It came from the inside. An ally in the Romano family had been feeding information to a rival syndicate. Elena uncovered it, piece by piece, like a surgeon dissecting a body.
The traitor thought himself clever, hiding behind loyalty and friendship. But Elena moved like a shadow, leaving him nothing but evidence of his own treachery.
When Adrian discovered her work, he nodded slowly. You've got the mind for this world. Just remember not everyone survives exposure. Some disappear quietly.
Elena nodded, feeling the cold weight of inevitability settle over her. In the Romano empire, betrayal was punished not with words but with blood.