The low hum of music pulsed through The Queens, the bass vibrating in the walls, threading through the air like a living thing. Loreley sat in the dimly lit VIP booth, her fingers curling around a glass of whiskey, watching the crowd below.
Riley was beside her, her sharp eyes scanning the floor. "He's here."
Loreley didn't need to ask who.
Victor Solano had arrived.
He moved through the club with the grace of a predator who knew he had no natural enemies. His suit was immaculate, his expression unreadable as he ascended the stairs to the private lounge.
Loreley tilted her head, watching as he slid into the seat across from her, unbuttoning his jacket with effortless ease.
"Loreley," he greeted, his voice smooth as aged wine.
She swirled the whiskey in her glass before taking a sip. "Victor."
Riley's fingers twitched against the table, her distrust evident, but she said nothing.
Victor leaned back, assessing her. "I trust you've thought about my offer."
Loreley smirked, setting her glass down. "I don't trust men who offer things without a price."
Victor chuckled. "Smart." He steepled his fingers. "I'll be direct, then. I have the resources to rebuild the Moretti name—to give you back what your father lost. In return, I want Zayden Xandros destroyed."
Loreley studied him, her pulse steady, though something inside her coiled tight.
Victor was powerful. Unpredictable. He had no loyalty to any family, and that made him dangerous.
"You want me to go to war with Zayden," she mused.
Victor's smirk widened. "No, cara. I want you to win."
Silence stretched between them.
Riley shifted beside her. "And if she refuses?"
Victor turned his gaze to Riley, amused. "Then she wastes an opportunity."
He looked back at Loreley. "You have time to think, but not too much time. The Xandros empire is growing. If you wait too long, you won't have a choice—you'll just be prey."
Loreley held his gaze, then exhaled slowly. "I'll consider it," she murmured.
Victor nodded, satisfied. "Good." He slid a small black card across the table. "Call me when you're ready."
And then, just as smoothly as he had arrived, he was gone.
Riley exhaled sharply. "This is a mistake."
Loreley leaned back, staring at the black card. "Maybe." She downed the rest of her whiskey. "But I never make the same one twice."
The Moretti estate was unusually quiet that evening.
Loreley had just finished speaking with Liliana when she heard footsteps in the main hall.
A voice she hadn't heard this closely in years almost made her jump from the unexpected. "Loreley."
She turned slowly, and there he was.
Zayden Xandros.
His presence filled the room effortlessly, his tailored suit sharp against the dim lighting, his dark eyes fixed solely on her.
Loreley exhaled through her nose, folding her arms. "What are you doing here?"
Zayden hesitated, glancing toward the hall. "I came to see your mother."
"Why?" Loreley scoffed. "To make sure she dies quietly?"
His jaw clenched. "You know that's not why."
A tense silence stretched between them. Then, his voice dropped. "I heard you were back. In business, I mean."
Loreley's lips curled into a smirk. "So did the rest of the city."
He took a step closer, his scent—dark and familiar—flooding her senses. "I wanted to see you. One on one."
Loreley arched her brow, unimpressed. "And?"
His throat bobbed. "I regret how things ended."
Something sharp twisted in her chest, but she didn't let it show.
Instead, she laughed. "That's rich, coming from you."
Zayden sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Loreley—"
"No," she snapped, stepping toward him. "You don't get to stand here and talk about regret. You made your choice."
His gaze darkened. "I didn't have a choice."
Loreley let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "That's what cowards say."
Zayden inhaled sharply, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "You don't understand—"
"I understand perfectly," she cut him off. "You threw me away like I was nothing." She took another step forward, her voice lower, dangerous. "You let me be humiliated, discarded. While you just watched."
Zayden swallowed hard, something raw flashing in his gaze. "I didn't want to—"
"But you did," she whispered.
They were too close now. The air between them was charged, thick with something neither of them dared name.
Zayden's hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach for her.
But then a voice shattered the moment.
"You have got to be joking."
Loreley's blood ran cold. She turned just in time to see Brooks standing in the doorway, her face twisted in fury.
She stormed forward, her heels clicking against the marble, her pregnancy bump straining against the fabric of her expensive dress.
"You have some nerve," she hissed.
Loreley crossed her arms, unfazed. "What, exactly, are you upset about this time?"
Brooks let out a bitter laugh, eyes blazing. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're throwing yourself at my fiancée?"
Loreley raised a brow. "Funny. He came to me."
Zayden sighed. "Brooks, not now—"
"Oh, shut up," Brooks snapped, rounding on him. "She's playing you. Can't you see that?"
Loreley smirked. "Well, someone's a bit paranoid, huh?"
"I know you, Loreley." Brooks turned back to her, venom in her gaze. "You think you're so clever, but you're still that same pathetic girl, chasing after something you'll never have."
Loreley's smile vanished. She stepped forward, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"I don't want him," she murmured, every syllable slow, precise. "But I could take him if I did."
Brooks inhaled sharply, her face twisting with rage.
Zayden ran a hand down his face. "Both of you need to stop—"
Loreley leaned in just slightly, eyes locking with Brooks'. "If you were really so sure of him," she whispered, "you wouldn't be this afraid."
Brooks' breath hitched. And Loreley knew she had won.
Again.