Aria's pulse thrummed like a trapped bird.
Caspian's brother—this tall, sharp-featured stranger with ice-blue eyes—walked into the penthouse like he owned half the city. Maybe he did. He had the same Leone confidence… but carried it differently. Caspian's power was quiet, controlled, disciplined.
His brother's was… calculating.
A kind of charm sharpened into a blade.
Aria subtly stepped back, and Caspian shifted with her, positioning himself between them without even looking. Protective in a way that made her chest tighten.
"You weren't invited," Caspian said.
"Details," his brother replied lightly. "You think I'd let you handle this alone?"
Caspian's jaw flexed. "You handle it by calling ahead."
"I tried. You didn't pick up. Again."
Aria watched them, noticing what wasn't said—old wounds, unspoken tension, something deeper than sibling rivalry.
The blond man finally turned fully toward her.
"You must be Aria Carter."
Her breath hitched. "How… how do you know my name?"
He smiled faintly. "There's not much about you I don't know."
Caspian snapped, "Stop."
"What? She should understand what's at stake."
Aria's voice trembled. "Someone tell me what's going on."
Caspian exhaled, stepping closer to her. "Aria… this is Rafael."
"Rafael Leone," he corrected with a small bow. "Older brother. Occasional problem solver. Full-time annoyance in Caspian's life."
Caspian glared. Rafael smirked.
Rafael leaned casually against the marble counter. "I came because I received intel an hour ago. The same people who orchestrated the attack at your hospital are restructuring their hits."
Aria swallowed. "Hits? As in… more attacks?"
"Not just more." Rafael's tone shifted, darkening. "Smarter ones."
Her heart pounded. "Why me? Why would criminals know who I am?"
Rafael exchanged a glance with Caspian—one that made her stomach twist.
Then he said the thing Caspian had avoided:
"Because you're connected to their target."
Aria's voice came out small. "Target? Who—?"
Caspian cut in, voice low and controlled. "Your mother."
The air froze.
Aria stared at him, the world tilting. "My mother? She died in a car accident. Years ago."
Rafael's expression softened just barely. "It wasn't an accident."
Her knees almost buckled.
Caspian reached out instinctively, steadying her arm—not gripping, just anchoring. More comfort than touch. More connection than contact.
"She didn't just die, Aria," he said softly. "She was killed. And not for who she was… but for what she knew."
Aria's entire body went cold. "My mother was a nurse. She wasn't involved in anything criminal."
Rafael folded his arms. "That's what you think."
Aria whipped toward Caspian. "Did you know? All this time?"
His silence was answer enough.
Her voice cracked. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I needed the right moment," he said quietly.
"There is no right moment for that!" she almost shouted.
Caspian's eyes flashed—hurt? frustration? She didn't know.
Rafael cleared his throat. "If you two are done having your emotional earthquake… there's more."
Caspian shot him a warning look. Rafael ignored it.
"Tonight wasn't a random attack. It wasn't about Caspian."
His gaze fixed on Aria.
"It was a clean extraction attempt. They wanted you alive."
Aria's blood turned to ice.
"Why?" she whispered.
Rafael pushed off the counter, walking toward her slowly. "Because you, Aria Carter…"
He stopped inches away.
"…are the last loose thread in a secret your mother died trying to hide."
Her breath stuttered. "What secret?"
Rafael hesitated.
Caspian answered for him.
"The one that got my sister killed."
Silence fell like a hammer.
Aria couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't understand how she'd gone from ER doctor to hunted target with family secrets she never asked for.
Rafael clapped his hands lightly. "Time's up. They'll make another move within twenty-four hours."
Aria lifted her eyes shakily. "So what do I do?"
Caspian didn't hesitate.
"You stay with me."
Rafael raised a brow. "Bold."
Caspian ignored him. He looked only at her.
"This isn't just protection, Aria. This is survival."
Her voice trembled. "Do I have a choice?"
His answer was quiet… but devastatingly honest.
"Not anymore."