Ana stood on the terrace of the vineyard house, the Sicilian wind catching her hair as she stared out at the dying sun. The horizon burned gold and crimson—colors of war, colors of warning. She hadn't slept. Her skin still carried the ghost of Hayden's touch, but her heart beat with something darker now.
Purpose.
Inside, the house was silent. The strings on the evidence board still swayed slightly, like echoes of everything that had been exposed. Her past. Her parents' sins. Hayden's vengeance. And her own complicity.
She didn't deny it anymore.
What she felt for Hayden had crossed lines that couldn't be uncrossed. He was chaos wrapped in desire. And yet, she'd never felt more alive than when she was burning in his fire.
But now, it was time for her to face the man who had made her a pawn.
---
The jet touched down in Madrid under the cover of darkness. Ana wore black—fitted, sleek, unapologetic. Her father, Alexander Nicholas, had summoned her. Likely tipped off by Hayden's final move. He wouldn't say it aloud, but he was unraveling.
Good.
The family estate was quiet when she arrived. Guards lingered, eyes sharp, but no one stopped her. Not anymore. They didn't see the trembling daughter who left years ago. They saw something colder now.
She walked through the doors like a shadow.
Her father was waiting in the study.
"Ana," he said, standing. He looked older. Tired. But his smile was rehearsed, like always.
"Father."
He moved to hug her, but she stepped back.
His eyes flickered. "Still angry, I see."
"You had my mother followed," she said. "You threatened her. You blackmailed her."
"She was getting too close to the Morettis. I protected our name."
"You destroyed hers."
He sighed. "I did what had to be done."
Ana's jaw clenched. "And Hayden? What did he do to deserve losing his mother in a fire you started?"
Alexander's smile dropped. "He told you that?"
"He showed me everything. The letters. The recordings. The bank trails."
"You believe him over your own blood?"
"I believe *facts*."
He slammed his glass down. "That boy is manipulating you. Just like his father did to your mother."
Ana stepped forward, eyes flashing. "And what about you, Father? What have you been doing all these years? Pulling strings? Starting wars? Sacrificing your daughter's life for your pride?"
"I built this family," he growled. "You think Hayden loves you? He used you."
"Maybe. And maybe I let him. Because he showed me the truth. And because unlike you, he doesn't hide behind control. He *owns* his darkness."
Alexander stared at her like she was someone else entirely. "You're turning into your mother."
"No," she said, voice steady. "I'm becoming *me*."
She turned on her heel.
"Ana."
She stopped at the door.
"You're choosing him over me?"
She looked back, her expression unreadable.
"I'm choosing the truth. And if that means choosing Hayden... then yes."
She walked out, leaving the door wide open.
---
The drive back to the airstrip was silent. But her mind roared. She had confronted the ghost that raised her. And now she was ready to stand with the devil who broke her.
Hayden wasn't the end of her story. He was the beginning of something far more dangerous.
She dialed his number.
He answered on the first ring.
"I'm done running," she said.
A pause. Then his voice, smooth and deadly:
"Welcome home, *cara mia*."