Thunder rolled across the sky as the storm finally broke over the city.
Rain lashed against the tall windows of the De Luca estate, turning the gardens outside into dark shadows beneath flickering security lights.
Inside the war room, tension had sharpened into quiet preparation.
Alessandro stood at the head of the table, studying the tactical map glowing across the screen.
Multiple red markers blinked along the outskirts of the estate.
Vehicles.
Moving fast.
"They're splitting into three teams," Adrian said, zooming in on the feed from the outer security drones.
"Front gate, east wall, and service entrance."
Alessandro nodded once.
"They're professionals."
"Mercenaries," Adrian corrected. "Orlov's best."
A guard stepped forward.
"Sir, perimeter teams are in position."
"Good," Alessandro replied.
He looked at the map one last time before turning to the men surrounding the table.
"No one gets through the gates."
His voice was calm.
But the command carried the weight of absolute authority.
"Understood?"
"Yes, Don."
The men moved quickly, leaving the room to take their positions.
Within seconds the estate had transformed into a fortress.
Armed guards filled the corridors.
Snipers climbed into hidden posts along the walls.
Security cameras shifted angles, tracking every movement outside the property.
War had arrived.
Elena's Decision
Elena stood near the doorway, watching everything unfold.
The tension between her and Alessandro still lingered in the air like an unspoken wound.
But neither of them mentioned it.
There wasn't time.
Adrian noticed her expression.
"You should go to the safe room," he said.
She shook her head.
"No."
"Elena—"
"I'm not hiding while everyone else fights."
Adrian sighed.
"You're the reason they're attacking."
"All the more reason I should know what's happening."
Before he could argue again, Alessandro spoke.
"She stays."
Adrian turned toward him.
"You're serious?"
Alessandro's gaze remained on Elena.
"If Orlov's men breach the estate, the safe room won't hold forever."
He walked toward her slowly.
"I'd rather have her where I can see her."
Elena held his gaze.
Even after everything Valentina had revealed…
There was still something unbreakable in the way Alessandro looked at her.
Something fierce.
Something protective.
And something that made her heart ache.
The First Strike
The attack began exactly seven minutes later.
The front gate exploded in a burst of metal and fire.
The shockwave rattled the estate windows.
Gunfire erupted almost instantly.
Rapid bursts echoed across the gardens as De Luca guards opened fire from the walls.
"Elena, down!" Adrian shouted.
But she was already moving.
The tactical monitors lit up with flashing alerts.
"Two vehicles destroyed," a guard's voice reported through the comm system.
"Multiple hostiles advancing on foot."
Thunder cracked overhead as rain poured harder across the estate grounds.
Through the cameras, figures in black tactical gear rushed toward the outer walls.
They moved with terrifying coordination.
"Orlov didn't come to scare us," Adrian muttered.
"He came to finish it."
The East Wall
Outside, the battle intensified.
Mercenaries used smoke grenades to cover their approach.
Bullets tore through the rain-soaked air.
One of the security feeds suddenly went dark.
Adrian swore.
"They breached the east wall."
Alessandro grabbed his weapon from the table.
"Stay here," he told Elena.
She immediately stepped forward.
"I'm coming with you."
"No."
"You said yourself the safe room won't hold."
Their eyes locked.
Adrian watched the silent battle between them.
Finally Alessandro exhaled slowly.
"Stay behind me."
Elena nodded.
That was the closest thing to permission she was going to get.
Inside the Estate
They reached the east corridor just as gunfire erupted inside the building.
The sound was deafening in the enclosed space.
One of Alessandro's guards fell to the floor, clutching his shoulder.
"Three hostiles inside!" another shouted.
Alessandro didn't hesitate.
He stepped around the corner and fired twice.
Both shots hit their targets.
Two mercenaries collapsed instantly.
The third tried to retreat down the hallway—
Adrian dropped him before he made it three steps.
Silence followed.
Broken only by the pounding rain outside.
Elena's heart hammered in her chest.
She had seen violence before.
But never like this.
Never this close.
Alessandro glanced back at her.
"You alright?"
She nodded.
But the look in her eyes had changed.
She wasn't just witnessing the war anymore.
She was part of it.
The Real Plan
Back in the war room, the tactical map suddenly changed.
A new alert flashed across the screen.
Adrian frowned.
"That's strange."
"What?" Elena asked.
"The mercenaries at the front gate just… retreated."
Alessandro's expression darkened.
"That wasn't the main attack."
Another alert appeared.
From the western side of the estate.
"The power grid," Adrian said quietly.
Elena felt a chill.
"Orlov doesn't want to storm the house."
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then half the estate went dark.
Emergency lights kicked in seconds later.
But the damage had already been done.
Adrian's eyes widened slightly as he studied the screen.
"They weren't attacking the estate."
"Then what?" Elena asked.
Before he could answer—
A massive explosion shook the ground beneath them.
Not from the estate.
From the city.
Miles away.
The windows rattled violently.
"What the hell was that?" Adrian demanded.
One of the technicians rushed into the room.
"Sir!"
"What happened?" Alessandro asked.
The technician looked pale.
"That explosion came from the harbor district."
Elena's stomach dropped.
"Harbor?"
Adrian turned back to the monitors, pulling up a satellite feed.
Flames lit the night sky near the docks.
Ships burned in the water.
Crates exploded along the piers.
Alessandro's voice turned dangerously quiet.
"My port."
The technician nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Elena realized the truth instantly.
"This whole attack was a distraction."
Adrian cursed under his breath.
"Orlov just destroyed your shipping hub."
Alessandro stared at the burning docks on the screen.
His empire's lifeline.
Gone in a single strike.
Across the city, in the same quiet apartment overlooking the harbor, Valentina Rossi watched the explosion light the sky.
Her expression remained calm.
Behind her, the man in the doorway spoke again.
"You just triggered a war between two empires."
Valentina's eyes reflected the distant fire.
"No," she said softly.
"I just made sure neither of them wins."
Back at the estate, Elena turned slowly toward Alessandro.
The flames from the burning docks reflected in his eyes.
Dark.
Cold.
And filled with something terrifying.
Rage.
Because Orlov had just crossed a line that could never be undone.
And now—
The ruthless Don would answer.