The white limousine rolled into the driveway, the iron gates closing with a heavy bang behind it. Lisa stepped out first, her heels clicking against the pavement, her designer shades covering tired but determined eyes. Antonio followed, his arm snaking around her waist like the perfect gentleman the world believed him to be. “Smile, baby,” Antonio murmured, leaning close. “Our staff are watching.”Lisa tilted her head, flashing a bright, camera-perfect smile. “Oh, don’t worry, darling,” she said sweetly. “I always know how to play the part.”The nanny, a slim woman in her late twenties, stood by the door, her hands clasped. “Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. DeLuca. How was your vacation?”Lisa’s eyes lit up, her voice taking on an overly cheerful tone. “Nina! Oh, my vacation was divine, the best I’ve ever had! My man spoiled me silly.” She reached for Antonio’s face and kissed his cheek dramatically. “Didn’t you, baby?”Antonio chuckled, sliding his sunglasses into his shirt pocket. “Of

Amber stepped out of Heathrow Airport with a small carry-on bag slung over her shoulder. She barely had time to adjust to the cold London breeze before she spotted the convoy.Three black Range Rovers, one Bentley, and a silver Rolls-Royce lined up like a fleet. Drivers stood by each car, suited up, earpieces in, faces serious. People around the terminal slowed down to watch, some even taking pictures.Amber sighed. “Oh, for God’s sake! He always has to do this, huh? Does he think this is a movie premiere?”A tall man, early forties, bald, with a face that looked like it had seen a hundred battles, stepped forward. “Lady Amber?”“Don’t ‘Lady’ me, Lucas. Do we really need five cars for one person?”Lucas cracked the faintest smile. “He insisted, ma’am. Said nothing less would be acceptable. Everything has been arranged for your arrival.”Amber shook her head, tossing her bag at him. “He’s still the same man I guess, can’t do anything quietly.” “Not when you’re involved. He’s been exp

Amber stood at the entrance of the ballroom, the hum of violins and the chatter of high society filling her ears. She adjusted the strap of her emerald satin gown, feeling as though she had stepped into another life, a life that used to be hers but now felt alien. “Amber,” her father’s voice cut through her thoughts. He walked toward her in his tailored black suit. “There you are. Stop hiding, people are waiting to meet you.” “I wasn’t hiding,” Amber replied with a faint smile. “Just… observing.” “Observing doesn’t win you allies,” he said sharply, but there was a softness in his eyes as he looked at her. “Come, I’ll introduce you to some of the guests. Tonight is about you. I want everyone to see the woman my daughter has become.”Amber forced a polite smile. “Everyone? I barely know anyone here anymore.” “That’s the point,” he said, taking her arm. “You’re an Halstead. Tonight, you reintroduce yourself to the people who matter.”As they walked through the crowd, Amber smile

"You disappoint me, Andre." Antonio’s voice was calm. Too calm. That terrifying kind of calm that preceded a storm. "Of all people, it had to be you."Antonio stood in front of the man who’d betrayed him, Andre, one of his own tech guys. He had tied him to a metal chair, his hands behind his back, shirt already soaked in blood.Andre coughed, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "I-I was just trying to survive, sir. Madam Celeste…she offered me money."Antonio crouched, leveling his eyes with Andre’s. "Money?" He scoffed. "So this is about money? I gave you a seat at my table, I fed you, trusted you with information, sent you to handle business… and this is how you repay me? You opened my doors to the enemy. You snuck Celeste and that bastard Xavier into my house?” "It wasn’t like that, I didn’t know–"A hard punch to the gut shut him up. Andre groaned, spitting blood.Antonio stood again, rolled his neck. "Start talking. When did you start working for Celeste?"No answer.A

"Leave us, Matteo," Clarissa said, her voice low but unwavering, laced with quiet authority. She didn’t raise her voice, but it cut through the thick silence like a blade. Her back straightened, her eyes locked on Matteo’s.Matteo hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. “Clari… please. Just hear me out, you don’t understand what—” “I understand perfectly,” Clarissa interrupted, her tone still calm, but her brows were drawn tight, and her lips trembled ever so slightly. “I’m not blind. I saw what I saw, and I want to speak to Amber. Alone.”He looked at Amber, silently pleading, then back to Clarissa. “You’ve got this all wrong. It’s not what it looked like. You caught us at a bad—" "I'm not a child, Matteo," Clarissa snapped, her voice rising a notch now, raw emotion seeping through the cracks of her composure. “Don't insult my intelligence. I saw your lips on hers. I saw her standing there like she had every right to be kissed by my fiancé. I don't need you feeding me