The ocean thundered outside the walls, a constant roar that sounded like a heartbeat too big for the world.
Aria sat against the cold wall of her cell, her wrists raw from the rope burns, her body aching from the rough hands that had dragged her here. She refused to cry. She had done enough of that. The tears had drained from her eyes until only steel remained.
She whispered her sons' names under her breath, like a prayer. "Nico. Nino. Hold on. I'll come back."
The heavy door scraped open. The sound was enough to send her pulse racing.
Adrian Moretti stepped inside, his shadow stretching long across the floor. His black coat brushed the ground, his presence filling the small room. He carried no weapon in his hand, but Aria felt as though every line of his body was sharpened like a blade.
He studied her silently, his gaze moving over her face, her hands, the defiance in her eyes. A faint smile touched his lips.
"You don't break easily," he said at last. "Good. I hate weak things."
Aria lifted her chin. "Then you should hate yourself."
The smile didn't fade. Instead, it grew, slow and unsettling. "Ah. There's the fire. Luca fell in love with that fire. He thought he owned it. But fire… fire can be stolen. Claimed. Turned."
She spat the words out before she could stop herself. "You'll never own me."
Adrian stepped closer. His hand brushed her cheek. She recoiled, but the wall left her nowhere to go. His touch was light, almost reverent, and it made her stomach twist.
"Ownership is a funny word," he whispered. "You see chains. I see destiny."
Aria bit down on her fear, on the rising tide of panic. "What do you want with me?"
He crouched in front of her, his eyes boring into hers. "I want what is mine. You. And through you… everything Luca has tried to protect. You're the key, Aria. The blood that ties him to me. The blood that will end him."
She froze.
"The blood?" she repeated, her voice shaking.
Adrian leaned closer. "Your sons. They are more than children. They are legacy. They are the future. And with them in my hands, the De Rossi empire will finally kneel."
Her stomach dropped. Her sons. Nico. Nino.
Her body trembled, but not from fear anymore. From rage. "If you touch them..."
Adrian's smile turned sharp. "I already have."
Her scream tore through the room, raw and wild, but the steel walls swallowed it.
Far away, Luca woke again in a haze of pain. His body was weak, stitched, bandaged, broken. But his mind burned hotter than the fire that had nearly killed him.
Enzo sat at his side, his face drawn. Matteo leaned against the wall, pale from his own wounds, but alive.
Luca tried to rise. His muscles trembled, but he forced himself to sit. The pain made his vision blur. He did not care.
"We don't have time," he growled. "He has her. He has Aria."
Enzo reached out, gripping his shoulder. "You'll kill yourself if you move now."
"I'd rather die on my feet than let him keep her."
Matteo's voice was hoarse. "You're not alone. We'll go with you."
Luca's eyes darkened. "Not enough. Adrian built something in the shadows. Soldiers, weapons, power. He's stronger than we imagined. We need allies."
Enzo frowned. "Who?"
Luca's jaw clenched. "The ones we swore never to trust again. Old enemies. Old debts. I don't care. If they hate Adrian more than they hate me, they'll come."
The room fell silent.
Finally, Enzo said, "That's a dangerous game."
Luca's voice was steel. "So is losing Aria."
Back in the fortress, Adrian left Aria's cell. His boots echoed down the hall, each step measured. Two guards fell into place behind him.
He stopped at a heavy steel door and opened it. Inside, two small figures sat on the floor, their wrists tied, their faces pale but defiant. Nico and Nino.
Adrian stepped inside, and the boys flinched. Nico glared at him, his jaw tight, his grey eyes. Luca's eyes...burning with hate.
"You're not my father," Nico spat.
Adrian crouched down, studying the boy. "No. But you could be my son, if you wish it."
Nico bared his teeth. "Never."
Adrian's smile widened. "We'll see."
He rose and turned to the guards. "Feed them. Keep them strong. They'll need their strength for what comes next."
That night, Aria lay awake, her heart breaking with every breath. She knew now, the boys were here. In this fortress. In his hands.
She pressed her forehead against the cold wall. Her voice broke into a whisper. "Luca, please. Find us."
Luca stood before a table covered in maps and weapons. His eyes were dark hollows, his body wrapped in bandages, but his spirit unbroken.
Enzo placed a phone on the table. "If you're serious about this, make the call. But once you do, there's no going back."
Luca stared at the phone. His hand hovered above it.
Finally, he picked it up and dialed a number he swore he'd never touch again.
The line clicked. A voice answered. Low. Cold. Familiar.
"Well, well," the voice drawled. "Luciano De Rossi. I never thought I'd hear from you again. Have you finally decided to crawl?"
Luca's eyes hardened. "I'm not crawling. I'm offering war. Against Adrian Moretti."
There was silence on the line. Then a slow laugh.
"Interesting," the voice said. "You know the price for my help. Are you ready to pay it?"
Luca's voice was steel. "I'll pay anything. Just give me the army I need."
The line went dead.
Enzo frowned. "You think he'll come?"
Luca's hand curled into a fist. "He'll come. Because Adrian isn't just my enemy. He's his too."
In the fortress, Adrian stood on the balcony, staring out at the raging sea. His coat whipped in the wind, his eyes alight with a hunger that looked almost like joy.
A soldier stepped up behind him. "Boss, the De Rossi survivor made contact. He's moving fast. Gathering."
Adrian's lips curved. "Good. Let him come. I want him to see. I want him to walk into my jaws."
He lifted a hand, the sea crashing below.
"Prepare the stage. The queen is here. The heirs are here. All that's left is the king."
Aria pressed her hands against the wall of her cell, her nails digging into the concrete. Somewhere in this fortress, her sons were alive. Somewhere out there, Luca was fighting to reach her.
She closed her eyes and whispered again, a vow carried on the storm outside.
"I'll never let him win."
But as she spoke, footsteps echoed in the hall. The door opened again.
And this time, Adrian carried something in his hand.
A small silver knife.
He crouched in front of her, his eyes bright with something dangerous.
"It's time you understood, Aria," he murmured. "Keys aren't meant to stay hidden. They're meant to open doors."
He pressed the blade to her palm and cut a line across her skin. Blood welled bright red. Adrian's eyes gleamed.
"Yes," he whispered. "The key of blood."
Aria froze, terror flooding her chest.
And in that moment, she knew whatever Adrian was planning, it wasn't just about her or Luca. It was something far worse.
Something that could destroy them all.