Seraphina's POV
I'm crouched behind Luca's desk in the penthouse study, my heart slamming against my ribs. Isla's next to me, her eyes wide behind her glasses. The masked gunman who smashed through the window stands in front of us, his pistol pointed at the desk. Glass crunches under his boots, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to move.
Then I hear Luca's voice in the hall. "Isla? You in there?" he calls, his steps getting closer.
I don't think, I act. I grab Isla's arm and whisper, "Stay down." Then I dart out, just as Luca opens the door. The gunman swings his pistol toward him, and I tackle Luca hard, knocking him to the floor. A gunshot cracks, the bullet slamming into the wall above us.
"Move!" I hiss, dragging Luca behind a leather couch. Another shot rings out, splintering the desk. I hear shouts, Vitale security guards, their boots pounding. The gunman curses, firing again, but the guards fire back, bullets ripping through the air.
Luca's eyes meet mine, his face tight. "You okay?" he asks, his voice low.
I nod, my pulse racing. "You?"
"Yeah," he says, but his hand's on his gun, tucked in his belt. "Stay here."
He starts to stand, but I grab his arm. "Don't be stupid," I say. "Let them handle it."
Before he can argue, the gunfire stops. I peek over the couch. The gunman's gone, the broken window flapping in the wind. Something glints on the carpet, a small metal seal, shaped like the Calabrese lion. My stomach drops. That's my family's mark.
Security guards burst in, guns raised. "Clear!" one yells, checking the room. Isla crawls out, her hands shaking. "We're okay," she says, but her voice is thin.
Luca stands, pulling me up. His grip's tight, and his eyes search mine. "Why'd you do that?" he asks. "Tackle me?"
I pull away, my temper flaring. "So you wouldn't get shot. You're welcome."
He opens his mouth, but a new voice cuts through. "Sera!" It's Dante, shoving past the guards. He's got his sword-cane, the blade out, his grey eyes wild. "You hurt?"
"No," I say, my heart still pounding. "You're here?"
"Got your call," he says, sheathing the blade. "Heard the shots from the elevator. What happened?"
I point at the window. "Guy in a mask. Tried to kill us."
Dante's jaw tightens. "Vitale enemies?"
I glance at the seal on the floor but don't answer. It's Calabrese, not Vitale. Why would my family send a killer?
The guards sweep the room, and Luca's barking orders. "Lock down the building," he says. "Check the cameras. I want that guy found."
I pull Dante aside, keeping my voice low. "That seal," I say. "It's ours. Calabrese."
His eyes narrow. "You sure?"
I nod, my stomach twisting. "I know our mark. But why?"
Dante glances at Luca, who's talking to a guard. "Maybe your husband's not as clean as he seems."
I want to argue, but I can't. Luca's pact, the ledger, the Moretti name, they're all tied together. "We need to talk to Papa," I say. "Now."
Dante nods. "I'm with you. But first, we clean this up."
We head to the living room, where Isla's sitting on a couch, her tablet gone. She's pale, her hands clasped tight. "That was close," she says, trying to sound calm.
"Too close," I say, sitting next to her. "You see anything? Before he jumped?"
She shakes her head. "Just the mask. Black, no marks."
I study her. She's lying, I can feel it. She saw something on that ledger, Project Calabrese 1975, the neutralize asset note. "If you know something, Isla, tell me," I say, my voice low.
Her eyes flick to mine, then away. "I don't," she says, but it's too quick.
I let it go for now. Luca's back, his face hard. "Nobody's getting in or out," he says. "We're safe."
"Safe?" I snap, standing. "Someone just tried to kill us. And they dropped this." I point at the seal, still on the study carpet.
Luca's eyes follow my finger, and his face changes, just a flicker, but I see it. "Calabrese," he says, his voice flat. "Interesting."
"Interesting?" I step closer, my voice sharp. "That's my family's seal, Luca. Explain."
He holds up his hands. "I don't know, Seraphina. Maybe your father's got enemies."
"Or maybe you do," Dante cuts in, his hand on his cane. "You're the one with secrets, Vitale."
Luca's eyes narrow. "Watch it, Calabrese. You're in my house."
"Enough!" I say, stepping between them. "We're not fighting each other. We're finding out who sent that guy."
Luca nods, but his eyes don't leave Dante's. "Agreed. I'll check my sources."
Dante snorts. "Your sources? Like the ones you call at two a.m.?"
I grab Dante's arm. "Stop it," I hiss. "Not now."
We move to the kitchen, needing space. Luca's on his phone, talking low to someone. I pull Dante aside. "You can't just accuse him," I say. "We need proof."
Dante's grey eyes burn. "I'm working on it. Found more at the estate, letters, coded stuff. I think it's tied to that elder, Carlo."
My heart skips. Uncle Carlo, one of Papa's closest advisors. "What about him?"
Dante lowers his voice. "He's been moving money. Hiding it. I was digging before I came here."
I nod, my mind racing. Carlo. The seal. The ledger. It's all connected, but how? "Keep digging," I say. "But don't let Papa know yet."
He nods, but his face is tight. "You trust Luca too much, Sera."
"I don't trust him," I say. "But I need him. For now."
Later, we're back in the study, cleaning up. The guards are gone, and Isla's helping sweep glass. Luca's checking the broken window, his phone buzzing. He ignores it, but I see the name flash, G.M. My blood runs cold. G. Moretti.
"Answer it," I say, my voice sharp. "Or I will."
He looks at me, his jaw tight. "It's not what you think, Seraphina."
"Then prove it," I say, stepping closer. "Who's G.M.?"
He hesitates, then slips the phone in his pocket. "Business. Nothing you need to worry about."
I laugh, bitter. "You're full of it, Luca."
He steps toward me, his voice low. "You want to play this game? Fine. But don't cry when you lose."
I hold his gaze, my heart pounding. "I don't lose."
Isla clears her throat, breaking the tension. "We need to finish here," she says, her voice shaky. "Cops might come."
Luca nods, but his eyes don't leave mine. "Right. Let's move."
We're almost done when Dante kneels by the carpet, picking up the Calabrese seal. He turns it over in his hand, his face going pale. "Sera," he says, his voice low. "This isn't just our mark. It's Carlo's."
My heart stops. "What?"
He holds it up, showing a tiny scratch on the lion's paw. "His personal seal. I saw it on his desk. He's the one I've been investigating."
I stare at the seal, my mind spinning. Uncle Carlo sent the gunman? Why? To kill Luca? Me? Or both of us?