60

60
Alaric’s POV
The look on Allesio’s face had my heart beating too hard in my chest. Too hard that I feared that it might jump out. He was holding a file, thick with evidence-something he’d been working on while we were at the hideout. I could tell from the grim line of his mouth that whatever he had discovered, It wasn’t good.
I leaned back against the edge of my desk, crossing my arms as I waited for him to speak. The silence stretched thin between us, almost suffocating. I could feel the cold fury building inside me, an icy current that threatened to spill over.
“Just tell me, Allesio,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “Who is it?”
He looked down at the file, almost like he couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. That single hesitation told me everything I needed to know. My heart dropped, a heavy weight settling in my chest. Whoever it was, this betrayal was going to cut deep.
“It’s Dominic,” Allesio said finally, his voice low.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Dominic. Of all the people it could have been, he was the last name I’d expected to hear. Dominic had been with me from the beginning-the person who was next on the rank after Allesio, someone I trusted implicitly. We’d fought together, bled together. He was more than just a lieutenant; he was like a brother.
“You’re sure?” I forced the words out, though they tasted like ash in my mouth.
“Positive,” Allesio replied, stepping forward to hand me the file. I took it, flipping through the pages, my eyes skimming over the damning evidence: financial transactions, meetings with known members of the Nightshade Syndicate, messages intercepted from an encrypted line. It was all there, in black and white.
I slammed the file shut, the sound echoing through the room. “Why?” I demanded, my voice harsh. “Why would he do this?”
“Power,” Allesio said simply. “And revenge. He feels like you’ve overlooked him, that you’ve become too distracted with everything else-especially with Emilia. The Syndicate must have promised him something you couldn’t.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the betrayal like a knife in my gut. I had always prided myself on being able to read people, on knowing who I could trust. But this? I never saw it coming. “Where is he now?” I asked, my voice deadly calm.
“We’ve got him in the cellar,” Allesio said, his expression hardening. “He didn’t resist when we brought him in. Almost like he was expecting it.”
“Good,” I said, pushing away from the desk. I felt like a live wire, the anger coursing through me, looking for an outlet. “Let’s go.”
The walk down to the cellar felt longer than it ever had before. My footsteps echoed in the stone hallway, Allesio trailing just behind me. I could feel his concern, but I didn’t acknowledge it. I couldn’t. If I let myself feel anything other than the rage right now, I might break.
The heavy door to the cellar creaked open, and I stepped inside. The air was damp and cold. Dominic was sitting in a metal chair in the center of the room, his hands bound in front of him. He looked up as I entered, his face devoid of any fear or regret. It was like he was staring at me across a chasm that had suddenly opened between us.
“Dominic,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You betrayed me.”
He tilted his head slightly, almost like he was considering my words. “I did,” he admitted, without hesitation.
His calm acceptance infuriated me. I took a step closer, fists clenched at my sides. “How long?” I asked. “How long have you been planning this?”
He shrugged, as if It were a minor inconvenience. “Months. Maybe longer. It didn’t start out as a betrayal, Alaric. But things changed. You changed.”
I barked out a laugh, sharp and humorless. “You think I’ve changed?” I spat. “You think that justifies selling me out to the Syndicate? You were my brother, Dominic. I trusted you.”
“You shouldn’t have,” he said quietly. “Not anymore.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I had to look away, staring at the damp stone wall to keep myself from doing something I’d regret. I forced myself to breathe, to find a sliver of control. “Why?” I asked again, turning back to him. “Was it just for power? Is that all I meant to you?”
His gaze hardened, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes. “You sidelined me,” he said, his voice laced with bitterness. “You gave more power to men who’ve been with us half as long as I have. You focused all your attention on that girl, on protecting her, while I was here, holding everything together.”
“This isn’t about Emilia,” I shot back, though the truth stung. “This is about you, Dominic. Your greed. Your ambition.”
He laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. “Maybe it started that way. But then I realized something, Alaric. The Nightshade Syndicate-they offered me a future. You stopped doing that a long time ago. All I ever got from you was scraps, empty promises. I deserved more.”
“You deserved more?” I repeated, incredulous. “I gave you everything! I trusted you with everything I built, and you threw it away for what? A seat at their table?”
“A seat at your table was never going to be enough,” he snapped. “Not anymore. The Syndicate sees my potential. They value what I bring.”
“They’re using you,” I said, stepping closer until I was looming over him. “And you were too blinded by your own pride to see it. When they’re done with you, they’ll toss you aside like garbage.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But at least I took control of my own fate. Can you say the same, Alaric?”
I stared at him, breathing hard, the rage threatening to spill over. For a moment, I considered it-pulling the gun from my waistband and ending this here and now. It would be so easy. But as I looked into his eyes, I realized something: this was what he wanted. He wanted me to lose control, to become the monster he thought I was. It was his final act of defiance.
I stepped back, forcing myself to release the breath I’d been holding. “I trusted you,” I said, my voice quieter now, filled with a raw, aching kind of pain. “You were like family to me.”
He looked away, something like regret passing over his face for the briefest of moments. “You made it easy to betray you,” he said. “You cared too much about the wrong things.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I replied. “I cared about you. That was my mistake.”
I turned to Allesio, who had been standing silently by the door, watching the whole exchange with a grim expression. “Take him away,” I ordered, my voice hollow. “I don’t want to see his face again.”
Allesio nodded, stepping forward to grab Dominic by the arm. Dominic didn’t resist, but he glanced back at me one last time, his eyes almost… sad. It was as if he was realizing too late what he’d thrown away.
“You’ll regret this,” he said, as Allesio dragged him towards the door.
“I already do,” I murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear.
When the door shut behind them, I was left alone in the cold, empty room. The silence was deafening. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes.
I had known the risks of this life, the constant threats from enemies outside our ranks. But I had never expected the knife to come from someone I trusted, someone I’d fought beside. The realization left me feeling hollow, like something vital had been carved out of me.
I didn’t know how long I stood there, lost in the storm of my own thoughts. If Dominic wanted to side with the Nightshade Syndicate, then he’d chosen his fate. And I would make damn sure that he, and anyone else who dared betray me, regretted it for the rest of their miserable lives.
I straightened up, rolling my shoulders back as I stepped out of the cellar. I had work to do, and I couldn’t let this betrayal derail everything I’d built. Not now. Not ever.
This war was far from over. And I intended to win.