The rain poured steadily outside, tapping against the windows of Nico office like a quiet rhythm in the background. The usual noise and movement in his headquarters had faded, replaced by an odd quietness.

He was doing great, but he was starting to hear some gossip. Rumors. Strange ones. Nico trusted his gut and man, was he was on high alert.

Betrayal wasn’t a new concept to him. In his world, trust was fragile, a currency that could be traded or broken at any moment. But loyalty? That was something he valued above everything else. It was the backbone of his power. His enemies feared him, but it was the devotion of his people that had kept him safe.

Until now.

Nico stood before the large mirror on the far wall, staring at his reflection. His expression was hard, but something weighed on him, something he couldn’t shake off. Caterina’s words still echoed in his mind, no matter how much he tried to push them away. "I can’t be part of your world."

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Without looking away from the mirror, he said, “Come in.”

The door creaked open and Ivan stepped inside. Nico had known him for years, trusted him like a brother, but something inside him twisted. A feeling he couldn’t ignore.

“What is it?” Nico asked, his voice sharp.

Ivan shut the door behind him. “There’s been a problem with our supply line,” he said, his tone serious. “Someone from the inside is leaking information.”

Nico’s jaw tightened. “Who?”

“We don’t know yet. But last night, one of our shipments was taken. Whoever did it knew exactly where and when to hit.”

Nico’s mind raced. His business had grown too big, too strong. There were always people who wanted to tear it down from within.

“Do you think it’s someone close to us?” he asked, his voice low.

Ivan hesitated for a second just a second but Nico caught it. “There’s something else,” Ivan admitted. “A guy named Stefano has been asking around too much, getting involved in places he shouldn’t.”

Stefano. A mid-level player in Nico’s operation. Reliable. Committed. Or at least, he had been.

Nico exhaled slowly. “Take care of him. Find out who he’s working with and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Ivan gave a nod but didn’t leave. “There’s more. The person feeding information… they might be someone you trust.”

Those words hung there, hurting more than any knife. Nico’s whole life was loyalty. If that's breaking, everything else will crumble.

“I’ll handle it,” he said, his voice firm. But his mind was already turning.

Who could he trust now?

Hours later, Nico was hiding in a dark alley, all tense and ready for anything. So, it turns out Stefano wasn't working alone. And get this? The rat was someone who'd been with Nico from day one.

The sting of betrayal burned, but Nico couldn’t afford to feel anything right now. He had to act. Fast.

Streetlights flickered overhead, throwing long shadows on the pavement. His men stood nearby, whispering among themselves. The weight of what was happening was pressing down on all of them.

A car pulled up, its tires screeching slightly against the wet road. Nico heart pounded as the door opened. Stefano stepped out.

But what made Nico’s blood turn ice cold was the man standing beside him—Vincenzo.

Vincenzo, his right-hand man. His most trusted advisor. The man who'd been there for every victory, every battle... now he's standing next to the man fighting him.

Nico clenched his jaw as Stefano took a step forward, his tone smug. “We need to talk.”

Nico’s eyes locked onto Vincenzo, betrayal and anger burning in his chest. “Vincenzo. What the hell is this?”

Vincenzo stayed quiet, his face blank, like he didn’t care. The loyalty Nico once saw in him was gone, like it had never been real in the first place.

“I never wanted things to go this way, Nico,” Vincenzo finally said, his voice empty. “But you didn’t leave me any choice.”

Nico felt way more betrayed than he thought he would. His mind was running wild, but this wasn’t the time to think it was the time to act.

“Take them down,” Nico ordered, his voice firm, no hesitation. There was no mercy in this game, not after he'd been stabbed.

His men moved instantly, ready to follow his command but before they could, a gunshot split the air. The streetlights above them flickered, then went completely dark. Everything disappeared into shadows.

○●○

Caterina had been keeping an eye on Nico for days, staying hidden, trying to figure out what was going on. She saw how he had pulled away from everyone, how his empire had started falling apart.

The second she heard the gunshot, she moved. She had her reasons for watching him, her secrets, but at that moment, nothing mattered more than reaching him.

By the time she walked to the street, everything was already falling apart. Nico’s men were fighting, but it was clear they were losing. Vincenzo and Stefano had planned this well and Nico had never seen it coming.

Without a second thought, Caterina pulled out her gun. She wasn't one to run from danger, she did learned to survive ages ago and now, Nico needed her to survive too.

She moved fast, taking down one of Vincenzo men with a clean shot to the chest before vanishing back into the dark. No one had expected her to show up, and that gave Nico side just enough of an advantage.

Nico caught a glimpse of her through the fight, his eyes widening in surprise. But there was no time for questions.

With her fighting alongside him, Nico felt a spark of confidence he hadn’t realized he had lost. They pushed through the madness, fighting back against those who had turned against him. Slowly, things changed.  Vincenzo was losing his power.

And finally, Nico was standing face-to-face with him, his gun pointed directly at the man he had once trusted. “You made a mistake,” he said, his voice calm but heavy. “You should have known I wouldn’t let this slide.”

Vincenzo smirk was sharp, but his eyes betrayed him he knew it was over. “You’ll regret this, Nico. Every last bit of it.”

Nico didn’t answer. One shot rang out, and Vincenzo hit the ground. Done.

The fight was over. His empire was still standing.

As Nico turned to look at Caterina, something passed between them. A silent understanding. She had come for him, just like he somehow knew she would. She wasn't just an ally, she was his equal in this cutthroat world.

And no matter what happened next, one thing was clear he wasn’t letting her go.

●○●

The rain kept falling as they stood together, the city lights spread out before them. They did made it through the night, but deep down, they knew this was just the start.