He leans in slightly, closer to the camera.
“Then it will burn.”
The screen cuts to black.
The silence that follows is absolute.
No one moves.
No one speaks.
I close the laptop slowly.
Then I stand.
“Anton just declared war.”
Chapter 11 – Valeria
The morning after the chaos surrounding the package, I try to pretend like life can still be normal.
It can’t.
But I try anyway.
The Rusnak estate is quieter than usual, though “quiet” here still means armed men at the gates, rotating patrols, and the kind of tension you can feel even when no one is speaking.
Security has doubled. Maybe tripled.
I notice everything.
I always do.
And still—
I refuse to stay locked inside my head all day.
Today, I’m going to stop moping. Stop waiting. Stop sitting around like I’m already dead and just haven’t been buried yet.
Ellie and some of the other wives are going shopping for a gala that’s being held here in the estate in three days. They invited me. Insisted, even.
I almost said yes.
Almost.
But then reality reminded me what I’m dealing with.
Anton doesn’t care about events. Or crowds. Or timing.
And neither does the danger following me.
So I stayed back. It’s safer and smarter.
The ladies understood, of course. If you live this life, some things don’t have to be overexplained. But I’m not worried about being underdressed for the event, because Matteo already let me know he’s got it under control.
When he texted me earlier, he said, “I’ve got it under control. You’ll be the best-dressed there. Trust me.”
I don’t doubt him.
