The engine growls beneath Adonis as he speeds through the Milan streets, the city lights blurring past him. His grip tightens on the wheel.
Handle it.
Giovanni's words replay in his mind.
He wants Juliet dead.
Adonis exhales sharply, his jaw clenching. He gave Giovanni an answer he wanted to hear. But that doesn't mean he's going to follow through.
He owes Giovanni nothing.
And Juliet…
He shakes his head.
He doesn't know why he cares. She's a cop. She's a problem he should have gotten rid of the moment she stepped into his world.
But he can't ignore the fire in her. The way she stands her ground. The way she looks at him—like she sees through him in ways no one else does.
That's dangerous.
For both of them.
He pulls into an underground garage, cutting the engine. The moment he steps out, Luca—his most trusted man—emerges from the shadows.
"You were at Giovanni's meeting," Luca says, his tone unreadable. "What did he want?"
Adonis meets his gaze. Loyal. Efficient. Deadly. Luca is the only person Adonis trusts with his life.
"To test me," Adonis replies. "And to send a message."
Luca frowns. "About?"
Adonis lets the silence stretch before saying, "Juliet Moretti."
Luca exhales sharply. "That detective?"
Adonis nods.
Luca's expression darkens. "You should have let me handle her from the start."
Adonis gives him a sharp look. "No."
Luca studies him. "Then what's the move?"
Adonis smirks slightly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I'll let her think she's winning."
Luca tilts his head. "And if she gets too close?"
Adonis doesn't hesitate.
"She won't."
But even as he says it—he's not sure he believes it.
Juliet's Apartment
Juliet moves on autopilot, her hands shaking as she pours herself a drink.
Adonis agreed to kill her.
She saw it. Heard it.
But deep down… something doesn't make sense.
She's been trained to recognize lies, to hear the shifts in someone's voice, to read between the lines.
And Adonis wasn't lying—but he wasn't telling the whole truth either.
She throws back the whiskey, wincing as it burns down her throat.
If she wants to survive this, she needs to get ahead of him.
She grabs her laptop and pulls up a file. Adonis De Luca—Criminal Record.
The son of Don De Luca. Arrested at nineteen. Sentenced to ten years. Released two months ago.
She scrolls down.
Charged with armed robbery, assault, and conspiracy.
She stares at the words.
It doesn't add up.
A man like him wouldn't get caught.
Her fingers hover over the keys. There's something missing.
A piece of the puzzle she hasn't found yet.
Her doorbell rings.
Juliet freezes.
She wasn't expecting anyone.
Heart pounding, she moves to the door, gripping the gun tucked at her waist.
She peers through the peephole.
Adonis.
Her stomach twists.
She inhales sharply, schooling her expression before unlocking the door.
"You've got some nerve showing up here," she says coldly.
Adonis leans against the frame, completely unfazed. Too calm. Too controlled.
"We need to talk," he says.
Juliet crosses her arms. "About what? How you're planning to kill me?"
Something flickers in his gaze—a flash of irritation, maybe even amusement.
"If I wanted you dead, Moretti," he says smoothly, "you wouldn't have seen me coming."
Her jaw tightens. "Comforting."
He steps inside without an invitation, forcing her to take a step back. His presence fills the room, too large, too suffocating.
Juliet watches him carefully as he surveys her space.
Simple. Clean. Too many locked drawers and hidden compartments.
"You were at the warehouse," Adonis says.
Juliet stiffens.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lies.
Adonis smirks. "You're good, but not that good."
Juliet holds his gaze. Unflinching. Unafraid.
"So what?" she says. "Going to get rid of me now?"
He steps closer.
Too close.
Every nerve in her body goes on high alert, but she refuses to back down.
"If I was going to kill you," he says lowly, "I wouldn't be here warning you."
Juliet narrows her eyes. "Then why are you here?"
Adonis exhales.
"Because Giovanni wants you dead," he says. "And I need to make sure that doesn't happen."
Juliet stares at him.
She wasn't expecting that.
"You're protecting me now?" she asks skeptically.
Adonis scoffs. "No. I'm making sure Giovanni doesn't get what he wants."
Juliet studies him.
There it is again—that unspoken thing between them.
She's spent years chasing criminals, but Adonis is different.
She shouldn't trust him.
But she also knows he's not lying.
Adonis steps back. "Stay out of my way, Moretti. Or next time, I might not be able to stop them."
Juliet watches as he walks out.
Leaving her with more questions than answers.
And the sinking feeling that she's just become part of a game she doesn't fully understand.