The city felt alive, breathing smoke, sirens, and fear. Aria stood on the rooftop, heels balanced on the cold ledge, surveying the streets below like she owned the world. But she didn't, at least, not yet. Sebastian's wrath was a storm gathering in the shadows, pressing at the edges of her life.
Lorenzo stood beside her, arms crossed, jaw tight. His eyes scanned every alley, every flickering light, every possible threat. "He's moving faster than I thought," he murmured, low, almost a growl. "This isn't just retaliation. He wants to hurt you, punish you… make you bleed."
Aria's lips curved into a cold smile. "Let him try. Every move he makes, I've already planned a counter."
It wasn't bravado. Every strike against Sebastian's empire had been calculated to leave him destabilized and furious. Tonight, she would push that imbalance further.
