The house didn't sleep.
Not anymore.
By nightfall, it had fully transformed into something else—something sharper, colder… alive in a way that made my chest feel tight every time I took a breath.
Men moved with purpose.
Weapons I hadn't noticed before were suddenly everywhere.
Even the silence felt… strategic.
Like every second mattered.
Like something was about to happen.
I stood in my room, staring at the door.
He had told me to stay.
But he didn't say I couldn't move.
Not exactly.
And after everything I had seen today…
I wasn't the same girl who would just sit and wait.
Not anymore.
The hallway was dim when I stepped out.
Quieter than before.
Most of the movement had shifted elsewhere.
Toward the front.
Toward the operation.
Toward the trap.
My heart beat faster as I walked, my steps careful, controlled.
Listening.
Watching.
Learning.
That word stayed with me.
Bait.
We bait them.
The plan sounded simple when Dante said it.
But nothing about this world was simple.
Not the silence.
Not the strategy.
And definitely not the consequences.
I didn't realize where I was going until I got there.
The garage.
Large.
Dimly lit.
And full.
Cars lined up, sleek and dark, engines quiet—for now.
Men stood nearby, checking things, loading equipment, speaking in low voices.
Preparing.
This was it.
My chest tightened.
This was where they left from.
Where they went out into the world that Dante ruled.
The world I was only just beginning to understand.
"Elena."
I froze.
Then turned.
Luca.
Of course.
He leaned against one of the cars, arms crossed, watching me like he had been expecting me.
"You don't listen very well," he said.
"I'm learning," I replied.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Dangerous skill to pick up here."
I stepped closer, glancing at the cars.
"They're leaving soon."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
My stomach tightened.
"And he's going with them."
Luca didn't answer immediately.
"He always does," he said finally.
Something about that didn't sit right with me.
"He doesn't have to."
"No," Luca agreed. "But he chooses to."
I frowned slightly. "Why?"
Luca's gaze shifted toward the cars.
"Because men follow leaders who stand behind them."
A pause.
"Not ones who hide."
That…
That made sense.
More than I expected.
A sudden movement pulled our attention.
The garage doors began to open slowly.
The low hum of engines followed almost immediately.
My heart picked up.
This was it.
And then—
He walked in.
Dante.
Everything in the room shifted instantly.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just… naturally.
Like the space adjusted around him.
His presence alone was enough.
He wasn't dressed the way I had seen him before.
No suit.
No polished calm.
This was different.
Darker.
More dangerous.
Like he had stepped fully into the role he never really left.
My breath caught slightly.
This was the man they feared.
The one who said war like it was just another day.
His eyes found me immediately.
Of course they did.
They always did.
For a second, something flickered across his face—
Surprise.
Then it was gone.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
His voice wasn't harsh.
But it wasn't soft either.
I held his gaze.
"Seeing it."
A pause.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"This isn't something you need to see."
"It already is."
The words came out steady.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just truth.
Silence stretched between us.
Then—
Dante exhaled slowly.
Not angry.
Not frustrated.
Just… accepting.
"Stay behind," he said.
It wasn't a command.
It was a condition.
I nodded once.
The engines grew louder.
Men moved into position.
The energy shifted again—this time sharper, faster.
Focused.
Dante turned slightly, addressing the room.
"Positions are already set. We move clean, we move fast. No mistakes."
His voice carried effortlessly.
Calm.
Controlled.
Deadly.
"If they show up—we end it."
A chill ran through me.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just certainty.
The men moved quickly after that.
Into cars.
Into place.
The sound of doors shutting echoed through the garage.
One by one, engines roared to life.
I stood still, watching it all.
Taking it in.
This wasn't just strategy anymore.
This was action.
Real.
Immediate.
Dangerous.
Dante walked past me.
Close enough that I felt it—
That pull.
That presence.
He stopped.
Just for a second.
"You stay inside," he said quietly.
My chest tightened.
I nodded.
Because this time…
I understood why.
He started to walk away.
Then I said it.
"Be careful."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Before I could think.
Dante paused.
Just for a second.
His back still to me.
Then—
"I always am."
And with that—
He got into the car.
The convoy moved out fast.
One after the other.
Headlights cutting through the darkness.
Engines loud.
Purpose clear.
And just like that—
They were gone.
The silence that followed was worse.
Heavier.
Too still.
Like the house itself was waiting.
I didn't go back to my room.
I couldn't.
Instead, I stayed in the garage for a moment longer.
Watching the empty space they had left behind.
Trying to steady the feeling in my chest.
Fear.
Not for me.
For him.
That realization hit again.
Harder this time.
"They'll be fine."
Luca's voice broke through the silence.
I turned slightly.
"You don't sound convinced."
"I am," he said. "But that doesn't make it clean."
A pause.
"Nothing about this ever is."
I swallowed.
"How long?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On how quickly the other side makes a mistake."
Time passed slowly after that.
Too slowly.
Every minute stretched.
Every sound made my heart jump.
I stayed inside eventually—but not in my room.
I sat in the large living area, staring at nothing.
Waiting.
Thinking.
Listening.
And then—
A sound.
Engines.
My heart slammed against my chest.
I stood up instantly.
Footsteps followed.
Voices.
The front doors opened—
And they were back.
I didn't move.
Couldn't.
My body stayed frozen as they walked in.
One by one.
Tense.
Focused.
Alive.
Relief hit me before I could stop it.
Then—
Dante.
He walked in last.
My eyes locked onto him immediately.
Checking.
Looking.
Making sure—
He was fine.
He was.
But something was off.
His expression.
Colder.
Harder.
More dangerous than before.
The room shifted again.
Different this time.
Not preparation.
Aftermath.
"It was a setup."
The words came from one of the men.
My stomach dropped.
"What?" Luca asked sharply.
"They didn't take the bait," another said. "They already knew."
Silence.
Heavy.
Explosive.
"They knew," Luca repeated slowly.
My chest tightened.
Inside.
Again.
Dante didn't speak immediately.
He just stood there.
Still.
Calm.
Too calm.
And somehow…
That was worse.
"They moved before we even got there," the man continued. "Cleared out completely."
A pause.
"They were expecting us."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Damning.
My heart pounded.
This wasn't just suspicion anymore.
This was confirmation.
Someone was feeding them information.
And now—
The trap had failed.
Dante finally moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
His gaze swept across the room.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"Then we have a problem," he said quietly.
A chill ran through me.
Because it wasn't just the words.
It was the tone.
Controlled.
Deadly.
Certain.
And in that moment—
I realized something.
The war wasn't just outside anymore.
It had made its way inside.
Dante's eyes shifted.
Landing on me.
Just for a second.
But it was enough.
Because this time…
There was no softness there.
No hesitation.
Just focus.
Calculation.
And something darker.
"Find them," he said.
Not loud.
Not aggressive.
But final.
"Whoever it is…"
A pause.
Then—
"They don't leave this house."
My breath caught.
The weight of those words hit instantly.
Because I understood exactly what he meant.
This wasn't just war anymore.
This was a hunt.
And someone inside this house…
Was about to be caught.