Lucrezia blinked at the maid as though she had misheard her, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"On order…?" she repeated slowly, turning the words over in her mind as if they might reveal their meaning if she examined them long enough.
What did that even mean?
Was this some new term in the mafia world she didn't understand?
Despite growing up under Don Santiano's roof—with servants moving about at every hour and orders issued like passing breaths—she had never heard anything phrased like that.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the maid, silently waiting for clarification.
But the girl only stared back at her with wide, uneasy eyes before giving a small shake of her head, as though she had already said more than she was supposed to.
Lucrezia's curiosity sharpened immediately.
Something about this was wrong.
Still, she said nothing. Life in the underworld had taught her a very important rule—never force information out of someone who was clearly protecting a confidence. Doing so only dragged them into trouble they could not escape.
So instead, Lucrezia nodded once.
"You may go."
Relief flickered across the maid's face before she quickly slipped out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her.
The quiet that followed was heavy.
Lucrezia stood there for a moment, her eyes sweeping slowly across the room—the polished floors, silk curtains and the grand bed placed neatly at the centre like something out of a royal suite.
Just hours ago she had been scrubbing floors and changing filthy sheets like a servant.
Now she was standing inside a room fit for a queen.
Her mind tried to take it all in but with the cool air now heating her, exhaustion finally began creeping in through the cracks of her thoughts.
A dull heaviness settled over her shoulders and her eyelids drooped.
The adrenaline that had kept her standing through the chaos of the past days seemed to drain out of her all at once.
Lucrezia pressed her fingers to her temple and let out a slow breath.
Sleep.
That was all she needed right now.
Just sleep.
Without bothering to explore the rest of the room, she walked slowly toward the bed. The mattress dipped softly under her weight the moment she sat down, the expensive sheets cool against her skin.
Her previous nights had not only been uncomfortable but chaotic because of Maverick's actions and not to forget Carla's taunting presence.
Lucrezia was still hurt and angry from all the things he had made her pass through but deep down, somewhere within, she still wanted him to get a hold of her father's ledger.
It was weird and difficult to find a reason why but she knew better than to tell him anything she could possibly know about it.
The only person who'd likely had access to it– Meshach– her father's underboss was probably dead now and even if he was alive, she was certain he would not breathe a word about the book's whereabouts to anything at all– not just anyone.
She hesitated briefly as her sides melted into the bed. Luxury like this used to feel normal until it felt foreign, like something that didn't belong to her anymore.
Fatigue weighed on her body and didn't give her time to dwell on anything further as her body sank into the soft mattress and she closed her eyes almost instantly.
Within seconds, the quiet room swallowed her into sleep.
By the time she opened her eyes again, Lucrezia couldn't tell what the time was.
She rose from the bed, noticing that everywhere had gone dark, and she quickly moved to shift the curtains, only to realise it was nighttime already.
Her eyes slightly widened and she looked around frantically, trying to see if she could find a wall clock but there was none.
She currently didn't have her phone as the last time she'd used one was the day Don Santiano was murdered.
She felt a sharp pain in her throat and the loud growl of her stomach.
She'd slept straight up from morning till night. It was only normal that her throat was parched and she was hungry but how would she...
Her stomach growled again and she felt the dryness in her throat turn worse.
Her gaze snapped toward the door.
For a moment she simply stared at it, her mind running through a hundred possibilities before her feet finally began to move.
Lucrezia crossed the room quickly and stopped in front of it, her hand hovering over the handle as hesitation crept in. She stood there for a few seconds, listening.
Silence.
Drawing in a quiet breath, she slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open just enough to peek outside through the narrow space.
The hallway was long and slightly dark, the polished floors reflecting the soft glow of the wall lamps.
This was the mansion of a Don.
Security would be everywhere—guards at the gates, men stationed along the corridors or even eyes watching from corners she probably couldn't even see.
Ordinarily, that thought would have made her cautious.
But right now, Lucrezia wasn't sure she cared.
Her throat felt dry, her stomach was empty and hollow. She needed water… maybe even food.
And frankly, the last thing on her mind at the moment was a group of men patrolling the estate.
It wasn't like she planned to steal anything.
Or run.
She simply needed to drink something before her body gave out.
After a moment of scanning the corridor, she pushed the door open a little wider and stepped out carefully, the marble floor cool beneath her bare feet as she closed the door quietly behind her.
Her eyes flickered down both ends of the hallway, trying to remember the layout of the mansion from the brief moments she had been dragged through it earlier.
Since she'd never been to this wing of the mansion, it was difficult for her to locate the kitchen or even the living room.
She continued walking through the pathway until she met a corridor that appeared familiar and she didn't waste time slipping through.
She threaded the stairway cautiously, in case she met any guard along, although she hadn't exactly thought of something to tell them if anyone stopped her.
She would deal with that when the time came.
By the time she was downstairs, Lucrezia was surprised not to find a single guard around.
Were they perhaps watching her from a distance?
She observed her surroundings, feeling the coolness of the night hit her skin.
There was still no one around.
She paused in the corridor, glancing around carefully as she stepped farther away from her room.
The mansion was strangely quiet.
Moonlight filtered through the high-standing windows in the living room, spilling silver across the marble floor.
The coolness of the night continued creeping through the open spaces of the house, brushing against her skin.
Lucrezia wrapped her arms around herself instinctively, rubbing her hands over her upper arms as she tried to fight the sudden chill.
Still… there was no one.
No footsteps or voices or guards.
It almost felt eerie.
Not wanting to linger long enough for that to change, she hurried to the kitchen, relying on instinct and memory.
She slipped inside quickly, greeting the massive space that was far larger than any ordinary home would need, lined with polished counters, expensive appliances, and cupboards that reached the ceiling.
But Lucrezia barely noticed any of that.
Her eyes had already locked onto the refrigerator.
She crossed the room quickly and pulled it open, meeting the cool air that spilt out immediately.
Her gaze scanned the shelves until she spotted a bottle of water sitting on the side rack. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and twisted the cap open.
The moment the lid loosened, she lifted it to her lips and drank greedily.
The water rushed down her throat in long gulps, her body practically demanding it after hours of sleep. She didn't even pause to breathe until the bottle was almost empty.
By the time she lowered it, her chest rose and fell slowly as she swallowed the last mouthful and her throat no longer burned.
The dryness was gone.
She set the bottle down on the counter, drawing in a slow breath as relief finally settled in her chest.
"You shouldn't wander around my house at night, Lucrezia."
The voice came from behind her—low, cold, and unmistakably familiar.