15

The air inside the safe house felt heavier than before. Maybe it was because of what had happened. Maybe it was because of what was coming next. Either way, I wasn’t sure I was ready to face Dante. But I followed his man through the dimly lit hallways, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears.

When we reached the study, the door was already open. Dante stood near the fireplace, his back to me, staring into the flickering flames like they held all the answers. He didn’t turn when I stepped inside, but I knew he felt me there. He always did.

"You took a risk tonight," he finally said, his voice low.

I crossed my arms. "So did you."

Dante turned then, his gray eyes unreadable. "The difference is, I knew what I was walking into."

I let out a sharp laugh. "And I didn’t?"

His gaze flickered. "You weren’t supposed to be there, Olivia."

"Well, I was," I shot back. "And now Nicolas is dead."

Dante studied me for a long moment. "You say that like you regret it."

I swallowed hard. "I don’t."

His smirk was slow, knowing. "Good."

That single word sent a shiver down my spine. Not because I feared him, but because I feared what I was becoming. Because every part of me knew—Dante had done exactly what needed to be done. And that scared me.

I took a step forward. "What now?"

Dante’s expression hardened. "Now, we finish what Nicolas started."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Nicolas wasn’t working alone. He had investors. Partners. People who don’t take kindly to loose ends."

My stomach twisted. "And you think I’m one of them?"

Dante’s smirk returned, but this time, there was something sharper beneath it. "They don’t think. They know."

A chill ran through me. "So what? They’ll come after me?"

Dante took a step closer, closing the space between us. "They already are."

His words landed like a punch. I had barely processed the fact that Nicolas was gone, and now I had a new enemy waiting in the shadows. A new battle I hadn’t even realized I was fighting.

"Who are they?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dante tilted his head. "Powerful men who don’t like unfinished business."

I inhaled sharply. "And I’m unfinished business."

Dante nodded once. "Yes."

Silence stretched between us. For the first time since this all started, I realized the truth—I wasn’t just running from danger. I was the danger. I was the liability they needed to erase.

I forced myself to stand taller. "So what do we do?"

Dante studied me carefully, as if searching for any sign of hesitation. "We don’t wait for them to come to us."

My stomach tightened. "You mean—"

"We go after them first."

The finality in his voice sent a rush of adrenaline through me. This wasn’t just about survival anymore. This was about control. Power. Ending things before they had the chance to end me.

I took a slow breath. "Tell me what I need to do."

Dante’s smirk widened. "That’s my girl."

I ignored the way my pulse jumped at those words. Instead, I focused on what mattered—staying alive.

Dante turned toward the table in the center of the room, where a single file lay open. "Nicolas had accounts hidden offshore. We need to track them. Follow the money. Find out who else was involved."

I nodded. "And when we do?"

Dante’s expression darkened. "We burn it to the ground."

For the first time in days, I didn’t hesitate. "Then let’s get started."

Dante’s smirk was pure satisfaction. "I hoped you’d say that."

As I looked down at the file, at the web of secrets Nicolas had left behind, one thing became clear—this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

And the war we were about to start?

It was only just beginning.

Dante moved with precision, flipping through the documents spread across the table. Every piece of information was another thread in the tangled mess Nicolas had left behind. Offshore accounts. Wire transfers. Names I didn’t recognize but knew had power.

I forced myself to focus. This wasn’t just about revenge. It wasn’t just about survival. It was about control.

“What exactly are we looking for?” I asked, crossing my arms.

Dante didn’t look up. “A weakness.”

I frowned. “You don’t even know who the real enemy is yet.”

His lips twitched. “I know enough.”

I exhaled sharply, glancing at the papers. “And what if there isn’t a weakness? What if these people are untouchable?”

Dante finally met my gaze, his eyes dark, unreadable. “No one is untouchable, Olivia. Not in my world.”

A shiver ran through me.

I wanted to believe him.

Hell, maybe I already did.

I picked up one of the documents, scanning the numbers, the coded transactions that all led back to the same name—**Alessandro Moretti**.

I tensed. “I know this name.”

Dante’s gaze sharpened. “From where?”

“My father mentioned him once,” I said slowly, my stomach twisting. “Back when everything started going wrong with the company.”

Dante’s jaw tightened. “Then that’s our next move.”

I hesitated. “Moretti isn’t just some businessman, is he?”

Dante smirked, but there was no amusement in it. “No, sweetheart. He’s worse.”

My pulse quickened. “And you think he’s behind Nicolas?”

Dante tapped the paper. “I think he’s behind everything.”

The weight of it settled over me. Nicolas had been the beginning, but Moretti? He was the real monster in the dark.

“What happens when he realizes we’re coming for him?” I asked.

Dante’s smirk widened. “He won’t realize it until it’s too late.”

I exhaled, my hands gripping the edge of the table. There was no turning back now. I had made my choice the second I walked into this world.

“Then let’s end this,” I said, my voice steady.

Dante’s eyes darkened with something dangerous. Something thrilling.

“Oh, Olivia,” he murmured. “You have no idea what you just signed up for.”

Maybe not.

But for the first time, I wasn’t afraid.