s before anyone offici

oment Alessandro De Luca entered a room. They lived in the careful distance men kept f

e were no

re unde

imple: nothing matte

e morning after the

had shifted. The guards stood straighter. Their eyes were sharpe

as they walked, "today you

do," Ele

and faced her

the rest of the house, built of steel and stone instead of marble. A long table domi

o sat at

t the subtle shift in his posture-the awareness of he

ir against the wall. Not at the table. Clo

they t

began

ut

pme

ss

ken like

ragments of information slid into place. This was not chaos.

up. "The breach last night wasn't

"Which means w

sucked the air

lifted his gaze. "W

pled across

" another man said. "

t of those words pre

to her then-brief, assessi

ce fo

" the scarred man

tone sharpening. "Rule number one:

ne a

swal

rule: Alessandro's

t in pairs, voices low, glances sharp. Elena remai

dro ros

me," he s

didn't feel

arrower, more utilitarian, filled with the quiet hum of operations. Scr

ng me there?" El

erstand whe

," she replied.

o stopped

expression unreadable. "No,"

akes it

s it sur

n the interrogation chamber, but no less co

he rules," Alessandro

hands together.

y is everything.

odded

eakness is a

tened. "Then

aid calmly, "yo

sion star

ntinued, "you do not interf

nt to," Ele

o not leave the estate

was ob

closer, lowering his voice, "

up at him. "I

thing unreadable

ciall

tled her more tha

reak a rule

carefully. "Then I de

" she said quietly.

reed without

her chest. "I'm n

said. "You're m

's wo

most

," Elena said. "That broke o

harpened.

akn

pause f

ness," Alessandro said

e was it?" sh

nt, he did

fuse proximity w

. "You brought me

es

ind me I do

. "To remind you t

t harder tha

ain, replaying every rule in her mind.

rule she had learned

Luca broke h

imself between her and gunfire. He had told her not to trust

Elena did so

ing da

and stepped into the corridor

ed up in sur

ter," she

ard he

he no

sn't

the first r

footsteps and watchful eyes, El

as long as everyon

ke loyalty, co