Chapter 24
Midnight arrived once again over the grand skyline of New York City.
The charity gala downstairs was drawing to a close, the sound of classical music drifting faintly up to the roof.
Beatrice and Dante stood together on the private helipad atop the Halcyon Crown Hotel.
The city stretched out before them like an infinite sea of glowing lights, vast and full of untamed possibilities.
She leaned her head against Dante’s shoulder, his strong arm wrapped securely around her waist.
She had started the night as an underpaid supervisor hiding from cruel laughter in a hotel lobby.
Now, she was the head of a financial empire, feared by criminals and respected by titans of industry.
“What are you thinking about?” Dante asked softly, kissing the top of her head.
“I was thinking about how quickly a life can change when you stop hiding,” she answered truthfully.
“You were never hiding, Beatrice. You were just waiting for your moment.”
Her phone chimed quietly in her velvet purse.
She pulled it out, assuming it was a routine confirmation update from the hotel management team.
Instead, an unknown encrypted number had sent a single high-resolution image file.
Beatrice opened the attachment.
The photograph showed a dark room filled with glowing computer monitors displaying real-time live feeds.
One feed showed Beatrice and Dante standing right there on the helipad at that exact moment.
Another feed showed Maggie sleeping inside the Brooklyn townhome.
Below the live video feeds was a single line of text written in stark white letters:
“Congratulations on surviving Part One, Beatrice. But the real game hasn't even begun.”
Beatrice’s breath hitched in her throat as she stared at the glowing screen.
Dante looked down at the phone, his body instantly locking into lethal readiness as his eyes narrowed.
Somewhere in the sprawling maze of New York City, a new enemy was watching their every move.
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And this time, the threat was far larger than a few missing millions.
Beatrice looked out over the dark skyline, her hand tightening around Dante’s as the wind howled around them.
