Chapter Ten
The moment Alex stepped back onto Morano grounds, something in him shifted. The estate, once a place of calculated control, now felt like a fortress built on lies. The walls seemed taller. The corridors are colder. Every glance from the guards lingered too long. Every whisper stopped too quickly.
Sophia's betrayal—if that's what it truly was—burned beneath his skin. But the worst part wasn't the betrayal itself.
It was the fact that he didn't know if it was real.
She hadn't confessed. She hadn't denied it. She had simply walked away… like a ghost.
Diego walked beside him in silence, not asking questions, not offering comfort. They both knew trust was fragile now—even between them.
As they entered the main hall, Dominic was waiting.
Arms folded, jaw clenched, and a storm brewed in his dark eyes.
"You disappeared," Dominic said coldly.
"Needed air," Alex replied, brushing past him.
Dominic grabbed his arm. "You don't get to make those decisions anymore. Not after what happened with Sophia."
Alex turned slowly, his voice low. "You spying on me now?"
Dominic didn't flinch. "I'm trying to protect this family. While you're out chasing skirts and ghosts, our enemies are watching. Waiting."
"She's not what you think."
"Then what is she, Alex?" Dominic's voice rose. "She lied about knowing Carlo. Lied about her past. She's connected to someone in Russo territory. You can't see it because you're too far gone."
Alex yanked his arm free. "You don't know her."
"I know a threat when I see one."
The words hung between them like a blade.
Before Alex could answer, a voice called from behind them.
"Enough."
Vito Morano stood at the top of the stairs, the weight of decades etched into his face, though his posture remained iron-straight. His presence commanded silence. Even Dominic's defiance faltered under that stare.
"Both of you. My office. Now."
They followed without another word.
Once inside the room, Vito closed the door and locked it. The office was dimly lit, the only light spilling in through the stained-glass windows behind his desk.
Vito moved behind the desk and sat, fingers steepled. "We've had developments."
He turned to Alex. "We traced a wire transfer—$250,000—moved through a shell company in Vienna, tied to Russo holdings."
Alex's brows furrowed. "What does that have to do with us?"
"It was wired to someone with a false identity," Dominic cut in. "Someone using the alias Sophia Romano."
Alex's pulse spiked.
"That's not all," Vito continued. "We've confirmed it—Bianca Rivas is dead. Her body was found this morning, dumped in a river outside of Greenpoint. Execution-style."
A sick silence spread.
"She was the only one who knew the details of Carlo's development deal," Dominic said grimly. "And she vanished the same night he died."
Alex felt the noose tightening. "You think Sophia had something to do with it."
Vito nodded once. "Until we know otherwise, she's a suspect. And a dangerous one."
Alex stood. "Then let me talk to her. Let me find out the truth."
"No," Vito said, steel in his voice. "From this point forward, she's off-limits. Gianni has already placed her under surveillance. She won't leave the city."
"That's a mistake."
"Your mistake," Vito growled. "Your judgment is compromised. You let a woman slip past your instincts. You let emotion cloud your eyes."
"She's not just a woman," Alex snapped.
"No," Vito said quietly. "She's a warning."
Dominic turned to leave but paused at the door. "This is how they break us, Alex. From the inside."
Alone now, Alex stared out the window, rage and doubt swirling inside him. He thought about Sophia's eyes—that flicker of something real behind her lies. If she was an enemy, she was the most dangerous kind.
The kind you didn't want to destroy.
The kind you wanted to save.
Later that night, he broke the rules.
Slipping past the guards wasn't hard—he knew the estate's blind spots better than anyone. Diego had taught him how to vanish when needed. And now, he needed to disappear—to find her.
He found her at the hotel she'd checked into, under a different name. He paid off the front desk. Waited until midnight. Then, he knocked.
Sophia opened the door without surprise.
"I thought they'd send someone," she said softly. "Didn't think it would be you."
"Let me in."
She stepped aside.
The room was modest, the lights low. She wore jeans and a dark sweater, her hair down. She looked… tired. Human.
"You're running," Alex said.
"I'm staying alive."
"You lied to me."
"I protected you."
He took a step closer. "From what?"
"From everything you don't see. From your father. From the Russos. From yourself."
He stared at her, searching her face for cracks. "Tell me the truth. Are you working with them?"
Her voice was a whisper. "I'm not your enemy, Alex."
"Then what are you?"
Sophia stepped close enough for him to feel her breath.
"I'm the one who knows where the next body will drop."
That stopped him cold.
She reached into a drawer and pulled out a flash drive. "This is everything Carlo was hiding. And it's going to get us both killed."
Alex stared at it. "Why give it to me?"
"Because I still trust you," she said. "Even if you don't trust me."
He took the drive, his hand brushing hers. A spark. A memory. A warning.
They stood in silence for a long beat.
Then she whispered, "You need to go. They're watching me."
Alex stepped back, pocketing the drive. "This doesn't mean I forgive you."
"I don't want your forgiveness."
"Then what do you want?"
Sophia's eyes held his. "I want you to survive this."
And with that, she closed the door between them.
Back at the estate, Alex didn't sleep. He plugged the flash drive into a burner laptop and opened the files.
Blueprints. Bank transfers. Photos. Names.
And one name that made his blood run cold.
A name tied to the Morano inner circle.
A name that wasn't Sophia's.
Alex leaned back in his chair, realization crashing down.
He'd been wrong.
The traitor wasn't the woman he couldn't stop thinking about.
It was someone much closer.
Someone inside the family.
And now, they were one step ahead.