News travels fast.
But in our world—
it travels with purpose.
I'm already aware of Luna's move before it becomes official.
Before invitations.
Before announcements.
Because information doesn't wait to be announced.
It leaks.
It whispers.
It gets sold.
And I own most of those whispers.
I stand in my office, staring at the city while my phone lights up again.
Another message.
Another confirmation.
"Gambino preparing large-scale event. External firms contacted. High security."
Of course she is.
A faint smirk pulls at my lips.
Luna Gambino doesn't do half-measures anymore.
She's stepping into power.
Publicly.
Deliberately.
Good.
I turn slightly, walking back toward my desk where multiple files are already spread open.
Not just business.
War beneath business.
German network.
Klaus Richter.
Erik Schneider.
Jonas Weber.
Matthias Vogel.
Lukas Hoffmann.
Five names.
Five weak points.
Five men who thought they could quietly shift supply routes under my control.
They're still breathing.
For now.
But their time?
Already counted.
My fingers tap once on Klaus's file.
"Senior supplier," I mutter.
A pause.
"Traitor."
That's the problem with men like him.
They think silence protects them.
It doesn't.
A knock interrupts my thoughts.
"Come in."
Xander walks in first, relaxed but alert, followed by Alex—already scanning the files on my desk like he knows exactly what they are.
"You've seen it?" Xander asks.
"Yes."
"She's making it big," he adds.
"She's making it visible," I correct.
There's a difference.
Alex steps closer, glancing at the German files.
"You're juggling too many fronts," he says quietly.
"No," I reply.
"I'm aligning them."
Because everything is connected.
Luna's event.
The failed assassination.
The German betrayal.
None of this is coincidence.
"Russian side is watching too," Alex adds. "Ivan Bonanno's already been mentioned."
That makes me pause.
Just slightly.
Ivan Bonanno.
Close to Gambino.
Not loyal.
Not disloyal.
Opportunistic.
"Of course he is," I say calmly.
"Men like him don't miss chances like this."
Xander scoffs.
"And what about your side? Alina Lucchese already asked questions."
A faint shift in my expression.
Alina.
Sharp.
Observant.
Too aware for comfort.
"She'll attend," I say.
"Obviously," Xander mutters. "Half the underworld will."
Exactly.
That's the point.
This isn't just an event anymore.
It's a stage.
And everyone is coming to watch—
or calculate.
I lean back slightly, crossing my arms.
"Let them come," I say.
Alex looks at me carefully.
"That's risky."
"Yes."
A pause.
"But necessary."
Because hiding now?
Would confirm weakness.
And weakness—
is what got Luna shot.
My jaw tightens slightly at that thought.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Controlled.
"Security?" Xander asks.
"Triple layer," I reply instantly.
"Internal Genovese. External hired. And a third—unseen."
Alex nods slightly.
"You're expecting movement."
"I'm prepared for it," I correct.
Because expectation is passive.
Preparation is power.
My phone vibrates again.
This time—
a name I don't ignore.
Vincent "Vinnie" Rizzo.
Informant.
Rat.
Useful.
I answer without hesitation.
"Speak."
His voice comes low.
"NYPD is sniffing around the last incident. Detective Sullivan."
Mark Sullivan.
Persistent.
Annoying.
"Let him," I say.
"You sure?" Vinnie presses.
"Yes."
A pause.
"He's chasing shadows."
And I decide what those shadows look like.
The call ends.
Xander exhales.
"Cops, traitors, rival families… and now a public event."
I glance at him.
"And?" I ask.
He smirks slightly.
"Nothing. Just confirming you're insane."
I don't respond.
Because insanity—
is just control others don't understand.
Alex steps closer.
"What's your move with Luna?"
That question lands differently.
Not business.
Not war.
Something else.
I don't answer immediately.
Instead, I pick up her file—not official, not written, just something I keep in my head.
Luna Gambino.
Sharp.
Unpredictable when pushed.
And now—
controlled.
"She wants control," I say slowly.
Xander nods.
"And she's taking it."
"Yes."
A pause.
"And I'm not stopping her."
That gets their attention.
Alex tilts his head slightly.
"Then what are you doing?"
A faint smirk forms.
"Standing where she has to see me."
Because distance?
Is easy when ignored.
Not when confronted.
Xander leans back.
"That sounds personal."
I don't deny it.
Because it is.
Not weakness.
Not distraction.
Just… something I don't step away from.
My father enters without knocking.
Behind him—
my grandfather.
Ronald Genovese.
The room shifts instantly.
Power doesn't need announcement.
It just… arrives.
"You've heard," my grandfather says.
"Yes."
His sharp eyes study me.
"And?"
I meet his gaze without hesitation.
"We attend."
A pause.
"And we don't hold back."
A faint smile touches his lips.
Approval.
"Good," he says.
My father steps beside him.
"This event will define perception."
"I know."
"And Luna?" he asks.
A brief pause.
"She's not the problem," I say.
That answer lands.
Because they understand what I mean.
She's not a liability.
She's a force.
And forces—
aren't controlled.
They're met.
My grandfather nods once.
"Then don't underestimate her."
A faint smirk returns.
"I won't."
Because underestimating her—
was never my mistake.
Silence settles again.
The room full of power.
Plans.
Violence waiting quietly beneath decisions.
I move back toward the window.
The city hasn't changed.
But the game has.
Multiple players.
Multiple sides.
German betrayal.
Russian interest.
American law enforcement.
Egyptian routes still unstable.
And right in the center of it—
Luna Gambino.
And me.
I exhale slowly.
"This event…" I murmur.
A pause.
"It won't just be a statement."
My reflection stares back at me.
Calm.
Cold.
Certain.
"It'll be a line."
And once it's crossed—
There's no going back.
Because this isn't just business anymore.
And I don't step into things halfway.
Not war.
Not power.
Not her.