The dawn over Milan arrived quietly.
Too quietly.
Golden light filtered through the tall glass windows of the estate, brushing against marble floors still stained faintly with last night's chaos. The air smelled like metal and silence—like something had ended… and something worse had begun.
Aria stood near the window, arms wrapped around herself.
She hadn't slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again—
The blood.
The gun.
The moment everything inside her changed.
---
Behind her, Raiden watched.
Unmoving.
Unreadable.
Dangerous.
But there was something else now—something rare in a man like him.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
---
"You're staring again," Aria said quietly, not turning.
Raiden stepped forward.
"I'm making sure you're still here."
She let out a dry breath.
"I don't think I have a choice anymore."
---
That hit harder than anything else she could've said.
---
Raiden moved closer, stopping just behind her.
"You always have a choice."
She turned then.
Slowly.
"And if I choose wrong?"
---
His eyes darkened.
"Then I burn the world that made you choose."
---
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Electric.
Dangerous.
---
A sharp knock broke it.
---
Raiden's entire body tensed.
"Stay here."
---
But Aria didn't listen.
She followed.
---
The door opened.
Luca stepped in—face serious, eyes scanning.
"We have a problem."
---
Raiden didn't react outwardly.
"Speak."
---
Luca held out a folded paper.
Raiden took it.
Read it.
And for the first time—
Something in his expression cracked.
---
"What is it?" Aria asked, stepping closer.
---
Raiden didn't answer.
So Luca did.
---
"They know she's here."
---
The words dropped like a death sentence.
---
Aria's heartbeat quickened.
"How?"
---
Luca exhaled slowly.
"There's a leak. Someone from inside tipped them off."
---
Raiden's jaw tightened.
"Find them."
---
"I already am," Luca replied. "But that's not the only issue."
---
Aria felt the shift instantly.
There was more.
Something worse.
---
"They're not just watching anymore," Luca continued.
"They're preparing something bigger."
---
Raiden's voice dropped.
"How big?"
---
Luca met his eyes.
"Big enough to wipe this place off the map."
---
Silence.
---
Aria swallowed hard.
"So we run?"
---
Raiden turned to her.
Cold. Certain. Unyielding.
---
"No."
---
That one word carried weight.
Violence.
War.
---
"We don't run," he said.
"We make them regret coming."
---
Something inside Aria responded to that.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Something darker.
---
"Then tell me what to do," she said.
---
Raiden looked at her for a long moment.
Studying.
Measuring.
Realizing.
---
"You're not ready."
---
"I killed someone last night," she snapped.
"I think I passed 'ready.'"
---
That silenced him.
---
For a moment—
He saw it clearly.
She wasn't the same girl anymore.
---
And maybe…
That was his fault.
---
"Fine," he said quietly.
"But you follow my rules."
---
She stepped closer.
"No."
---
Raiden's eyes narrowed.
---
"We do this together," she said.
"Or not at all."
---
Danger flashed between them.
But so did something else.
Respect.
---
Luca watched the exchange silently.
Then muttered—
"This is going to end badly."
---
Neither of them disagreed.
---
Outside, the wind picked up.
Clouds gathered.
The city held its breath.
---
Because somewhere in the shadows—
Il Principe was already making his next move.
---
And this time—
He wasn't going to miss.
---
End of Chapter 34