The boutique had never felt so heavy with silence. The manager’s voice echoed like a judge handing down a final sentence.“Lyla, you are dismissed immediately. As of this moment, you are banned from ever entering this mall again. And you,” she added sharply, turning toward Kimberly who was still staring at Niccolo, “you are also forbidden from ever stepping foot here. If either of you disobey, you will be arrested on sight.”The air seemed to vanish from the room. Shoppers stopped pretending to browse and openly stared.Kimberly blinked rapidly, her jaw slack. The audacity of being thrown into the same sentence as Lyla cut deep. But it was Lyla who truly broke.“No no, please,” Lyla whispered, her legs buckling. She dropped to her knees on the polished marble floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please, ma’am, don’t do this. I need this job. I’ve been loyal for years. You can’t just—”Her voice cracked. The manager didn’t even glance at her. Her gaze was fixed entirely on Niccolo,

Niccolo had made up his mind.He knew he couldn’t depend on the whispering voice in his head. Its guidance, its mysterious mature, had only dragged him deeper into shadows he didn’t understand. If he wanted real answers, he needed to go back to the only person who had given him even a fragment of truth, the elderly woman. But that could wait. For now, he had another promise to keep.The two days he gave Ariana had passed, and he was sure she would be waiting.That morning, Niccolo rose before dawn. He stood before the mirror, adjusting his shirt until every line lay neat against his shoulders. His face was calm, but beneath the surface, his blood carried the weight of a thousand possibilities.“Selene,” he called softly.She emerged from the bedroom, still in her night robe, her hair tumbling in loose curls. “Yes?”“Get dressed,” Niccolo said. “Something nice. We’re going out.”She tilted her head curiously. “Where?”“Somewhere important,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for furt

The bank was crowded that morning, but Niccolo didn’t feel it. He stood in line, Jenna at his side, the sound of murmuring voices and shuffling feet a dull hum in his ears. He had grown used to this routine by now; mountains of cash, suspicious eyes from the staff, a tedious verification process. But Jenna always smoothed the way with her quick smile and authoritative tone.Still, it drained him. Watching the clerks count bill after bill, seeing their disbelief when the total was confirmed, it reminded him too much of what he didn’t understand. The fortune wasn’t his. Not really. Not yet.Jenna turned to him once the paperwork was signed and the receipt tucked away. “So,” she said lightly, tapping her fingernail against the counter, “when are you taking me out again?”Her eyes glimmered with suggestion, her lips curved into a smile she knew most men couldn’t resist. But Niccolo only tightened his jaw and muttered, “Later. I’m busy with work.”The smile faltered, but she didn’t press f

The air in the police station felt thick enough to choke on. The buzzing fluorescent lights hummed overhead, flickering as though they too were weary of the scene unfolding below. Niccolo stood in the center of it all, his gaze cold and unyielding, daring anyone to meet his eyes. His hand still tingled from the punch he had landed on Officer Mike. Before anyone else spoke, Lyla raised her trembling hand and pointed at him. “Can you see how violent he is? Beating up cops and threatening women,” she said quickly, her voice pitched with false sincerity. “you can tell that he's clearly not a good person. My friend here was robbed and attacked, and we barely managed to get her to the police station with officer Mike's help. The criminal mentioned Niccolo's name, and he invited him here but rather than apologizing or trying to sort things out, he went crazy and beat him up instead!”The silence that followed was heavy, only broken by the pained groans of Officer Mike clutching his bloody n