Chapter 37

• Morning light pierced through the bullet-riddled windows of the Rossi estate, casting long shadows across the war room. The smell of fresh coffee mixed with the lingering stench of smoke and blood. Leo stood at the head of the table again, this time with fewer capos and more of his inner circle. Marco sat to his right, still pale but gaining strength by the hour. Luca leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Kai remained at Leo’s side like a shadow, one hand resting possessively on the back of Leo’s chair.
• Elena entered last.
• She looked different in the daylight — bruises fading to yellow, arm in a sling, but her eyes were clear and steady. She had spent the night coordinating with remaining loyalists, pulling strings Leo didn’t even know she had.