Jade stepped out of the shower, her skin still warm from the steamy water. She wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel and ran a hand through her damp hair, sighing as she tried to shake off the weight of the past few days. The safe house was quiet—almost too quiet—but the faint aroma of something savory wafted through the air, making her stomach rumble.
“Thiago must be cooking,” she murmured to herself, smiling faintly. If there was one thing that could momentarily distract her from the chaos, it was Thiago’s unexpectedly amazing culinary skills.
She pulled on a soft pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, taking her time as she combed through her hair. The smell of garlic and herbs grew stronger, and Jade’s curiosity got the better of her. She slipped on a pair of socks and was about to head downstairs when a sharp voice from Enzo’s room stopped her in her tracks.
“Son of a—” Enzo’s furious voice rang out, followed by the distinct thud of something heavy hitting the floor.
Jade froze, her hand hovering over the banister. Her pulse quickened as she heard him again, this time louder, angrier.
“They bombed my warehouse!”
Her heart sank. Bombed? The word echoed in her mind as she stood rooted to the spot, her mind racing.
“Are you serious?” Milan’s calm but icy tone followed, cutting through the tension.
“Dead serious,” Enzo spat. “They didn’t just sabotage it—they blew the damn thing sky-high. Half the inventory is gone, and the rest is either destroyed or unreachable.”
Jade edged closer to the bedroom door, her breath shallow. She knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but her feet wouldn’t move in the other direction.
“This is getting out of hand,” Thiago’s voice added, the usual playfulness completely gone. “First the house, now the warehouse. What’s next?”
Enzo let out a string of curses under his breath. “She’s escalating. Vivienne’s trying to hit us where it hurts. She knows how important that shipment was to my operations, and now it’s gone. All of it.”
Milan’s voice was cold and calculating. “Do we know for sure it was her?”
“Who else would pull a stunt like this?” Enzo shot back. “She’s been gunning for us for weeks. First the house, then the shipment, and now this. She’s sending a message.”
Jade leaned against the wall, her head spinning. She thought things were already bad after the house fire, but this? This was on another level entirely. Her stomach churned as she realized just how dangerous this game had become.
“What’s the damage?” Milan asked, his voice low but steady.
Enzo let out a bitter laugh. “Millions. And that’s just the financial hit. The damage to my reputation is going to cost even more. People are going to think I can’t protect my assets.”
“She’s not just attacking us—she’s trying to dismantle everything we’ve built,” Thiago said, his tone grim.
“We can’t let her win,” Milan said firmly. “We’ll retaliate, but we need to be smart about it. If we act impulsively, she’ll have the upper hand.”
Enzo groaned, clearly frustrated. “I don’t want to be smart—I want to end this.”
“That’s exactly what she’s counting on,” Milan replied. “Stay focused. We’ll find a way to hit back without exposing ourselves further.”