broke me. My nails digging into Bastion¡¯s shoulders, my head dropping back against Luca¡¯s chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Bastion groaned, holding me tight. ¡°Come for your daddies. Gush all over us. Fuck, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Luca hands stroking down my stomach to soothe me. ¡°That¡¯s it, sweetheart. You gave us everything. Our good girl.¡±


    Bastion brushed his mouth against mine, voice rough. ¡°Angel¡­ can we move?¡±


    Luca¡¯s lips pressed to my shoulder, softer. ¡°Only if you want it, baby. Tell your daddies.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please.¡±


    They groaned together, a sound so deep it made my chest tighten.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Bastion whispered, kissing me again as they started slow. Just small rolls of their hips, easing me into motion. ¡°Breathe for Daddy. You¡¯re doing perfect. Let us carry the weight.¡±


    Luca¡¯s hand stroked my hip. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Take us slow. Feel every inch. You¡¯re safe in our hands.¡±


    ¡°Faster,¡± I begged. ¡°Deeper¡ªplease.¡±


    They both groaned, muscles straining with the effort of holding back.


    ¡°You sure, angel?¡± Bastion asked, his thumb brushing my jaw, tilting my face to his. ¡°It might hurt.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t. I need it.¡±


    Luca¡¯s smirk curved against my neck, his hand sliding down between my thighs, spreading me wider.


    Bastion shifting his grip, pushing my legs wider apart. ¡°Stay open for us. Don¡¯t close. Be our good girl.¡±


    The angle changed, deeper, harder, and I screamed¡ªbut not from pain. My body clenched, pleasure ripping through me so sharp it made tears spill.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Luca coaxed, kissing them away as fast as they fell. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt, does it? You love it. You love being split open for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ªGod, yes.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s jaw tightened, his thrusts harder now, pace breaking. ¡°You¡¯re ruining us, angel. We can¡¯t hold much longer if you keep taking us like this.¡±


    They repositioned me, lifting, angling, moving my body with their strength until they found more movement¡ªone hand braced under my thigh, the other gripping my hip. Every thrust hit sharper, deeper, every sound I made coaxed heavier praise.


    ¡°Harder,¡± I begged, voice breaking. ¡°Please, Daddies¡ªI need it.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s jaw flexed, his thrust slowing instead of quickening. ¡°Careful, angel. We told you¡ªlike this, it could hurt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I gasped, rocking my hips anyway, trying to chase it. ¡°I want it.¡±


    They both groaned, deep, that made me shiver.<fnaa7a> Official source is f?ndnovel</fnaa7a>


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Luca muttered against my throat.


    Bastion¡¯s grip tightened. ¡°We can¡¯t give her what she wants like this.¡±


    And then suddenly, Bastion pulled free, lifting me, Luca steadying me as they moved me off the bed.


    I cried out when they filled me again, this time standing¡ªBastion in front of me, Luca behind, their arms around my body.


    The shift alone made me moan loud, my head dropping back on Luca¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Like that, baby,¡± Luca coaxed, teeth grazing my ear. ¡°Feel the stretch of us? That¡¯s what you begged for.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s hand cupped my cheek. ¡°Colors, angel.¡±


    ¡°Green,¡± I panted, trembling. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too much?¡±


    ¡°Red,¡± I gasped. ¡°Yellow to slow down.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± they groaned together, kissing me, holding me tighter.


    Bastion adjusted my hips, sliding my legs wider over his, locking the angle deep. Luca shifted me back, arching me until every thrust was sharper.


    I sobbed into Bastion¡¯s mouth, barely breathing as they started to move, rhythm brutal now that they had leverage.


    The pain hit first¡ªsharp, splitting. But it melted under the wave of pleasure that swallowed me whole, every nerve screaming.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect, angel. Taking both your daddies like this¡ªso fucking perfect.¡± Bastion¡¯s voice burned against my ear, low and reverent.


    Luca kissed the tears off my face, groaning as he drove into me. ¡°Look at her. In the air, dripping down our cocks, still begging for more. She¡¯s ours, brother. Always ours.¡±


    Their pace grew savage, rocking me between them, their hands gripping tight, holding me open, keeping me exactly where they wanted me.


    And all I could do was sob, beg, cling to them, every word breaking.


    ¡°Please¡ªdon¡¯t stop¡ªplease?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s angel.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re doing so good.¡±


    ¡°Our perfect girl.¡±


    Every thrust, every kiss, every groan wrapped around me like worship.


    Every thrust felt like too much, but they held me steady, their arms my anchor. My body was stretched so wide I thought I might break, but their voices wrapped around me, smoothing the edges of the ache.


    ¡°So fucking perfect,¡± Bastion groaned, his forehead pressed to mine, his grip locked tight around my waist. ¡°Daddy¡¯s good fucking girl. Look at you¡ªtaking us both, giving us everything.¡±


    ¡°It hurts,¡± I gasped, tears slipping hot down my cheeks.


    Luca kissed them away. ¡°Awe, we know, baby. It hurts¡ªbut look at you, still taking it. That¡¯s our girl. Being so good for us, listening to her daddies.¡±


    ¡°Show daddy, where it hurts?¡± Bastion fingers traced down my stomach, ¡°How¡¯s this baby? Daddy ying with your clit? That helps doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    My sob turned into a moan when Bastion rolled his hips deeper.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he praised, his jaw tight with restraint. ¡°Making a mess all over us. You hear that, angel? That¡¯s the sound of you dripping all over our cocks.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s leaking down our legs,¡± Luca murmured, groaning against my throat. ¡°You¡¯re dripping on the floor, baby¡ªthat¡¯s how good you are right now. So wet you can¡¯t hold it in.¡±


    ¡°Our good girl,¡± Bastion growled, kissing me hard as he rocked me onto him again. ¡°Every inch, taking it like the perfect angel you are.¡±


    ¡°Breaking for us,¡± Luca whispered, his fingers ying with my nipples, while Bastion circled my clit. ¡°You¡¯re shaking so bad we can feel it in our cocks. You going toe, baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can feel it.¡± Bastion muttered against my mouth.


    ¡°Our good girl,¡± Luca finished, kissing the side of my throat as he thrust harder. ¡°Come for us. Be our good fucking girl ande for us.¡±


    And all I could hear as I shattered was their voices, wrecked and worshipful.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Bastion groaned, his forehead pressed to mine. ¡°Angel, we can¡¯t hold it.¡±


    Luca¡¯s breath was ragged against my ear, his hands gripping my hips so tight I knew I¡¯d bruise. ¡°You feel that, baby? Your daddies are right there. Gonna breed you, fill you so deep you¡¯ll never forget who you belong to.¡±


    A sob broke from my throat, desperate and wrecked. ¡°Yes¡ªplease. Fill me. I want it. I want all of you.¡±


    ¡°Good fucking girl,¡± Bastion growled, kissing me rough, swallowing the cry as he thrust harder, deeper. ¡°Daddy¡¯s good girl. Taking it all for us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± Luca whispered, his voice wrecked, trembling with the effort to hold on. ¡°So tight, so wet¡ªour angel was made to be filled by us.¡±


    I clung to them both, one arm wrapped tight around Bastion¡¯s shoulders, the other holding Luca¡¯s neck, keeping them close, refusing to let go.


    Their thrusts lost rhythm, their muscles seizing.


    ¡°Fuck¡ªshe¡¯s milking us,¡± Luca groaned, burying his face in my throat. ¡°Our perfect girl¡ªtaking both our cocks, dripping all over us, begging to be bred.¡±


    Bastion¡¯s growl tore out ragged as he drove deep onest time. ¡°Ours. Every fucking drop. Ours.¡±


    And then they both broke filling me.


    Slowly, carefully, they slid out. I whimpered at the loss, at the ache, at how empty I felt without them.


    ¡°Shh, angel,¡± Bastion murmured, his lips brushing my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ve got you.¡±


    I copsed against his chest, spent and shaking. Luca kissed the side of my face over and over, whispering between every press of his mouth.


    ¡°So perfect.¡± Kiss.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s good girl.¡± Kiss.


    ¡°You made us so proud, baby.¡± Kiss, kiss, kiss.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Bastion hands steadying me. ¡°Let¡¯s get her down.¡±


    They lowered me onto the bed. My body still trembled. Bastion brushed the hair back from my face, his thumb smoothing the tears from my cheek.


    ¡°Breathe, angel. That¡¯s it. Just breathe.¡±


    Luca slipped away for only a moment, and I heard water start to run, the soft echo of the bath filling. Bastion stayed, his eyes scanning me, his palm grounding me against the sheets.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked softly, his voice so soft.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, throat raw. ¡°Just¡­ so much.¡±


    His gaze softened. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Luca came back, his mouth immediately finding mine, smothering me in kisses, hands cupping my face. ¡°You were perfect. You don¡¯t even know how beautiful you looked. Daddy¡¯s perfect angel.¡±


    Bastion shifted, taking over. He wiped me gently with a warm cloth, slow strokes between my thighs, murmuring praise as if every inch of me deserved worship.


    ¡°So soft. So good for us. You did everything we asked, angel. Daddy¡¯s proud.¡±

 The Silent War: Chapter 37

    Alexander¡¯s voice was calm, as if he were reciting weather reports, not reordering my life.


    ¡°The merger is finalized. ric Vale¡¯s group takes a percentage, small. The ord returns to the Adams line. You should be relieved.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t.


    He kept going. ¡°If that deal were to fail¡ªwhich is unlikely¡ªthe Gallos and the Salvos remain in line. But it won¡¯t fail.¡± His tone left no room for doubt. ¡°Your future is secured.¡±


    My throat tightened. My future was finished.


    ¡°The families will not agree to your terms regarding heirs. Your heir are dynasty bloodline, and will be treated as such. That is non-negotiable.¡±


    It hurt. Physically hurt. I wanted to open my mouth, argue, have the courage I somehow found in that boardroom. But I was shocked. I came downstairs for breakfast, not to be told I would be formally announced engaged next week.<fne255> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? ?ovelFind</fne255>


    Alexander nced at his watch. ¡°Dinner tonight with ric and his cousins. I expect you presentable.¡±


    And then he was gone. Leaving me with a cup coffee I wouldn¡¯t drink. Presentable. As I had been anything but that my whole life.


    The silence after him felt louder than his voice had.


    I sat still and unlocked my phone.


    I can¡¯t make dinner tonight. I¡¯m sorry.


    Luca: You okay?


    I¡¯m fine.


    Bastion: Why?


    Dinner with Alexander and associates.


    Luca: We¡¯lle get you after.


    I can¡¯t. It¡¯ll bete.


    Bastion: You sure everything¡¯s okay?


    Yes. I¡¯m sorry.


    I locked the screen before I could change my mind. My reflection stared back, polite. But my fingers were trembling.


    This wasn¡¯t something I could tell them in a message. I¡¯m engaged. To ric Vale. The words would hurt differently when spoken aloud, but they would still cut.


    My stomach twisted. I thought of the random hair ties I¡¯d seen on their counter. The jewelry sketches on their table. The spare bedroom lined with racks of women¡¯s clothes.


    I¡¯d turned a blind eye when Luca¡¯s phone lit with security alerts mention her. I¡¯d ignored the thread on Bastion¡¯s, detailed instructions to a driver: Make sure the car is warm. She doesn¡¯t like the cold.


    Signs everywhere they had another woman. Signs I chose not to see. They weren¡¯t mine to keep. Just mine to have in secret. And I was their secret, for as long as they kept me.


    Now I couldn¡¯t. The nausea rose in my throat. I pressed my hand to my stomach, forced myself to breathe slow.


    Tonight, I would sit at a table with ric Vale. Smile when expected. Raise my ss when Alexander gestured. Pretend I hadn¡¯t promised dinner to the only men I still wanted.


    And when the night ended, I¡¯d have to find the strength to tell them the truth.


    Until then, I wore the mask.


    Because that was what dynasty daughters did.

 The Silent War: Chapter 38

    ric Vale sat to my right, posture straight, jacket cut sharp, every movement deliberate. His father was across from us, already deep in conversation with my uncle.


    ric turned slightly toward me, his voice even. ¡°Emilia, how was your day?¡±


    ¡°It was fine. How was yours?¡± I answered smoothly, folding my napkin across myp. He didn¡¯t ask because he cared, he asked, so we could direct the conversation back to him. Where it would stay for the rest of the night.


    ¡°My days will be better when I¡¯m out of that hotel. The building seems to hate me.¡± he said, eyes sweeping the room.


    ¡°How are you liking Viin?¡± I smiled faintly.


    ¡°My father thought it time I begin handling matters here myself. Viin is¡­ instructive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a diplomatic way to put it,¡± I said, tilting my head.


    He smiled slightly. ¡°And what word would you choose?¡±


    ¡°Unforgiving,¡±


    His eyes lingered on me, assessing. ¡°Then it will suit me.¡±


    The servers arrived then, cing tes before us, silver lids.


    I forced a polite smile, but my chest ached. I should have been upstairs, listening to Bastion curse at a pan while Luca tried to chop herbs with surgical precision. Dinner with them, not this performance.


    ¡°Have you ever tasted osso buco, Emilia?¡± ric asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I have.¡±<fndc40> Get full chapters from find(?)ovel</fndc40>


    He l lifted his fork halfway between us. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Themand was soft, but it left no room for refusal. He shifted closer, eyes steady on me as I leaned forward and took the bite.


    I chewed, swallowed carefully.


    ¡°So?¡± His gaze didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    No I didn¡¯t. But that wasn¡¯t the answer he wanted. I nodded once.


    I knew there were others that would consider me weak for agreeing and bending so quickly. But they didn¡¯t see the longer game. A Dynasty merger wasn¡¯t about the love, it was about blood. My submission to him, wasn¡¯t about giving him power. It was choosing how I would mould him around me.


    His thumb brushed across my bottom lip. My stomach clenched ¡ª there was no food there, nothing to wipe away. Just a mark. Possession disguised as etiquette.


    ¡°I identally smudged your lipstick,¡± he murmured.


    I leaned forward slightly, lowering myshes. ¡°Did you?¡± The whisper tasted soft, practiced.


    It burned, but I had to y my part. This was the role. My uncles and Alexander clearly valued a merger with the Vales, or this dinner would never have been staged.


    His thumb lingered at my lip, his knee brushing mine beneath the table.


    I forced myself to hold the smile, even as my nce flicked past his shoulder.


    Luca.


    He stood at the bar, a ss in his hand, his eyes locked on me.


    ricr¡¯s fingers brushed my hair back, coaxing my gaze back to him. I smiled faintly. ¡°Your drink¡¯s nearly empty,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another.¡±


    He smirked at that, removing his hand from my knee.


    I walked toward the bar, every step deliberate, the weight of dynasty eyes on my back. But all I felt was his stare¡ªLuca¡¯s¡ªburning through me, locked and unrelenting.


    I ordered ric¡¯s drink.


    I kept a careful distance between myself and Luca. Even from here, the air was thick with him.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the tourist?¡± His voice was cold.


    ¡°ric Vale.¡± My eyes flicked to Luca, and I saw it, the way he was staring at me.


    ¡°The fucker is feeding you. In our restaurant. In a building we own.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just what he said.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that,¡± I said under my breath, shame already rising hot in my chest.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯m cheating on you and Bastion.¡±


    The words physically hurt.


    I turned, forcing the mask back on. ¡°This is all I can offer you. A life long affair.¡±


    He said nothing.


    My throat tightened. ¡°This was a mistake. Starting this back up again.¡± The bartender set the drink down between us. I didn¡¯t look at it. ¡°We¡¯re just going to hurt each other.¡±


    ¡°Emilia.¡± His hand flexed once, I knew it was taking his self control not to grab me. ¡°You walk away from me right now, and I¡¯ll walk over there and drag you from that seat until we finish this conversation.¡±


    I nodded once. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m listening. Tell me how you¡¯re going to get those four men over there to sign me to you. And Damius, tell me how your grandfather allows it. Tell me your n, Luca.¡±


    I hoped he had one. That right now he would give me something solid. Instead my heart started breaking just like it had three years ago when they stopped replying.


    ¡°I saw the clothes,¡± I whispered. The pain bled straight through my voice. ¡°I walked into the wrong room. Your spare room.¡±


    Luca¡¯s face dropped.


    ¡°At least it makes sense now. Must be a lot of work, removing her clothes from your wardrobe every time Ie over.¡±


    Pain consumed me. ¡°I ignored it, Luca. The ne. The hair ties. The security messages on your phone with updates on her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    I nodded tightly. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s not like you and Bastion only show up to events you¡¯re not formally invited to, dragging me into corners and bathrooms like a secret.¡±


    I raised my hand, beckoning the bartender. ¡°Pour this whiskey down the drain. Then pour another.¡±


    The man hesitated, but then nodded. Anything to buy myself more time.


    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong, Luca. Please. Tell me it¡¯s all in my head.¡±


    The bartender set the new ss in front of me. I didn¡¯t touch it.


    I turned to Luca. My eyes flickered to his.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± I wrapped my hand around the drink, ¡°Then exin it. Exin why you have a wardrobe worth of women¡¯s clothes on racks in your spare room. Exin why your phone lights up with updates from her security. Exin why Bastion has an entire message thread instructing his men to preheat the car before she gets in.¡±


    I stepped closer, ¡°Or better yet¡­Exin why neither of you ever mentioned the penthouse. The one everyone whispers about.¡±


    The pain suddenly got a lot worse, because I could handle the truth, but being told lies, fed under the disguise of hope. I couldn¡¯t handle that.


    I waited.


    One second. Two. Three.


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    The silence hollowed me out. I took it as my answer.


    Turning on my heel, I walked back toward the table. My mask was already sliding back into ce when his hand closed around my arm, sharp and unyielding.


    ¡°Luca¡ª¡± I hissed, trying to pull free. ¡°Let go of me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t. His grip only tightened.


    In one motion he snatched ric¡¯s untouched ss from my hand, tossed the ss into the nter by the door. Then he pulled me with him, his stride quick, unstoppable, until the bathroom door mmed shut behind us.


    ¡°Let go of me, Luca,¡±


    Instead he turned, pressing me back against the tiled wall. His hand locked at my hip.


    ¡°If you go back to that man, Emilia, he will be dead by morning,¡± his mouth at my ear. ¡°I¡¯ll make it look like an ident. Can¡¯t have our beautiful girl losing sleep.¡±


    I pushed at his chest, I made it too steps before he caught my wrists easily. He turned me, pressing me forward until my hips met the marble vanity.


    His hand spread t against my stomach, pinning me back to him. The other hand pulled my skirt up.


    ¡°He had no right to touch you. To feed you.¡±


    ¡°Lu¡ª¡±


    His hand mped over my mouth, silencing me.


    The fabric tore with a rip as he forced the dress higher. ¡°You¡¯re ours. To feed. To care for. To fucking worship.¡± His voice was soft, as he kissed my ear.


    ¡°Reach around,¡± he murmured. ¡°Undo Daddy¡¯s belt.¡±


    My breathing turned sharp but, I didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Baby.¡± The one wordnded like amand. ¡°Undo my belt. So I can fuck you. Remind you who you belong to.¡±


    My hands shook as I reached around and undid the buckle, leaving the belt loose, the click of the metal.


    ¡°Now the zip,¡±


    ¡°Luca¡ªsomeone mighte in.¡±


    ¡°I fucking hope so,¡± his hands gripping me tighter ¡°Angel. Now.¡±


    The word broke me. My hand slid lower, trembling as I pulled the zipper down.


    ¡°He touched your mouth like he had a fucking right to,¡± Luca hissed, his teeth grazing my ear. His grip tight on my hip until the hold bruising.


    ¡°Take my cock out,¡± his mouth still at my ear.


    My breath ragged, but my hands obeyed, pulling him free.


    He groaned against my neck. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Then he positioned me, his chest pressed heavy to my back, his hand forcing mine t against the cold surface.


    My voice cracked, my hands sliding helplessly across the vanity again.


    ¡°t,¡± he ced my palms back down against the cold marble. ¡°Stay. Don¡¯t move unless I say.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my good girl.¡±


    Every thrust mmed deep, brutal, the sound of it echoing sharp off the tiles. His grip the only thing keeping me anchored.


    ¡°You¡¯re making me so proud, baby,¡± he groaned, dragging me back onto him harder. ¡°Taking it this rough for me. That¡¯s daddy¡¯s good girl.¡±


    I gasped.


    ¡°You like that don¡¯t you,¡± His hand mped on my hips, pulling me back, watching the way my body gave under him in the mirror. His eyes were wild.


    ¡°My sweet girl is ready to squirt, aren¡¯t you?¡± His voice low against my ear, ¡°I can feel it. You¡¯re seconds away. See how Daddy, knew the exact angle to put you at? Because you¡¯re ours baby.¡±


    The marble was cold, his rhythm merciless, the praise dragging me higher.


    ¡°Aww, there it is,¡± he kissed my neck, the thrusts sharper, angled, hitting the same spot over and over. ¡°Right there. You¡¯re about to soak me, soak this floor, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    My sob choked out, the pressure unbearable.


    ¡°Please, Luca¡ªnot here.¡±


    I turned my head, but his hand was already there, catching my jaw, forcing me back. ¡°Eyes on me,¡± his reflection locked into mine. ¡°Don¡¯t look away. Not from me.¡±


    Then he shifted, pulling me back, his hips changing angle just enough to ease me off the brutal spot he¡¯d been riding. The rhythm slowed, deliberate, dragging.


    His chest pressed tight to my back, his lips at my hairline, softer now.


    ¡°I love you, baby,¡± he whispered into my hair, the words a rasp. ¡°So fucking much. You don¡¯t even know. Every second, every thought¡ªit¡¯s you.¡±


    Tears filled my eyes again, blurring the reflection.


    ¡°You consume me.¡± he murmured, rocking into me slow, grounding. ¡°Ours to worship. Ours to ruin. Ours to keep.¡±


    His hand stroked down my stomach, anchoring me, back to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never let anyone else feed you. Never let anyone else touch you. You belong to us, Emilia. We¡¯ll never let you go. ¡±


    The rhythm softened further, each thrust more like a promise, his voice worship tangled in every word.


    ¡°I love you, baby,¡± he said again, kissing the back of my neck. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it every fucking day until you finally believe me.¡±


    His hips rocked slow, deep, dragging me back into him with every movement. Each thrust was steady.


    My chest tightened.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he soothed, his palm sliding over my stomach, holding me against him. ¡°Stay with me. Feel me. Let Daddy take you there.¡±


    My sob broke into the mirror.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he coaxed, his rhythm slow, each movement stroking me higher. ¡°Taking daddy¡¯s cock so fucking good. Making me so fucking proud.¡±


    ¡°Luca¡ª¡±


    ¡°So perfect when you cry for me. Don¡¯t hold back, angel. Give it to me. Give me everything.¡±


    It was overwhelming.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± he murmured, kissing my temple. ¡°Safe. Ours. Always ours.¡±


    The pressure built sharp but softer this time, coaxed instead of demanded. My hands pressed harder to the marble, tears blurring my reflection.


    ¡°Cum for me, baby,¡± he whispered, the words so slowly, watching me. ¡°Show me how much you love me. Show me I¡¯m still yours.¡±


    His praise undid me, his vow shattered me. I broke with a sob, trembling, my body shaking against him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Luca groaned, grounding me with his hand at my stomach, his lips pressed into my hair. ¡°Good girl. Such a good girl for me. I¡¯m so proud of you, baby.¡±


    My breaths uneven, but he slowed with me, easing me down.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said again, kissing my temple, softer now.


    My tears only came harder. He turned me, cupping my face, holding me against his chest. Minutes passed, he helped fix my dress. I did his zip up.


    ¡°Tell me how this ends,¡± I said, voice unsteady. ¡°Tell me how we get more than a bathroom every time someone looks at me too long.¡±


    ¡°Your family isn¡¯t a problem,¡± he said too fast.


    ¡°So it¡¯s yours,¡± I let the tears run down my face. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone else,¡±


    ¡°Then whose clothes are in your spare room?¡± My voice trembled and I hated it. ¡°Why do your security pings read like a caretaker¡¯s log? Why did Bastion request fresh bloodwork for her? Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me about the penthouse everyone whispers you built?¡±


    His silence hurt more than the truth.


    I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m engaged, Luca.¡±


    He didn¡¯t move. ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± The words shook¡ªnot from doubt, from the act of living them out loud. ¡°It will be announced next week.¡±


    His fingers tightened at my waist as if he could squeeze the sentence out of existence. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°This is all I can offer you,¡± I said, and the words nearly killed me. ¡°A lifelong affair.¡±


    He stared at me like I¡¯d spoken anothernguage. ¡°You¡¯re not marrying him.¡±


    ¡°If the Vale contract falls through,¡± I whispered, ¡°there are two other families waiting. The shortlist is locked. Alexander signed off. I¡¯m the paper between them.¡±


    He pulled me back from his chest, ¡°Tell me their names.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re the same man in different suits.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± he said, and the plea cracked out of him raw. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I did. And then you taught me how to live without answers.¡±


    He flinched like I¡¯d struck him.


    ¡°Tell me how we end up more than corners and locked doors,¡± I said. ¡°Tell me how your grandfather allows it. How those four men at my table sign me over to you.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Give me the n, Luca.¡±


    I asked again, desperate. Apart of me wanting to believe that this worked out differently.


    He opened his mouth and said nothing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep breaking you,¡± I said, my hand went to his face, and I wiped a tears away from his cheek. ¡°And I won¡¯t let you break me.¡±


    ¡°Angel¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I kissed his cheek, softly. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have started this again.¡±


    The words seemed to empty the room.


    He searched my eyes like he could find a lifeline I hadn¡¯t hidden well enough.


    ¡°ric Vale is one of three final candidates. I will end up married to him. Or to a man just like him.¡±


    He shook his head once, twice. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep loving me in the dark,¡± I said, ¡°and I¡¯ll keep pretending it doesn¡¯t hurt you and Bastion. We¡¯ll all drown slower. That¡¯s the only difference.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say goodbye.¡±


    I pressed my forehead to his for one breath.


    ¡°I have to.¡± My voice barely carried. ¡°Because I love you too much to let you keep doing this to yourself.¡±


    His breath stuttered against my skin. ¡°We can¡¯t stay away.¡±


    ¡°You have to,¡± I said, pulling back, even as it tore me open. ¡°Stay away from me, Luca. We¡¯re over.¡±


    I stepped back first. He let me go.


    I smoothed my skirt, re-centered the mask that always fit too well, and turned for the door.


    He didn¡¯t pull me back.


    Because he saw it in my eyes.


    I was done.

 The Silent War: Chapter 39

    The penthouse was empty when I walked in. No jacket slung over the armchair. No whiskey poured and left on the bar. No Luca.


    Just silence. That was four hours ago. He¡¯s been gone for nine.


    Nine.


    I paced in front of the surveince wall, the glow from the monitors lighting the room. Cameras flipped between static hotel floors, street-level angles, and the casino vault entrance, but none of them showed him.


    My brother. My twin. The only fucking person who wasn¡¯t allowed to vanish.


    I checked his location again. Still fucking nk. No ping. No trace.


    I mmed my palm t against the edge of the desk, hard enough to rattle the panel.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Troy, one of our techs, flinched. ¡°Sir, we¡­he might¡¯ve gone dark on purpose. Maybe the signal?¡ª¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t go dark without telling me.¡± My voice cut sharp, ¡°And you don¡¯t offer theories. You get me answers.¡±


    Troy nodded too fast. ¡°I¡¯ve rerouted the ping tower. Triple-checked the IP traces. He¡¯s not at the penthouse, the Orpheum. Not on any Crow-owned grid.¡±


    Not on any grid we control.


    My fingers flexed against the surveince desk. He¡¯d shut me out.


    Luca.


    The one person who was supposed to bleed when I did. Who¡¯d built this empire at my side with code, silence, and obsession.


    And now he was gone.


    Without a word.


    I pulled up the timeline again. Last verified sighting: 6:11 p.m. at the Orpheum event. East corridor. He never checked out. Never came home. Didn¡¯t even tripped the motion lock on our door.


    Something happened.


    My throat tightened.


    I picked up my phone again and texted him for the twelfth time.


    [3:34 a.m.]


    Where the fuck are you.


    No read receipt. No delivery.


    I turned to the wall and kicked the metal door behind me, the sound echoing.


    Troy startled. ¡°We¡¯re still running heat map oveys. I¡¯m trying?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Try harder,¡± I snapped. ¡°Try fucking harder, or I¡¯ll tear every building in Viin apart myself.¡±


    I didn¡¯t breathe for a moment. Just stood there, ring at a city that we owned and somehow, it had taken my twin with no trace.


    Then I exhaled hard and forced my hands t on the table.


    I¡¯d spent three years managing every risk, dynasty threat, vtile fucking deal Luca dropped the second it got too emotional.


    I took the weight.


    That was the deal.


    He spiraled. I cleaned.


    I broke. He carried.


    But now he was gone¡­.and I didn¡¯t know if he was hurt, dead, bleeding, or doing something so reckless it would bring the entire Crow Dynasty to its knees.


    And the worst part?


    I felt it.


    In the way the hours dragged, the silence where his voice should¡¯ve been. The fucking hollowness of the room we¡¯d built to watch the world together.


    He should¡¯vee home.


    He always came home.


    Even when bloodied, spiralling, even if the whole city was burning and he¡¯d set the match himself, Luca always came home.


    But not tonight. Nine fucking hours. While I was down in the tunnels, my twin disappeared. My hand was still braced against the console when my phone buzzed.


    ROME: Nothing. No one¡¯s seen him. Checked the back alleys & the underground passages. Orpheum roof. Nothing.


    I read the words and didn¡¯t move. My fingers stayed numb, gripping ss like it was a weapon I couldn¡¯t throw.


    ROME: He turned off his chip. He doesn¡¯t want to be found.


    The words sliced deeper than they should¡¯ve. I mmed my palm into the desk again, this time harder.


    ¡°Troy,¡± I said. My voice came out wrong. ¡°I need ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°But sir?¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Troy grabbed hisptop. The others didn¡¯t even argue. They cleared the floor like I was about to explode. Because I fucking was.


    The second the door shut behind them, I paced. Hard. Sharp turns. Jaw clenched so tight I could taste blood from grinding my teeth.


    Why would he disappear like this?


    Why would he leave me alone?


    My chest was getting tighter. I couldn¡¯t breathe. Like something was caving in.


    The lights above flickered. Just once. Barely a second. But it made my skin crawl.


    Suddenly, I was back there.


    Back in the dark. In that fucking cage.


    No.


    My fists mmed into the wall, once, twice, then a third time until something cracked in my knuckle. I didn¡¯t stop.


    Luca screaming through metal. His pain. The burn of the cor as I screamed for him, to stop.


    Grabbing his hand.


    Curled in the corner, trying not to cry. Not to set the cor off again.


    My breath hitched.


    I can¡¯t feel him.


    That was the worst part.


    I couldn¡¯t feel him.


    His cold controlled anger humming next to mine. Or him spiralling and needing me to reel him back. Fuck. I couldn¡¯t even feel the pressure behind my eyes I always got when he was in pain.


    Nothing.


    Like the line between us had been cut.


    And all I could hear was, silence. Cold, cruel and loud.


    I braced both hands on the wall, forehead pressed to the cool surface like it might anchor me.


    My phone buzzed.


    Security warning.


    I smeared blood across the screen as I swiped it open.


    EMERGENCY EXIT ¡ª LEVEL 72 (CROW PENTHOUSE)


    BREACH: SOUTH HALL ACCESS DOOR


    RESPONSE TIME INITIATED: 00:18


    No.


    Either Luca triggered it¡­ or someone hade to finish the fucking job. To take the other half.


    I didn¡¯t remember leaving the war room. Just running. Typing the override code as I got in the elevator.


    CROW EMERGENCY OVERRIDE.


    Floor 72. Lockdown: disabled.


    The elevator jolted, doors mming shut. My hand gripped the railing. Heart in my throat. Every second dragging slow, cruel.


    If he was dead, if he was bleeding out on those floors, then I wasn¡¯t leaving either. Let the bastard who came kill me too.


    You don¡¯t split a soul and expect the other half to keep walking.


    The elevator stopped. Doors opened.


    The penthouse was pitch ck. Silent.


    No motion triggers. Even the climate system dead, like the whole ce had been cut off.


    I slipped a hand to my side holster. One gun. One knife. One twin.


    ¡°Luca?¡±


    Every footstep echoed, too loud, like I was walking into the kind of silence that didn¡¯t want to be broken.


    My chest locked. Then, dark red. Low across the wall by the master suite. I lowered the gun without even knowing it, fingers shaking as I stepped closer.


    Please, don¡¯t let it be his blood.


    I turned the corner, and saw him.<fnf38e> This update is avable on Find_Novel(.</fnf38e>


    Slumped against the bed. Shirt torn open, soaked through. One hand braced on the frame, the other pressed to his ribs. His head dipped forward, too heavy to lift.


    He wasn¡¯t unconscious. Just¡­ stopped. Like he¡¯d tried to get up, then decided against it.


    ¡°Luca.¡±


    No answer.


    I crossed the room in seconds, dropped to my knees. ¡°Luca, look at me. Hey.¡±


    His head tipped up. Eyes unfocused. But when theynded on me¡ªreallynded¡ªsomething broke.


    He shook his head faint, like he couldn¡¯t believe I was real.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think, Bas.¡± His voice slurred. ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking think.¡±


    My chest locked.


    His hand slid from his ribs and brushed my arm. His whole body dropped forward, slow and heavy, and I caught him before he hit the ground.


    His forehead hit my shoulder.


    ¡°I fucked up,¡± he choked. ¡°So bad. I always knew I would.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± My voice cracked. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. Didn¡¯t look at me.


    ¡°We handle it. Together. Like always.¡±


    ¡°But what if I broke it?¡± His voice was quiet. ¡°What if this time I can¡¯t fix it?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll fix it,¡± I snapped. ¡°That¡¯s the deal. That¡¯s always been the fucking deal.¡±


    He shook against me. Like he¡¯d fought the whole world and still lost.


    I caught his hand. Laced our fingers. Pressed my other palm t against his chest, firm. Forcing him to feel.


    My hand shook, but I pressed harder. Better he feel it as strength than know how close I was to breaking.


    We¡¯d done this since we were five. Proof we weren¡¯t dying alone. It was survival then.


    Now it was ritual.


    His jaw clenched. For a second, I thought he¡¯d slipped too far. Thought I¡¯d lost him back to the dark. Then his fingers moved against mine. Weak. Shaking. But there. Just like the cages.


    Something cracked in me too. Hours cut off from him felt like the darkness all over again. His pulse under my hand proof I wasn¡¯t walking this world without him.


    ¡°One pulls us back,¡± I told him, ¡°Always. That¡¯s the rule. That¡¯s the only way we made it this far.¡±


    His grip tightened. Eyes clearing, inch by inch.


    ¡°If you break, I break. If you bleed, I bleed. That¡¯s not poetry. That¡¯s fucking fact.¡±


    My breathing too sharp until I forced it steady with his. ¡°I can live with blood on my hands. I can¡¯t live with yours. So don¡¯t you fucking dare leave me here.¡±


    He dropped into me. My hand locked in his. My pulse against his chest, steady. Mine for him. His for me.


    ¡°One pulls us back,¡± I whispered again, this time like a vow. ¡°Always.¡±


    His shoulders eased.


    He stayed there, curled into me like the world couldn¡¯t touch him. And for a moment, it didn¡¯t. Because I wouldn¡¯t let it.


    Every crack in him lived in me too. Because we weren¡¯t two people. We never had been. We were one soul split down the middle. He hurt, I bled. I broke, he shattered. If he went down tonight, I¡¯d follow.


    I got him to the bed. Barely. His body was all weight. The side of his shirt was soaked through. Blood everywhere.


    My hands moved fast, ripping back fabric, cataloguing damage. Gashes. Split knuckles. A slice at his ribs, clotting, not deep enough to cause this amount of blood. Shoulder out of ce. Wrists bruised.


    Which meant this blood wasn¡¯t his.


    I swallowed hard, forced my hands steady.


    He didn¡¯t talk. His body was here, but his head was somewhere colder. Somewhere darker.


    ¡°Where do we have to go?¡± I asked, pressing a towel to his side.


    No response, his eyes unfocused and hollow.


    Back in the cage.


    ¡°Luca.¡± My voice dropped, steady. I had to be the restraint tonight. ¡°Where do we have to clean?¡±


    Nothing. His chest rose shallow, like he didn¡¯t think he deserved air.


    I grabbed his hand,ced our fingers. Pressed my other palm t over his chest, firm. Forced him to feel again.


    ¡°Look at me. You¡¯re not in there. You¡¯re here. With me. So answer.¡±


    His jaw clenched. ¡°My car.¡±


    ¡°Where else?¡±


    ¡°The service lot behind the Gilded Cage.¡± His voice empty, in a way that scared me. ¡°And¡­ one of the emergency ts above Pce Noir.¡±


    Fuck.


    I locked it down. No reaction or judgment. Just squeezed his hand tighter.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. That was all. I¡¯d tear the city apart before I let him go under alone.


    We¡¯d clean it. We¡¯d cover it. We¡¯d keep the Syndicate calm.


    And then I¡¯d figure out how to drag back the part of Luca that hadn¡¯te home tonight.

 The Silent War: Chapter 40

    I stood at the edge of the service lot, ten dead bodies spread across three locations like some kind of fucked up breadcrumb trail Luca had left for me to follow.


    And the worst part?


    The three in the boot.


    High-profile heirs. Dynasty blood. Their family rings still on their fingers, as if Luca had wanted me to know exactly who they were when he drove the car straight into our private ess bay like a goddamn trophy delivery.


    Four more stacked in the back corridor of the lot itself. Sloppy work.


    Thest three had been at the emergency t above Pce Noir.


    And those¡­ those were the worst.


    Because Luca hadn¡¯t just killed them.


    He¡¯d destroyed them.


    Bones snapped in ways that didn¡¯t make sense. Teeth embedded in the drywall. The third¡­ I closed my eyes. Didn¡¯t matter. They were all dead.


    Ten bodies.


    Three different families.<fnbec2> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fnbec2>


    All dynasty, all unapproved and all fucking burned into our doorstep.


    I exhaled through my nose, slow and tight. Blood soaked the carpet. One of them had tried to crawl, judging by the drag marks.


    Luca had watched the man bled out.


    I turned to the cleanup crew as they arrived, six trusted men, all high-clearance, no dynasty ties. Good. That was the point.


    ¡°We strip the t. Every trace. Tiles, camera logs. All of it. Car gets torched. You have twenty minutes. Move.¡±


    They nodded and scattered. But even with that handled, I wasn¡¯t stupid. The families would know.


    By sunrise, every bloodline with a connection to the heirs would be looking for them. Dynastyw didn¡¯t give a fuck about motive, trauma, spirals.


    And ten dead heirs?


    That wasn¡¯t a spiral.


    That was war.


    I pulled out my phone. No notifications. Just the empty ck screen. The one I kept checking for no reason except. He should¡¯ve called. He always called if he wanted blood. We always cleaned it together.


    But tonight¡­ he¡¯d gone silent.


    Driven body after body across Viin, like some fucking reaper out of dynasty hell.


    I¡¯d seen his face on the floor of the penthouse. I¡¯d seen the kind of ruin in his eyes that no crow heir training prepared you for. Our blood was built to carry anger. Mastering it was our life lesson.


    He¡¯d snapped.


    And I hadn¡¯t stopped him. I should¡¯ve stopped him. I always fucking stopped him and he stopped me. One kept the other away from the edge.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I turned from the car, pacing back toward the security exit. This was bad. Even for our standards.


    I called Rome.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I need you at the Storage Docks in ten. Cleanup. Quiet.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask the details.


    ¡°Right. Sending ghost vans,¡±


    The line went dead. And I was left alone in the lot again.


    With ten dynasty corpses. A blood trail too loud to bury. And a brother who¡¯d handed me a massacre in the shape of loyalty.


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