Alyssa’s POV
The morning sun barely cracked through the blinds, its weak rays doing nothing to brighten the dark thoughts that consumed me. The sting in my chest felt raw, like an open wound that refused to heal.
My mother-my own flesh and blood-had betrayed me in ways I couldn’t even process yet. But I had to pretend. I had to act like nothing was wrong. The game had just gotten more dangerous, and I had no choice but to keep playing.
I stood at the window, my back stiff as I stared out over the city. The city I’d once thought I knew so well, but now felt like a foreign land. My thoughts kept circling back to the phone call I’d received last night.
My mother’s voice had been steady, cold even, when she explained her actions. She had made her choice, and it was clear that she was done with me. She had no problem turning on me to protect her interests, and I wasn’t sure if I could ever forgive her for that.
But the thing about betrayal is-it doesn’t stop at a single cut. It’s a slow, creeping thing that wears away at your very soul, and I couldn’t afford to let it destroy me. Not yet. I had bigger things to focus on. Things that had nothing to do with my family’s treacherous games.
The sound of footsteps behind me made me stiffen. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Ethan. His presence was always a mixture of warmth and danger, a combination that kept me on edge, whether I wanted it to or not.
“You’re still up,” he said, his voice a low murmur that sent a shiver down my spine. “Thought you’d be asleep by now.”
I didn’t answer immediately, trying to swallow down the bitter taste in my mouth. I needed to control myself. I couldn’t let him see how much my mother’s betrayal had affected me-not yet.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I replied, my voice flat. “Too much on my mind.”
Ethan stepped closer, his hand brushing against the back of my neck. It was a simple touch, but it felt like an anchor in the storm of my thoughts. I closed my eyes briefly, fighting to keep the emotions from surfacing. This was a moment for control, not for weakness.
“What’s going on, Alyssa?” His tone softened, but I could hear the undercurrent of concern. Ethan always knew when something was wrong, even when I didn’t say a word.
I turned to face him, forcing a small smile. “I’m fine, Ethan. Just… thinking.”
He wasn’t buying it. “You’re not fine. What happened? What’s going on?”
His gaze searched mine, as if trying to peel back the layers I had so carefully constructed. But I couldn’t let him see. Not yet.
I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “It’s nothing,” I said, my words deliberately light. “Just family stuff. You know how it is.”
Ethan didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push me either. His eyes softened, and he nodded, though I could see the wheels turning behind his gaze. The man could read me like a book, and I hated that. But I needed him to trust me, to believe me.
“Alright,” he said slowly. “But if you ever want to talk-”
“I’ll let you know,” I interrupted, hoping he would drop it. “I just… I need to figure some things out.”
Ethan didn’t argue, though I knew he wouldn’t forget. He never did.
There was a long silence between us before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His eyes flickered over the screen, and I noticed the frown that pulled at the corners of his mouth. Something wasn’t right.
“Alyssa…” he began, his voice tense. “I just got a message.”
I could feel the shift in the air. Something was wrong. The fact that Ethan, normally so composed, was showing any sign of distress made my heart skip a beat.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn’t answer immediately. His eyes flickered back to the screen of his phone, his fingers tapping quickly over the keys as he read.
“Your father,” he said, his voice a little too calm for my liking. “He’s allied with another mafia family. The Ferraros.”
My pulse spiked. The Ferraros? That was a name I hadn’t heard in years, not since my father had promised me he was done with them. He’d promised me that we were finished with that part of our lives, but now… now it seemed like he’d gone back to the one thing I never wanted him involved in again.
“Why would he do that?” I asked, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady.
Ethan’s eyes met mine, the weight of the situation hanging heavily between us. “To take control of Baltimore’s underworld, Alyssa. To take your family’s throne.”
I shook my head, disbelief coating my thoughts. “He… he’s going after everything? After us?”
“Yes.” Ethan’s voice was cold, controlled. “It’s a play for power. And your mother’s no longer in the picture. She’s out.”
I could barely breathe, the reality of what he was telling me crashing down. I felt dizzy, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me. It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. My own father had betrayed me-again. And this time, there was no coming back from it.
I looked at Ethan, my mind racing. “So what do we do now?”
Ethan stepped closer, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. “We play the game, Alyssa. The same way we always do. We stay one step ahead.”
I nodded, though the words felt hollow. How could I play a game with my father when I had no idea where his loyalties lay? How could I protect myself-and my future-when it seemed like everyone around me was out for blood?
And then, as if the weight of everything was too much to bear, Ethan’s phone buzzed again. He checked it, his brows furrowing in confusion before his eyes flickered to mine.
“You need to get to your father,” he said urgently. “Now.”
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. “What? Why?”
“He’s meeting with the Ferraros tonight. You need to stop them. Whatever happens, don’t let him do this.”
I didn’t have time to process what he said. Before I could react, Ethan was already on his feet, pulling me towards the door. My body was moving on instinct-my mind still too clouded to catch up with the urgency of the situation.
But as I stepped into the hallway, I felt a chill run down my spine. My father, my flesh and blood, was about to make a deal that would change everything. And I had to stop it.
But how could I fight against him? How could I fight against the man who had always been my protector, my guide?
The answer hit me like a slap across the face: I couldn’t. Not alone. Not now.
I had to play the game. And I had to play it well.
As we reached the elevator, Ethan’s phone buzzed once more. He checked it quickly, his eyes narrowing. “We’ve got a problem,” he said, his voice tight.
I didn’t have time to ask what it was. Whatever it was, it could wait.
For now, I had to stop my father-and the Ferraros-from taking what was mine.
But as we reached the car, I realized something even more chilling.
I wasn’t just fighting to protect myself anymore.
I was fighting to protect everything I’d ever known.
And the stakes had just gotten a hell of a lot higher.