The steady hum of traffic outside Serena's apartment window could not drown out the words that had replayed in her head all evening. "Just the way your father died, that's how you and your mother will die."
No matter how many case files she flipped through, how many cups of coffee she drained, the threat clawed at her nerves. She closed the thick manila folder with a frustrated snap and rubbed her temples. Court victories usually filled her with fire and purpose. Today, she only felt cold.
"Serena, you've been at that desk for hours."
Jade leaned against the doorway, her rounded belly framed by the soft cotton of her dress. She looked tired but radiant, her hand absentmindedly stroking the small life inside her. "You need to rest."
Serena forced a smile. "I will. Just… after this last file."
"You've said that three times already," Maya muttered from the couch, where she was curled up with a tablet, scrolling through work emails. "If you don't slow down, you'll burn out."
Chloe walked in carrying a bowl of popcorn, tossing kernels into her mouth one at a time. "Honestly, it's like living with a detective who moonlights as a vampire. Do you even sleep anymore?"
Serena closed her eyes. The teasing should have comforted her, but tonight it only scraped her nerves raw. "I just need answers, that's all."
The room fell quiet. Her friends exchanged glances, a silent conversation sparking between them. They knew she hadn't been the same since her father's death, but the threat in court had ripped open an old wound they weren't sure how to heal.
Jade moved closer, her hand on Serena's shoulder. "We're here for you. Always. But don't forget—you're not alone in this."
Serena's throat tightened. "I know."
But the truth was, she did feel alone.
Across the city, in a dimly lit office overlooking the water, Dante Moretti swirled a glass of red wine between his fingers. The skyline glittered in the distance, but his mind wasn't on the view.
Andres leaned against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed. "She bought it?"
Dante smirked, the corner of his mouth curving upward with calculated charm. "She thinks our meeting was chance. Perfectly staged accidents always leave the deepest marks."
"You're playing a dangerous game," Andres said. "Serena Vale isn't just some lawyer. She's sharp. If she digs too deep…"
Dante's smirk faded. He set the wine glass down with deliberate care. "If she digs too deep, she'll find exactly what I want her to find. Nothing more, nothing less."
Andres tilted his head, studying him. "You're getting too close. That bump in the lobby wasn't just for her. I saw the way you looked at her. Don't tell me the great Dante Moretti is developing a weakness."
Dante's jaw clenched. "A woman is never a weakness. Unless you let her be."
But when Andres left, the mask slipped. Dante turned back to the window, his reflection dark against the glass. For the first time in years, doubt whispered in his mind. He'd orchestrated power, loyalty, and fear with precision. Yet one lawyer with fire in her eyes had unsettled the empire he'd built.
The following morning, Serena sat at her desk at the courthouse, poring over sealed documents. She had pulled strings to access older case files connected to her father's death. Most led to dead ends. But one slim folder stopped her cold.
Inside, among faded police reports and photographs, was a name scrawled in black ink.
Dante Moretti.
Her pulse quickened. She skimmed the page again, her eyes scanning every line. His name appeared in connection with a case her father had worked on—an unsolved financial investigation tied to criminal enterprises.
The same Dante she had bumped into yesterday? It had to be coincidence. Names repeated. People weren't always who they seemed.
And yet… she couldn't shake the memory of his eyes, the commanding presence he carried without a single word.
"Serena?" Chloe's voice jolted her back to reality. "You coming? Lunch break."
Serena hastily shoved the folder back into her bag, her expression carefully neutral. "Yeah. Just give me a minute."
But as her friends walked ahead, chatting about baby names for Jade, Serena lingered behind. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the bag to her chest.
If Dante Moretti was tied to her father's death… then who exactly had she bumped into?
Later that night, laughter filled the apartment as Jade complained about swollen ankles, Maya teased her about craving pickles at midnight, and Chloe dramatically announced she'd quit dating altogether.
Serena smiled along, but her mind was elsewhere. The weight of that single name pressed heavy on her chest.
She excused herself, slipping into her bedroom. She pulled the folder from her bag and spread the documents across the bed. Old photographs of crime scenes, handwritten notes in her father's script, and that one name glared back at her.
"Dante Moretti."
A knock startled her. "Serena?" Jade's voice was soft. "Are you okay?"
Serena quickly swept the papers into a pile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… tired."
She leaned against the door after Jade walked away, her heart pounding.
Because in the depths of her soul, Serena Vale knew one thing for certain—
This wasn't coincidence.
And if Dante Moretti was her father's ghost resurfaced in flesh and blood, then her life was about to spiral into a storm she wasn't sure she could survive.