"Enough of this. It was fun at first, but now it's just a waste of time." Nova exhaled, shaking his head. "Joel, grab the money. We're leaving."
As he turned away, done with the pointless back-and-forth, Dante's voice cut through the air, cold and controlled.
"This is the last time you walk away, BOY."
Nova didn't stop, but something about the way Dante said it made the back of his neck prickle.
Then, in a lower, venomous tone, Dante murmured something in another language that made Nova halt mid step.
The words reached him, sank in, and settled like a weight in his chest. He couldn't speak the language, he didn't even know what language it is. It's like it automatically translated in his head and he understood it: "I'll make sure you die this time."
For a moment, the rooftop blurred, everything fading into a muted haze except for the man behind him.
A sharp inhale through his nose steadied him, but the damage was done. Dante's words were made it seem it was hinting something.
It made him think of the night of the attack, the suffocating darkness, the sting of blood loss, just the thought of the word die made his blood boil.
Nova turned back sharply.
His usual smirk, his amusement, his easygoing bravado is gone.
His eyes locked onto Dante, colder than the rooftop breeze. No humor, no witty comebacks. A quiet fury simmering beneath his skin.
Dante held his gaze, but even he seemed to register the shift on Nova's expression. His smirk slightly wavered.
Nova stepped forward, closing the distance.
"Say that again," he said, his voice was even and eerily calm, but something in it was off.
Dante didn't reply.
Nova took another step, his body moving on instinct. His ability flared, sharpening as he focused everything onto Dante.
Lines of text flickered. Broken sentences and paragraphs surfaced, splintered and jagged.
- Dante Raines. Son of Ronan Raines. Mad Hounds. 26.
- Blood. Screams. Crimes. Murders. Drugs. Deals.
- Dante standing behind his father, conversing with a man in a business suit.
Nova's breath hitched. He was literally skimming through sentences to push harder, to find what he was looking for.
- Dante, standing in front of a large wooden desk in a dimly lit room.
- A map spread out across the surface of the desk, with several locations marked in red. An operation in motion.
- Dante's orders were clear. Capture Nova alive. Make an example out of him.
- Dante, standing in a dark office with a group of men.
- Scolding them of the failed capture of Nova.
Nova's fists clenched. A flicker of nausea churned in his gut, but he swallowed it down. His heartbeat felt loud in his ears, but his focus never wavered.
He realized it now. Dante had something to do with it.
With his death.
He was about to push further when…
"Are you seriously just gonna stare at each other all night?"
Nova exhaled sharply through his nose, blinking once.
Adrian Dennario strolled up near them, arms crossed, looking between Nova and Dante with an expression teetering between mild interest and impatience. "If we're doing dramatic tension, at least make it interesting."
Nova ignored him. He barely registered anything else except Dante's face. He could go deeper. He needed to get more.
Then another comment, one he had no patience for.
"God, this is painful to watch."
Nova's focus snapped, like a thread being cut. The flickering texts, the unraveling pieces of information was gone instantly.
He turned his head, slow and deliberate, his unwavering stare now drilling into Adrian.
Adrian, caught off guard for a second, scoffed and leaned against the bar, swirling his drink like he hadn't just flinched. "I came for entertainment, not this weird silent staring contest." His smirk returned, lazy and arrogant. "What, finally run out of your retorts?"
Nova exhaled slowly through his nose. Just for a moment, he let the silence stretch, savoring it.
Adrian clicked his tongue. "No comeback? Huh. Guess even leeches like you have limits."
Nova's fingers curled at his sides. Then he stepped forward.
His movements were unhurried, deliberate, each step cutting the space between them until he was close enough that Adrian had to tilt his head slightly to maintain eye contact.
A delighted twinkle danced in Nova's eyes, a hint of something unspoken and dangerous. Leaning in, his voice dropped to a near whisper, laced with amusement and something far more sinister.
Nova smirked, his voice a quiet hum. "You talk a lot, Adrian. But I wonder if you'd still have that mouth if people knew what really happens behind closed doors."
Adrian frowned.
"Like how family gatherings take on a whole new meaning for you." Nova tilted his head. "I mean your aunt, really?"
Adrian's grip on his glass tightened. His eyes darkened with something between rage and fear.
"Relax. For now, it's our little secret." Nova grinned but his eyes tole a different story. "Now, be a good little rich kid and drink your expensive liquor. Quietly"
…..
Caroline stood beside her sister, watching as Adrian stormed across the rooftop, his usual arrogance stripped down to barely-contained rage. His shoulders were stiff, his grip tight around the glass he hadn't even realized he was still holding.
Her gaze drifted past him, settling on the man he was marching away from.
The man was young, early twenties at most. His black dress shirt fitted slightly, unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, giving him an effortless mix of refinement and rebellion.
His face, sharp yet expressive, carried a natural ease. Tousled black hair, a bit unruly but not careless, framed his sharp features. His darkened black eyes held a gleam of amusement and calculation.
She didn't know him. But the way he carried himself, the way he had just shut Adrian up with a few carefully placed words was fascinating.
Adrian was a Dennario, a powerful family with enough money and connections to bulldoze over most people. Yet here was this man, standing there like he didn't care, like Adrian's status meant nothing.
Caroline crossed her arms, her curiosity piqued. "Who is he?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
Celine didn't hesitate. "Fillius Nova Alaric. The heir of the Strata Syndicate." She tilted her head slightly, watching as Nova turned back to Dante, seemingly unbothered by the leaving Adrian "And, apparently, not the type to be intimidated."
Caroline hummed in thought, her eyes never leaving Nova with a glimmer of something we have yet to uncover.