Rome — Villa Miani, Private Terrace
The night air curled around Ariella's shoulders as she stepped onto the back terrace of Villa Miani. Below, the lights of Rome sparkled like unanswered prayers. Inside, the party roared on — laughter, music, lies. But out here? Silence. Except for her heartbeat.
"Why did I follow him?" she whispered.
She could still feel his touch — warm, firm, meaningful. And that voice, still echoing in her mind:
"Leave. Or the deal your father makes tonight... will destroy you."
Who was he? And how did he know?
"You're not supposed to be here."
She spun around, breath caught in her throat.
He stood at the far corner of the terrace. No longer masked. His face, finally revealed — black hair tousled by the wind, jaw carved in stone, and those eyes… eyes that stripped the soul bare.
"You…" Her voice broke. "Who are you?"
He stepped forward. Calm. Controlled.
"Tonight, just listen. Don't ask too much."
"You threatened me on the dance floor. And now you want me to trust you?"
He moved closer. Close enough for her to smell his cologne — something dark, expensive, dangerous.
"If I meant harm… you wouldn't still be standing here."
She froze.
"My name is Kael. Kael Morreti."
The world stopped turning.
"Morreti?"
"Yes. The family your father erased from every contract, every record. He didn't just make us enemies. He made us ghosts."
She took a shaky step back. Too much. Too fast.
"What does this have to do with tonight? With my father's deal?"
Kael slipped something from his coat — a slim folder.
"This." He handed it to her. "Offshore accounts. Asset transfers. A secret pact between Salvatore DeLuca and the Montaldo family. You know who they are, don't you?"
"Enemies. Old enemies. That war ended years ago."
Kael moved closer, brushing her fingers with the folder. The heat of his touch lingered.
"Nothing ever ends in this world, Ariella. Only revenge sleeps."
She opened the folder. Names. Signatures. Numbers. Enough proof to burn empires.
"Why are you showing me this?"
Kael's gaze didn't waver.
"Because tonight isn't just a deal. It's a setup. Once the papers are signed — they'll erase you. You're the witness they don't need."
Ariella's grip tightened on the folder.
"How do you know all this?"
"Because I was one of them. I sat at their table. I watched how they silenced anyone who knew too much."
She looked away, eyes clouded.
"So what do I do now? Run?"
Kael gave a faint, bitter smile.
"Not run. Walk out — as yourself. With the truth. With your name. And your dignity."
The terrace door creaked open behind them.
Matteo.
"Ariella?" His voice was sharp. "What's going on? Who is this man?"
Kael didn't move.
Ariella slid the folder into her clutch. Her voice calm. "My dance partner. It got stuffy inside."
Matteo's eyes narrowed. Suspicion creeping in.
"Father's waiting. We need to go."
Kael spoke, voice like ice.
"If you take her in now, she won't be walking back out. You know that."
Matteo stepped forward, jaw tightening.
"What did you say?"
Ariella inhaled deeply. Her fingers curled around the clutch.
"Matteo… tonight, I have to trust someone. And for once… it's not you."
She turned to Kael.
"Get me out of here. Now."
Matteo's voice thundered behind them, but Kael had already taken her hand. They ran — down the side path, away from the music, the lights, the sins dressed in silk.
And behind the glass doors, Salvatore DeLuca watched.
"Kael Morreti," he murmured. "You should've stayed dead."
Rome — Via Vittorio Veneto
The black car rolled to a stop in a quiet alley.
Kael stepped out, opening the door for her. Ariella climbed out, clutching the folder to her chest like it was her last piece of reality.
"You're safe for tonight," Kael said. "But starting tomorrow… you won't be Ariella DeLuca anymore."
She met his gaze. His eyes weren't just haunted — they were hunted.
"Are you ready to lose everything?"
Her voice was steady. "If that's the price for truth… then yes. I'm ready."
They stood beneath a dying streetlamp. No words left.
Only a beginning.
Because this wasn't an escape.
It was the start of a war.
And sometimes, to be free… you have to destroy everything that once made you who you are.