Chapter 39

Seraphina

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the blinds, but I didn’t notice. I lay in bed, my thoughts still tangled in the mess of last night—my brief moments of weakness, the sting of emotions I didn’t want to admit colliding with Tyrone’s insistence. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

The weight of the bigger picture pressed down on me, heavier than ever.

I rolled over and pushed the covers off, my bare feet hitting the cold floor. There was no time to linger in the aftermath. Not when the stakes had shifted. Not when the game had just become infinitely more dangerous.

My phone buzzed beside me, dragging me out of my thoughts.

We need to talk. Meet me at the usual spot?

No chance. The usual spot was too risky. Every move I made now felt like it could tip someone off. And the men… they were getting too close. Too observant. They were starting to notice things—things I couldn’t afford them to know.

I typed a reply quickly:

Call me in ten. Same number.

My fingers hovered over the screen for a second, anxiety crawling up my spine like a slow-moving flame. Trust was a luxury I couldn’t afford—not with anyone, not even my own contacts. But this? This was necessary. Genovese was making a move for something bigger than anyone realized. And I needed to know what.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang, vibrating sharply in my hand. I answered without hesitation and pressed it to my ear, my heart thudding.

“Seri,” came the familiar voice—rough, like gravel dragged across pavement. “You’ve been busy.”

My mouth went dry, but I pushed the words out anyway. “What do you have for me?”

Silence. Long enough to make me uneasy. The hesitation in his breath set my nerves on edge.

“Genovese,” he finally said, and the name cut through the air like a blade. “He’s not just messing around anymore. He’s pushing for control. Full control of the Big 5.”

His words landed like a punch to my gut. I didn’t let it show. “What do you mean? What’s he planning?”

Another breath, sharp and crackling in my ear. “The abductions, Seri—they’re not just about money. He’s got a bigger play here. The missing women? It’s part of his strategy to destabilize the other families. He’s creating chaos to weaken them, one by one.”

My blood ran cold.

“You’re saying the girls… they’re bait?” I asked, my voice low, fingers tightening around the phone until the plastic casing bit into my skin.

“Exactly. And it’s not random. He’s been working every angle for years—building connections, sowing distrust, setting traps. This is just the beginning.”

My mind spun. This wasn’t about me anymore. This wasn’t just about keeping me under his thumb. This was his masterstroke. His endgame.

He wants to take it all.

A rush of nausea twisted my stomach. My breath caught as the truth hit me hard and fast. This is what he did to me. What he did to my parents.

Memories slammed into me, unwelcome and raw. I’d been a pawn—used to manipulate, to break, to control. My father had been strong, untouchable… until Genovese saw the cracks. Until he saw me. A way in. A way to bleed my family’s empire dry.

He used me to control them. And once he had everything—our land, our businesses, our name—he killed them. Just like that. Gone.

A dry sob clawed at my throat, but I swallowed it down. He killed them because they wouldn’t bend. Because they fought back.

The voice on the other end cut through the haze. “You think the men you’re using know what’s coming? They don’t. They’re caught up in the surface—status, sex, power plays. They have no idea what’s brewing underneath.”

I shut my eyes. No, they didn’t. And that made it all the more dangerous.

“I’ll handle it,” I said. My voice didn’t waver, even though fury burned in my chest like a wildfire. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You better move fast,” he warned. “Once Genovese consolidates power, it’s game over. You won’t be able to outrun him.”

The call ended with a click, and I let the phone fall into my lap. My hands were shaking.

This wasn’t just about stopping the abductions. This wasn’t just about protecting the girls.

This was personal.

He’d already taken everything from me once. I wouldn’t let him do it again.

I stared at the wall in front of me, empty and gray, my breath coming slower now—deeper. I was done running. I knew what happened when I tried to hide. I’d learned the hard way.

I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

I stood, grounding myself as my bare feet sank into the cool floorboards. My grip tightened on the phone as I took a long, steadying breath.

He started this war. But he didn’t know who the hell he was dealing with.

And I wasn’t going to let him see me coming.