~ Aria's POV

"My son's coffin had barely touched the earth when my husband whispered, 'It had to be done.' "

The words echoed in my mind, chilling and scary. I was alone in Leo's bedroom, the walls phantomly quiet, the once loud space was now filled with silence. My trembling fingers clutched tightly at his last drawing---a sketch of a rocket ship with stars in the background. It was only supposed to be a reminder of his innocent dreams, but now, it was the only piece of him I had left.

~ Flashback To a Few Days Ago

The funeral was rushed, just a handful of mourners---if I could even call them mourners. Everything happened so fast that there was no time for a proper ceremony, eulogies, flowers, or even a last goodbye.

The casket was lowered to the ground, swallowed by darkness, when Lucien leaned in and whispered his cruel words, "If it was fate, it had to be done."

I couldn't even bring myself to ask him what he meant. Not when everything felt wrong. However, my grief kept me from speaking, kept me from letting out a single word.

Days passed in a blur. The world was moving on, but I had not. I stayed in the house, trying to piece together the shattered fragments of my life.

It wasn't until a few nights later that I began to notice the distance between us. Lucien, always so organized, had withdrawn into himself, retreating into his safehouse, but this felt different, as if he was deliberately staying away from me.

One evening, I confronted him.

"Lucien, you've been gone for days. What's going on?" I asked, my voice laced with anxiety.

He didn't look at me, his eyes were fixed on the wine glass in front of him. For days, he's been acting strange---as if it didn't matter to him that he lost a son. "I have work to do. Don't worry about it." His tone was cold and dismissive. He wasn't himself. I could feel it, that same distance that had been there all those years ago when we first met.

"Don't worry about it? Lucien, you're not the same. I need you right now. I need---"

"Sometimes..." He interrupted, his voice cold as ice, "..sacrifices are made to secure the legacy. Fate decided Leo to be gone, and it..happened."

I choked on my wine, my heart pounding. His words caught in my throat like a dagger. But what did he mean by it? My mind reeled, the pieces of the puzzle scattered before me. "You---what do you mean?" I gasped, staring at him in disbelief.

Lucien finally turned to look at me, his eyes empty, and his lips curved. "What's done can't be undone, Aria. It was always going to happen. Don't you understand? None of us could've stopped it from happening."

I swallowed hard, my heart thundering in my chest. "You---don't care for anyone other than that pathetic throne?"

His gaze hardened. "It's all that matters, Aria. That's our future, you can't run away from it."

I felt the walls closing in. "You always wanted the throne, Lucien, you---" I whispered, unable to accept what I was hearing, unable to speak more words.

He shook his head, his voice low and calm. "You'll understand in time."

I couldn't breathe or think. His words, his cold detachment, were shattering me in a way I never thought possible. Our son was gone and Lucien didn't give a damn about it. For some reason, doubts regarding Lucien started to creep in. What if---he's the one involved in the accident?

~ The Next Day

I couldn't shake the unease gnawing at me. I had to know what Lucien was hiding, what he had done. I told myself it was for Leo's memory. No one else would know the truth if I didn't uncover it.

I pretended to bring lunch to Lucien's safehouse. I took a tour, my heart racing as I let myself inside his study when he jumped on an urgent video meeting. I moved quietly through the shadows. I had to find something that might explain the strange distance between us.

Behind a bookshelf, I discovered a hidden drawer. My pulse roared through my veins as I pulled it open, revealing a burner phone.

The screen lit up with a series of messages. I could barely breathe as I scrolled, my hands trembling. One message stopped me dead in my tracks.

"The brakes are set. The boy won't survive the impact. Payment transferred."

My mind raced as I read the message again. My son---Leo---wasn't just a victim of an accident; he was murdered by his own father. My breath hitched in my throat as tears stung my eyes.

I scrolled through more messages, each one more damning than the last. Evidence. Proof that Lucien had arranged Leo's death. The world tilted beneath me, my legs shaking as the truth settled like a stone in my chest.

Lucien killed our son.

It all made sense now---the sudden rise to power, the Council meeting right after Leo's death. He had eliminated his own son to claim the Romano throne for himself.

The world spun around me, my vision blurring as the weight of it all crashed over me. I couldn't breathe. I had to get out. I stumbled back out of my car, barely making it behind the wheel before I collapsed in sobs, gasping for air. I roared the engine to life and made my way back to the house.

~ Back in the Present

Leo's bedroom was a ghostly reminder of what Lucien did to him. I sat there for what felt like hours, my heart shattering into pieces. The world I thought I knew had been a lie. Lucien killed my son for his power.

Suddenly, a sharp knock at the bedroom door jolted me from my thoughts. A maid hesitantly walked inside, standing a few feet away from me.

"Ma'am, a letter was delivered to your name." My heart skipped a beat as I saw the brown envelope sitting peacefully in her hands.

I hesitated, my fingers shaking as I reached to pick it up. The maid walked out while I tore it open, the paper feeling cold in my hands. Inside was a single typed note.

"Your son wasn't the first. Go to the pinned location. Meet the person with the name mentioned below, and you'll have your answers."

At the bottom of the page was a name, written in ink that seemed to burn into my soul.

Realization struck me like a thunderclap. "Damien Voss..." I whispered to myself. "Lucien's disowned half-brother, rumored to be dead."

~ Aria's POV

"The only man Lucien ever feared was the one he tried to erase."

The words from the letter were haunting my mind as I drove my car to the location. The letter mentioned a building that was in the outskirts of the city, hidden from plain sight. It was definitely not where I expected to find Lucien's brother.

The rundown building had a neon sign flickering across it: Fight Club. I parked in front of it and went inside. A ring filled with fighters caught my attention. A staff member must've noticed my hesitation when he approached me. "You looking for someone?"

"I'm looking for Damien Voss." My voice was steady, despite my heart thundering in my chest.

The staff member didn't ask further questions but stared at me. Then, he nodded and led me to the back of the ring. The place wasn't lit well, but the smell of blood and sweat was strong in the air. I looked around, and at the far end of the room, there was a figure wiping his bloodied hands with a rag. I sighed heavily and walked over to him, my heart threatening to jump out any second. "Damien Voss," I asked, my voice louder than I wanted it to be.

He slowly turned to me, his expression was a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance. For a moment, he scanned me before his lips curled into a faint smirk. "What's a woman like you doing in a place like this?"

I wasn't here for greetings or introductions, so I said what I came here for. "I need your help, Lucien..." A lump formed in my throat as I forced my words out. "Your brother---he killed my son, Leo. He murdered him to take the throne."

As soon as I mentioned Lucien, Damien's jaw clenched and his gaze sharpened. "He killed your son?" A mixture of disbelief and anger was evident in his voice. "You're telling me he did it... for the throne?"

I nodded. "I have proof. The burner phone. Look at this." I took out the phone and handed it over to him. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen. His gaze kept darkening as he continued to read every message, each one confirming the unimaginable. "Lucien killed Leo..." he muttered under his breath. "I always knew Lucien was capable of anything, but this... this is something else."

The weight of the truth pressed down on both of us, almost suffocating us. "He did it to take the Romano throne," I said, the words bitter on my tongue. Damien knew he could do it because Lucien had once gotten rid of his brother just for the throne, too. "Leo was supposed to be the heir as per the legacy, not Lucien."

Damien's bloody fists clenched again, his body tense with rage. "That bastard," he growled, eyes flashing. "Our father never wanted Lucien to take the throne. When he died, he made sure the one with the wife would take the throne, and Lucien knew how to get around it. And after the wife, he wanted the next bloodline to be the heir, proving that Leo was supposed to inherit it. Without a son, and you as his wife, the throne belongs to him now." He paused, his gaze turning colder. "Father never wanted the throne to be his, so Lucien killed Leo to steal what was never his."

I took a step closer, desperate. "Damien, I need you to help me take him down."

Damien was staring at me. I watched his unreadable expression, trying to decipher him. "I don't know if you understand what you're asking. Lucien is dangerous---he's twisted. He'll do anything to protect what he's built."

"I don't care," I replied, my voice firmer now. "I want him to pay for what he's done. I'll burn everything down if that's what it takes."

Damien looked at me for a long moment, his expression hardening. "You think you can take him down? He's not just some Mafia boss. He's a monster. The power he holds... It's not something anyone can just tear down."

I didn't flinch at his remark. "I'll do whatever it takes. I don't want power. I just want him to pay for what he did to Leo."

Damien sighed, wiping his bloodied hands on his jeans. "Fine," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'll help you... But on one condition."

My breath hitched in my throat as I watched him. "What is it?"

"You'll know soon enough, but you need to help me out when I ask you." I hesitated for a second, but there was nothing scarier than my husband killing my son to take over the throne.

My heart skipped a beat as I sighed. "I'm in. I'll destroy everything if it means making Lucien pay."

Damien's lips curled into a grim smile. "Alright then. Let's tear it all apart."

~ At Night

I returned home, putting up the role I'd perfected over the past few days of the grieving wife and a dutiful partner. In Lucien's study, he was smoking a cigar, and the smell was corrupting the air.

"Back so soon?" Lucien asked, glancing up from his papers. "Everything alright?"

"Just needed some time to think," I said, my voice soft. "I've been... Lost without Leo."

Lucien's eyes softened, his hand reaching out to take mine. "I know, Aria. But we'll get through this. Together."

I suppressed a shudder as I gripped his hand, feeling the weight of my own lies. "We will," I agreed, forcing out a smile. "I trust you to fix everything."

Lucien nodded, his expression pleased. "I'm glad to hear that. You have no idea how much this means to me."

I almost couldn't breathe as I forced myself to nod in return. Inside, I was already plotting. But as I excused myself, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I stepped outside, my pulse quickening as I saw the name on the screen---Federico. He was Lucien's right-hand man and had no purpose in personally texting me.

Confused, I opened the message.

Meet me. I know everything. I'm willing to betray Lucien. I'll give you what you need.

Another message followed. It was a photo---a child, unmistakably Leo, his face still innocent, still alive.

"Leo..." I whispered to myself.

Federico's next message was simple but devastating.

He's alive.

~ Aria's POV

"I buried my son. I mourned him. So how can he still be alive?"

The words were on repeat in my mind, over and over, louder each time, mocking me. My hands were trembling with the phone in my hands, as I stared at the picture Federico had sent. Leo---my baby's eyes still had the same light but were dazed. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

And then, I refused to hesitate as I dialed Damien.

"Meet me," I gritted my teeth, glaring into the distance. "Now."

~ At Damien's Place

Damien examined the photo and clenched his jaw when he realized how lifeless the kid looked. He stiffened, scanning every detail of the picture. "I thought he was dead," he whispered to himself, but I still heard it. "Lucien never misses."

"So did I," I snapped. I had to fight off the tears that burned my eyes and swallow the lump in my throat. "But he didn't. That son of a bitch faked it. Why?"

Damien put the phone down and rubbed his face, pacing around the living room of his house. "Lucien's always ten steps ahead. If Leo's alive, it's for a reason. A very twisted reason, Aria."

"What kind of reason justifies this?" I was furious, out of my mind.

Damien stopped mid-track as his eyes darkened. "There's a chance he might be preparing Leo to be a weapon. There's a place---off the grid. A black-site training facility. It's where Lucian sends anyone he wants to reshape, mind-wiped, or broken. They make soldiers who never question orders. That might be where he is." He walked over to me with the photo and zoomed in on Leo's shirt. "This is their logo."

The words knocked all the oxygen out of me. My hands trembled as I watched the photo. "He's turning him into a monster."

Damien's expression was stern when he spoke. "Unless we get to him first."

~ The Next Day

Damien and I decided to meet Federico at Damien's house. His betrayal was equipped with blueprints of the facility, the guards' rotations, and even all the cameras' blind spots. His eyes were nervous, filled with guilt.

"You'll need to go in quietly," he said, spreading the plans across the dining table. "They change shifts every four hours. Use the east wing entrance---less security."

Damien was studying the map carefully as he continued, "And Leo?"

"Bottom level," Federico was hesitant, causing me to be doubtful of him. "Room 17 B. Isolated. Monitored. Drugged most of the time."

"Why are you doing this?" Finally, I asked the question bugging me from the start, as I crossed my arms tightly over my chest.

"Because even I have a line, Aria. And Lucien crossed it."

For some reason, I believed him. There was no way many people accepted separating a toddler from his mother.

~ Later That Night

I was back at Lucien's mansion. I was alone in the bathroom, throwing my guts out. The test in my hand trembled, while my heart thundered with rage.

It was Positive.

A second child. Lucien's child.

The cold floor of the bathroom made my breath hitch, as my hands clutched around my stomach. The horror of the pregnancy settled in my stomach. My husband faked my son's death, planning to raise him as a mindless soldier, and now---I was carrying another life tied with him.

A war brewed inside me. Battling Lucien might endanger this new life, but if I didn't, Lucien would win, and who knows what he'd do next.

~ At Midnight

Damien and I wore all black. We were equipped with nothing but silenced pistols and our rage. Federico drove us in through a hidden access road. From there, we had to go on foot.

We crept through the side corridor, my heart shuddering violently in my chest. Damien had disabled the cameras, whispering directions. "Down this hall. Take a left." We passed room after room---some were locked, and some were filled with distant groans. The deeper we walked inside, the colder it started to get.

Finally, we reached room 17 B. My fingers moved across the keypad. Damien covered me, whispering in my ears. "A few minutes. That's all we've got."

I hurriedly punched in the code. The door creaked open, and there he was.

My baby, my Leo.

He was strapped to a bed as I rushed over to him. His eyes were open but empty. An IV slid into his arm.

I rushed to him, sobbing. "Leo...baby. It's me. Mommy's here."

His gaze was unfocused as he looked past me, non-responsive. I carefully took out the IV and held him tight in my arms, whispering comfort in his ears.

Damien was guarding the hallway when he heard it. Multiple footsteps closing in on us.

"Go!" Damien growled. "Get out with him---now!"

"What? No! You're coming too!"

"I said GO, Aria!" he barked. "This was going to happen."

And then---gunshots echoed around. Scared, I held Leo close to my chest and ran. My heart was pounding in my chest, eyes were burning with tears. Federico was nowhere in plain sight. Of course, the bastard betrayed us.

I retraced our path and didn't stop running until I reached the car. Leo barely even moved, his head resting on my shoulder, his limbs limping. I slammed the door shut, shoved the key in, and hid the car in the trees.

I moved to look at the building behind me, waiting for Damien to rush out. But instead, the compound exploded as the sky lit up with orange and red flames.

"Damien!!" I screamed, my heart ramming inside my chest.