The Next Monster
The night air bit into Adriano’s skin as he stormed down the cracked concrete path outside the safehouse, his voice echoing through the alleyway.
“Diamond! Diamond, wait!”
She didn’t stop.
Didn’t slow down.
Didn’t even turn her head.
Her heels clicked faster against the pavement, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was holding her pain in place.
“Damn it—Dee, please!” Adriano’s voice broke through the dark again, desperation creeping in.
He caught up to her in just a few long strides. His hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.
But before he could say a word, she turned and yanked her hand from his grip.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel.
Adriano took a step back, hands raised in a placating gesture, breathing hard.
“Dee, please,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “I really need you to calm down and think about this.”
Her eyes shimmered in the streetlight, wide with fury and disbelief. “Calm down? You want me to FUCKING CALM DOWN?!”
“Yes, Diamond!” he shouted back, his composure slipping. “I need you to calm down and not let your emotions cloud your judgment! Don’t you get it? This whole thing—La Rosa Nera, the Gilded Veil, the trafficking, their ties to the world’s elite—it’s all bigger than us!”
Diamond’s breath trembled in her chest as the tears finally spilled. Her voice cracked with every word. “But Adriano… y-you saw those videos. You saw what those MONSTERS were doing to those kids!” Her voice pitched higher, strangled. “How can you see that and stand by and do absolutely nothing?!”
Adriano stepped forward, lowering his voice now, more urgent than angry. “You think I don’t feel what you feel? You think it didn’t break something in me too?” His hands found her shoulders gently, gripping them as he looked into her eyes. “If we manage to get into that auction, we’re walking into a lion’s den, Dee. That room will be filled with powerful men and women who could destroy us without even having to lift a finger.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
Adriano continued, firm. “You seem to forget who we’re up against. These aren’t just thugs and street dealers. These are billionaires. Senators. Generals. Royalty. If La Rosa Nera so much as suspects that the Golden Serpents are on to them?” He shook his head. “It’s over. For all of us.”
Diamond’s hands trembled.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to slap him. She wanted to argue but deep down, she knew he was right… and all she could do was crumble.
Her knees buckled slightly, and Adriano caught her. She collapsed into his chest, sobbing as all the rage, heartbreak, and helplessness poured out of her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his face in her hair.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Let it out. I’ve got you.”
She cried hard—shoulders shaking violently, her throat raw, clutching at him like he was the only thing anchoring her to the earth. Adriano held her there, brushing her hair gently with his fingers.
Minutes passed.
When they returned to the safehouse, the room was silent.
Everyone looked up—Serena, Marco, Gabriele, Luca, Enzo, Alessandro.
Adriano walked in holding Diamond close, her body still pressed into his side like she was afraid to let go. They both sat down. Adriano kept his arm around her, her head resting against his chest. She looked lost. Hollowed out.
Nobody spoke for a while.
Then Adriano cleared his throat and broke the silence. “So…” he said with a low voice. “What next?”
Alessandro leaned forward, elbows on his knees, a long sigh escaping his lips. “Now we go after the next one,” he said. “There’s no time to waste. The auction’s in a week and four days. We need more biometrics. We need access.”
Gabriele looked over at Serena. “You’ve been digging,” he said. “Which one of the members do we go for next?”
Serena didn’t say anything. She just reached forward, tapped a key on her laptop, and the large flat-screen TV mounted on the far wall flickered to life.
A high-res image appeared on the screen—a glamorous woman on stage, mid-performance. Blonde hair cascading down her back in loose waves, glittering bodysuit hugging her curves, microphone in one hand, the other raised as a sea of fans reached up toward her.
Then the screen cut to a headline.
“ADRIANA JACKSON – THE NEW GENERATION QUEEN OF POP”
Platinum-selling, Multiple grammy award-winning, Billboard-dominating legend.
The woman everyone adored.
Everyone except the eight people now staring at her face.
Serena’s voice was calm. “Adriana Jackson. She’s one of the Gilded Veil’s most protected members. Hidden in plain sight.”
Diamond blinked, lifting her head slowly.
“God, I can't even look at her the same.” Diamond said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Serena nodded. “She helps run the entertainment pipeline that supplies child stars to elite buyers. Hollywood, music, modeling. She uses her own label to recruit victims.”
Luca cursed under his breath.
Marco clenched his jaw. “And the world calls her a queen…”
Adriano stared at the screen, anger simmering in his chest. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his golden pistol.
He flipped the safety, pointed the gun at the TV and said through gritted teeth—
“Then let’s go dethrone her.”