Matteo.
The night carried a deceptive calmness.
They were done with dinner by the time I was out of the study, so I followed the family to the balcony, Annalise at my side. She was clinging to me, her manicured fingers lightly brushing my arm as though to remind everyone that I belonged to her.
Though I belonged to just one woman.
The soft hum of voices surrounded us as Richard, Annalise’s uncle, led a conversation about the growing tension between certain factions in the city. He had slipped out of the study after I did.
I feigned interest, my eyes straying to the horizon.
Valentina’s face lingered in my thoughts now that I allowed myself to think about her… her defiance, her fire. The soft curve of lips I wouldn’t be able to touch anymore. Strands of hair I wouldn’t be allowed to move away from her face anymore.
And then there was the trip.
Isabella. Reed. Marco.
I clenched the railing. I’d dragged Valentina into this web of danger, even if she hadn’t seen everything yet. I admired her resilience and the way she fought for herself inside that abomination Luca locked her in.
The one where I threw the key away.
“What’s got you so serious?” Annalise’s voice broke into my thoughts. Her breath brushed against my ear, far too close.
“Just thinking,” I muttered, stepping away from her grasp. The distance was polite but deliberate.
Her pout was subtle, but her eyes flared with irritation.
Drunk. Or close to, anyway.
Before she could respond, her mother, Theresa, chimed in. “Oh, Matteo’s always brooding, isn’t he?” She asked in a teasing tone, though there was something calculating in her eyes as she studied me.
It was always something with these people.
“And why shouldn’t he?” Annalise shot back. “He has a lot on his shoulders.”
Theresa ignored her daughter, her attention fixed on me. “I’ve always admired a man who carries himself with such strength. Tell me, Matteo, do you ever let someone else take the reins, even for a moment?”
Was she…?
I barely hid my distaste.
This wasn’t the first time she was doing this, but on those occasions, she knew how to keep her shameless flirting away from where others were. Annalise, infuriatingly, did nothing to stop them.
If anything, her silence felt like quiet encouragement.
“My focus is on ensuring the Navarro legacy remains intact,” I replied smoothly, sidestepping her insinuation.
Richard chuckled darkly at that, his cigar resting between his fingers. “A noble sentiment. But the world we live in has no room for nobility. It’s all about power. And control.”
Power.
And control.
Those words struck a nerve. Power and control had been drilled into me since birth. A Nevarro must always lead, always dominate.
Yet, there were cracks in the empire… cracks that had been there even before I was born.
“You would know,” I said, meeting Richard’s eyes evenly. His smile didn’t falter, but I saw a flicker of something in those eyes.
Respect.
The conversation shifted again, this time to Richard’s latest business ventures, and I allowed myself to tune out. My instincts were prickling, though I couldn’t pinpoint why.
Something felt… off. The air was too still, the men around too quiet.
It happened in an instant.
A loud crack shattered the tranquillity of the night. Glass exploded inward from the adjacent sitting room, followed by the rapid sounds of gunshots.
“Down!” I barked, grabbing Annalise and pulling her to the ground as chaos erupted around us.
I wouldn’t let her die now. Not when I wasn’t done with my little quest.
Men in black stormed the balcony, their movements precise and merciless. They didn’t hesitate, cutting down two of the staff before anyone could react. Blood pooled across the tiles, the metallic scent sharp in the air.
Richard was already shouting commands, his voice rising above the cacophony. “Protect the women! Take them to the panic room!”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. My gun was in my hand before I even realized I’d drawn it. The first man to approach me barely had time to raise his weapon before I fired, the shot echoing like thunder.
“Matteo!” Annalise’s scream was shrill, her hands clutching at me as though I could shield her from the storm.
“Stay behind me,” I ordered sharply, shoving her toward the far corner where Theresa cowered. “And don’t move.”
The attackers were relentless, their movements disciplined. They weren’t ordinary hitmen; they were trained, their formation tight as they advanced.
This wasn’t some random strike against them. This was calculated.
“Who sent you?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the gunfire as I shot another assailant.
They didn’t answer.
Of course, they didn’t.
Richard was holding his own, his pistol steady as he took down two men in quick succession. But even he was struggling to keep up.
“Get them out of here!” he shouted, nodding toward Annalise and Theresa.
“And leave you here to die?” I shot back, moving to his side. “Not a chance.”
Who would have thought something like this would be our bonding point?
Certainly not I.
The fight was brutal. The balcony had become a warzone, blood staining the once-pristine tiles. My focus narrowed to survival-mine and the few people here I deemed worth saving.
A sudden weight slammed into me from behind, and I hit the ground hard, my breath leaving me in a sharp gasp. A knife flashed in the dim light, but I twisted just in time, the blade grazing my side instead of plunging into my chest.
The man above me grinned, his teeth bared like a predator sensing victory. “You’re not fit to wear the Navarro name,” he sneered, his voice low and venomous.
I grabbed his wrist, twisting it until the knife clattered to the floor. “I’ll take that under advisement,” I growled, driving my knee into his ribs and flipping him onto his back. The gunshot that followed was deafening, the man’s body going limp beneath me.
But his words lingered.
I was the reason they were here.
More footsteps thundered toward us, and for a split second, I thought reinforcements had arrived. But the figures that emerged weren’t allies-they were more of them.
“Fall back!” Richard barked, his voice hoarse. “We’re outnumbered!”
“No,” I said through gritted teeth, rising to my feet. “We finish this.”
Another attacker lunged at me, but I dispatched him quickly, my movements fueled by rage. They wanted to challenge my right, my legacy. I wouldn’t let these bastards take it from me.
The tide began to turn as the remaining guards rallied, their numbers bolstered by reinforcements from the lower levels. One by one, the attackers fell, their precision no match for sheer determination.
But just as the last of them was subdued, a chilling voice cut through the air.
“You think this is over?”
The man was older, his face scarred and lined with age, but his presence was commanding. He stood at the edge of the balcony, his hands raised in surrender, though his eyes burned with defiance.
I was sure I knew him. Had seen him before somewhere.
“Who sent you?” I demanded, levelling my gun at him.
He smiled… a cold, mirthless expression that sent a shiver down my spine. “You must be real stupid if you haven’t figured it out by now. It’s so obvious.”
“Answer the question,” I snarled, stepping closer.
His smile widened, his next words slicing through me like a blade.
“Only Luca Navarro, the true Navarro, could be the Don. Matteo is just a bastard.”