Chapter 103 -
Nia stood there for a long time after Leo left, pressing her hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound against her palm.
Matteo appeared in the doorway. “Miss Wallace? You should rest. Tomorrow will be—”
“Long. I know.” She moved past him toward her room. “I’ll sleep.”
But sleep didn’t come. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying everything that happened, she didn’t even know when morning arrived.
At about 9am, Nia dressed quickly and opened her door. Matteo was already there, his expression tense.
“What’s happening?”
“Family meeting. The Don called everyone to the main hall.”
“Wait, am I supposed to be there?”
Matteo hesitated. “The boss didn’t say.”
Before she could respond, Micheal appeared at the end of the hallway. He looked rough, dark circles under his eyes, his hair messy, wearing the same clothes from yesterday.
“You’re coming,” he said simply.
Nia followed him. “Did Leo ask for me?”
“Leo’s barely standing. Christian’s holding him upright. The Don asked for you.”
Nia’s stomach dropped. “The Don?”
Micheal glanced at her. “Relax. It’s not an execution. He wants you there when he makes the announcement.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re the reason we have proof. Your list, Nia. The details you wrote down. The Don read it this morning. He knows you’re not the enemy.”
She slowed for half a second. “He read all of it?”
“Every page.” Micheal’s voice softened. “You did more than you think.”
They reached the main hall. The massive double doors stood open. Inside, the entire Cimmera leadership had gathered. Men in dark suits filled the space, their faces hard, their eyes watchful. The air felt thick, charged, like the seconds before a storm breaks.
Nia lowered her voice. “They all know?”
“They know enough,” Micheal replied. “And they’re angry.”
At the front, Don Emilio sat in a high-backed chair. Behind him stood Christian, and beside Christian, leaning heavily on a cane, was Leo.
He looked pale beneath his skin. The sling held his arm tight against his chest. But his eyes found Nia the moment she entered, and something in his expression softened just slightly.
Micheal guided her toward the wall. “Stay close. If anything feels off, you move behind me.”
“I’m not going to faint,” she muttered.
“I wasn’t worried about that.”
Don Emilio raised his hand, and the room went silent.
“Three years ago, my daughter Andrea was murdered in her own home.” His voice carried through the hall, heavy with grief and rage. “For three years, we have searched for the person responsible. We have followed leads. We have questioned witnesses. We have spilled blood seeking justice.”
He paused, his dark eyes sweeping the room.
“For three years,” he continued, “we trusted the wrong man.”
A ripple passed through the men gathered there.
“Now we know the truth. The man who killed my daughter was not an outsider. He was not a rival. He was family.”
A murmur ran through the crowd. Nia felt the tension spike, felt it crawl up her spine.
“Santiago Estrella,” the Don continued. “My nephew. My blood. He orchestrated Andrea’s death to weaken Leonardo’s position. He has been working against this family for years, feeding information to our enemies, positioning himself to take power.”
Someone near the front cursed under his breath. Another man shook his head slowly, disbelief written across his face.
Christian stepped forward. “Last night, Santiago ambushed our men at the docks. Three of our own are dead. Leonardo was shot twice. Santiago’s hand is finally visible.”
The room erupted.
“He betrayed us!”
“After everything the Don gave him?”
“Find him!”
Don Emilio raised his hand again. Silence fell once more.
“Santiago Estrella is hereby declared enemy of the Cimmera. His name is removed from our records. His face is on every watchlist. Any person who shelters him, aids him, or fails to report his location will be treated as an accomplice and dealt with accordingly.”
He stood slowly, leaning on his cane. The movement alone commanded attention.
“I want him found,” he said, each word clear. “I want him brought before me. And I want everyone who helped him to share his fate.”
A low chorus of agreement rolled through the room. Men began to move, phones appearing, orders being given. Names were spoken. Locations discussed. The machinery of the Cimmera shifted into hunting mode.
Nia pressed herself against the wall, trying to stay out of the way. Through the crowd, she saw Leo watching her. He said something to Christian, then began moving toward her.
Micheal noticed and moved to intercept. “Leo, you shouldn’t be walking.”
“Then stop me.” Leo’s voice was rough but steady.
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m not trying to be.”
He reached Nia, stopping close enough that she could see the sweat on his forehead, the pain he was trying to hide.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly.
“The Don asked for me.”
“I know.” He shifted his weight, grimacing. “He wants you protected. From now on, you’re under Cimmera protection, not just mine.”
Nia blinked. “What does that mean?”
“It means anyone who touches you answers to the entire organization, not just me.” His eyes held hers. “It means you’re not just leverage anymore.”
She swallowed. “And what am I?”
Leo didn’t answer right away. His gaze searched her face, like he was measuring something he wasn’t ready to say.
“It means,” he said at last, voice lower, “you’re ours.”
Before she could respond, Christian appeared beside them. “Leo, you need to sit down before you fall down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding through your bandages.”
Nia looked down. Sure enough, a small spot of red had appeared on Leo’s shirt beneath the sling. It was spreading slowly.
Her chest tightened. “Christian’s right. You need to rest.”
“There’s too much to do. Santiago—”
“Will still be there in an hour,” Nia cut in. Her voice was steady, but her fingers trembled when she reached for his good arm. “You getting worse won’t help anyone. Please.”
He stared at her hand on him. Then at her face.
“You’re giving me orders now?”
“I’m asking you not to collapse in front of two hundred men.”
A faint breath of something close to a laugh left him. “You’re bold.”
“I’m terrified,” she replied softly. “There’s a difference.”
Christian cleared his throat. “We can argue later. Right now, you sit.”
Leo exhaled slowly. The fight left his shoulders, just a little. “Fine. But she’s coming with me.”
Christian frowned. “Leo—”
“She stays where I can see her.”
Nia glanced between them. “I can stay here.”
“No,” Leo said immediately. “You don’t stand alone in a room full of men who just learned they were betrayed from inside. Not today.”
Christian studied him for a moment, then nodded once. “Five minutes in your office. Then the doctor checks you again.”
“Ten.”
“Five.”
“Eight.”
Christian sighed. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re still here,” Leo replied.
Nia fell into step beside Leo as they moved slowly toward the door. His pace was uneven, but he refused help.
As they crossed the threshold, she heard the hall behind them buzz louder.
The hunt had begun.