Aria's breath caught as the silver blade slid across her palm. The sting was sharp, but it wasn't the pain that froze her, it was the way Adrian looked at her blood. His eyes lit up like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.
He held her hand steady even as she tried to pull away. Her blood dripped onto the concrete floor, dark against the gray. Adrian's lips curved in satisfaction.
"Yes," he whispered. "The blood that binds. The blood that unlocks."
Aria yanked her hand free, clutching it to her chest, her heart hammering. "You're insane."
Adrian didn't argue. He didn't even blink. "Insane? No. Patient. The De Rossi family thought they killed me. Buried me. But I waited. I rebuilt. And now, because of you, because of what you carry, I will finish what should have been finished years ago."
Her voice cracked with fury. "I carry nothing for you. Nothing."
Adrian crouched, his shadow stretching over her. His voice was low, almost tender. "You carry his sons. His blood. His legacy. But more than that, Aria.., you carry his weakness. And when I control you, I control him."
Her stomach twisted, but she forced her chin up. "You'll never control me."
He studied her for a long moment. Then, instead of striking her, he smiled. "We'll see."
The door slammed behind him, the sound echoing through the cell.
Aria cradled her wounded hand, blood dripping between her fingers, her whole body trembling. She pressed her forehead against the wall, her whisper breaking into the silence.
"Luca, please. Hurry."
Far from the fortress, Luca stood in the shadow of an old warehouse, the smell of rust and oil in the air. His body was still weak, every movement sharp with pain, but his eyes burned with a rage that refused to dim.
A line of black cars pulled up, engines growling. Men stepped out, hard eyed, armed, dangerous. At their center came a figure Luca hadn't seen in years.
Dario Romano.
An old ally turned bitter enemy.
Dario was broader now, his hair streaked with gray, his suit dark as midnight. His smile was sharp, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, well," Dario drawled. "If it isn't Luca De Rossi. The fallen prince."
Enzo shifted beside Luca, his hand near his gun. Matteo stiffened.
Luca didn't flinch. "I didn't come for your insults. I came for your men."
Dario's brow arched. "My men don't march for free. You know my price."
Luca's jaw clenched. "Name it."
Dario stepped closer, his voice smooth. "When this is over, when Adrian is dust, the docks belong to me. All of them. No interference from the De Rossi family. No questions asked."
Enzo cursed under his breath. "That's suicide, Luca. The docks are half our income..."
Luca cut him off. His eyes never left Dario. "Done."
Enzo grabbed his arm, whispering harshly. "You can't. We'll bleed out..."
Luca's voice was steel. "I don't care. I'll give him the whole empire if it means I get Aria back."
Dario studied him, then smiled slowly. "Good. I almost respect you again."
He extended his hand. Luca took it. Their grips were iron, their eyes locked in silent war.
Back in the fortress, Aria's door opened again. She braced herself, her heart pounding.
But this time, it wasn't Adrian.
It was Nico and Nino.
Her sons were shoved inside, their small wrists still bound, their faces pale but fierce.
Aria's cry broke free as she fell to her knees, pulling them close even as the guards sneered.
"Mama," Nino whispered, his voice shaking.
Aria kissed their hair, her tears soaking them. "I've got you. I've got you."
The guards closed the door, leaving them together in the cold room.
Aria held their faces in her hands, her heart breaking at the fear in their eyes. "Are you hurt?"
Nico shook his head hard. "No. We're okay. But Mama, he comes every day. He says… he says we'll belong to him soon."
Aria's chest constricted. "Don't listen to him. Don't believe him. You're mine. Always mine."
Nino's lip trembled. "Where's Papa?"
Aria's throat closed. She forced her voice steady. "He's coming. I promise you, he's coming."
But even as she said it, she heard Adrian's words echoing in her head. Keys aren't meant to stay hidden. They're meant to open doors.
Luca returned to his safehouse with Dario's promise hanging heavy in the air.
Enzo slammed his fist onto the table. "Are you out of your mind? You just gave him everything."
"I gave him nothing," Luca growled. "If Adrian lives, there will be nothing left to give. Aria will be gone. The twins will be gone. Our bloodline will be finished. Do you understand that?"
Enzo fell silent.
Matteo leaned forward. "So what's the plan?"
Luca stared at the map spread before them. His finger traced the cliffs, the fortress, the guarded roads.
"We don't storm it head-on. That's suicide. We use the tunnels. The old smuggler's passages beneath the cliffs. They're dangerous, flooded in places, but they're the only way in without losing half the men."
Dario's voice was smooth. "I like it. But if this fails, Luca, I will not throw my soldiers into the sea for your woman."
Luca's glare was ice. "She's not just my woman. She's my soul. And if I have to walk through hell itself to bring her back, I will."
In the fortress, Adrian stood in a darkened chamber lit only by candles. Before him, on the stone floor, symbols were drawn in red. Some looked like blood.
A soldier knelt beside him. "The preparations are ready."
Adrian's lips curved. "Good. Tomorrow we begin. The queen will break. And the children will kneel."
He dipped his finger into the red markings, tracing them with care. His voice was soft, almost like a prayer.
"The key of blood will open the way. And when it does, the De Rossi name will end."
That night, Aria held her boys close, whispering promises she prayed she could keep.
She didn't know how much time they had left. She only knew one thing.
If Luca didn't come soon, it would be too late.
On the cliffs outside, hidden in the dark, Adrian's soldiers lit torches and placed them along the walls. The fortress glowed against the night, a beast waiting to devour anyone who dared come close.
And in the shadows far below, Luca and his allies prepared to strike.
But as Luca loaded his gun, a scout ran up, his face pale.
"Boss," the scout panted. "There's something you need to see."
Luca followed him to the cliff's edge.
Below, in the black sea, lights glowed. Dozens. No, hundreds. Boats. Ships. Adrian's reinforcements, rising from the dark like an army of shadows.
Luca's breath caught.
Enzo's face went white. "Dear God."
Matteo swore under his breath.
Dario's smile was grim. "Your enemy was busy, De Rossi. Looks like you're not the only one with allies."
Luca's fists clenched. His voice was a whisper, filled with fury.
"Aria…"