The penthouse was silent when they returned home. Too silent.
The kind of silence that settled after destruction.
Rain tapped softly against the massive glass windows overlooking the city, the storm outside painting the skyline in silver and black.
Usually, the penthouse felt untouchable—like a kingdom floating above the world. Tonight, it felt heavy. Dangerous.
Zara had been dropped off safely at Abuela's estate immediately after leaving the courthouse.
Roberto refused to let her remain anywhere near the chaos unfolding around them.
Especially now that Jessica was missing.
The moment the penthouse doors shut behind them, Roberto loosened the tie around his neck violently and turned toward Ariana.
His expression was unreadable. But his eyes weren't.
"When did you know?"
Ariana slowly removed her earrings, placing them carefully onto the marble counter before looking at him.
"When did I know what?"
"About Jessica."
The question lingered heavily between them. Ariana inhaled quietly.
Then she answered.
"The basement."
Roberto's jaw tightened immediately.
"There was a day," Ariana continued softly, "I heard noises coming from downstairs."
Rain thundered faintly outside as she spoke.
"At first I ignored it. But the sounds kept happening. Screaming. Crying. Sometimes…" She hesitated. "Sometimes laughter."
Roberto said nothing. His silence was worse than anger.
"I went to check," Ariana said. "But one of the guards stopped me before I could enter."
Her eyes drifted toward the floor as the memory returned.
"He told me it was a restricted area."
Roberto looked away briefly. Like he already knew where this was going.
"I should have listened," Ariana admitted quietly. "But something felt wrong."
She folded her arms tightly around herself now.
"So I waited until the guards left."
The rain grew heavier and suddenly the penthouse felt colder.
"I snuck downstairs."
Roberto's breathing slowed almost imperceptibly.
Ariana's voice became quieter.
"That's when I saw her."
For the first time that night, emotion flickered across Roberto's face. Not rage. Pain.
"She looked…" Ariana struggled for the words.
"Fragile. Weak. Like she'd been trapped inside her own mind for too long."
The memory still unsettled her.
Jessica had barely looked human that night. Pale skin. Sunken eyes. Beautiful in a haunting sort of way.
"And when she saw me," Ariana whispered, "she panicked."
Roberto frowned slightly.
"She hid me inside a closet before anyone could notice."
Silence. Ariana swallowed hard before continuing.
"I stayed there."
Roberto finally looked directly at her again.
."And then you came in." The air shifted instantly.
Ariana's voice grew strained now, like she hated reliving it.
"I didn't understand what I was seeing at first."
Her fingers tightened together.
"You touched her like you were obsessed with her. Like nothing else existed."
Roberto closed his eyes briefly.
"Ariana—"
"No," she interrupted softly.
"You asked." He fell silent again.
She continued carefully, refusing to describe the memory in graphic detail.
"You both disappeared into each other completely. It wasn't normal." Her voice trembled faintly.
"It was intense. Violent. Destructive."
Roberto's expression darkened with shame.
"I remember being terrified," Ariana admitted.
"Not because I thought you would hurt me… but because I realized how deeply broken both of you were."
The room remained silent except for the storm outside.
"You looked addicted to each other," she whispered.
Roberto stared at the city lights beyond the windows.
For once, the feared mafia boss had no defense. No cold response. Nothing.
Ariana exhaled slowly.
"I watched both of you fall apart together in that room," she said quietly.
"And I realized then that no one could save either of you."
The confession hung painfully in the air.
Finally, Roberto spoke.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Ariana laughed softly. Not mockingly. Sadly.
"You called this a contract marriage," she reminded him.
"So I didn't think it was my place."
Roberto's gaze slowly returned to her.
"I thought maybe you simply hadn't gotten over her." Her eyes softened slightly. "Even if you believed you had."
The truth hit harder than accusations ever could.
For several moments, neither of them moved.
Then Roberto crossed the room slowly. Carefully.
Like approaching something fragile.
He stopped directly in front of her and gently placed his hands against her face.
His thumbs brushed softly against her skin.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he whispered.
Ariana looked up at him quietly. "Don't be."
His brows tightened slightly.
"Yet you defended me today."
"I defended the family," Ariana replied honestly.
Something shifted in Roberto's eyes then. Something raw.
Something dangerously close to emotion.
He stared at her intensely for several long seconds before slowly lowering his head and kissing her.
Softly. Not out of possession. Not out of hunger. But gratitude.
Ariana's fingers curled lightly against his chest as she kissed him back, the storm outside fading beneath the silence between them.
For a brief moment, the war disappeared.
No court. No Jessica. No enemies.
Just the two of them standing together in the ruins of everything.
Later that evening, the city was swallowed by darkness.
Another convoy of black SUVs tore through the rain-covered streets.
Inside the lead vehicle sat Roberto and Antonio.
Neither man had spoken much since leaving the penthouse.
Antonio finally broke the silence first.
"You think Jessica ran?"
Roberto stared out the window coldly. "No."
Antonio frowned.
"You sound certain."
"She wouldn't run without leaving a trail for me."
That answer unsettled Antonio immediately.
Because Roberto knew Jessica better than anyone. Too well.
Rain streaked across the tinted windows as the convoy sped deeper into the city.
Antonio leaned back slightly.
"If someone took her…" he said carefully, "then this could become a problem."
Roberto's eyes darkened. "It already is."
The SUV slowed near an abandoned industrial district by the docks.
One of Roberto's men spoke through the radio.
"We found blood at the scene."
Roberto stepped out before the vehicle fully stopped. The rain soaked his black coat instantly.
Antonio followed behind him cautiously as they entered the abandoned warehouse.
Bodies were already covered nearby. Three dead guards. Execution-style. Professional.
Roberto crouched near the bloodstained floor silently. Then he noticed something.
A single silver chain lying near the wall. Jessica's necklace.
His expression changed instantly. Cold fury settled across his face.
Antonio noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Roberto picked up the chain slowly.
"She left this for me."
Antonio's stomach tightened. Because he knew exactly what that meant.
Jessica wasn't simply kidnapped. She wanted Roberto to find her.