EVERYONE PRAISED THE MAFIA BOSS'S WEDDING SUIT. THEN I CUT ONE RED THREAD AND FOUND THE TRAP MEANT FOR HIM.

The second fitting took place in the same penthouse room, but the atmosphere was entirely different.

The bronze mirrors reflected a room devoid of champagne, wedding planners, or smiling designers. Bastion Vera was gone—currently being held in a private facility downtown until Luca decided what to do with him.

Vivien Cross stood in the corner, her face pale and drawn, her beautiful emerald eyes red-rimmed from crying. Two bodyguards stood directly behind her, their presence a silent, terrifying reminder of her house-arrest status.

Luca stood on the raised platform.

The new suit fit him like a second skin. The shoulder line was a masterclass in structure, the drape of the black wool falling with a heavy, fluid elegance that made him look like a dark king.

I knelt at his feet, adjusting the hem of his trousers. My fingers were steady, but my mind was counting the seconds.

"Perfect," Luca said, looking at his reflection. He turned his shoulders slightly, testing the movement. "It feels lighter."

"Because it doesn't have five ounces of surveillance gear in the lining," I said, standing up and stepping back.

Luca looked at Vivien in the mirror. "What do you think, my love? Is it up to your standards?"

Vivien let out a choked, desperate sob. "Luca, please... let me go. I’ll leave the country. I’ll never speak your name again. I only did what they told me to do! They said they’d freeze my family's assets if I didn't help them!"

"Your family's assets were already frozen, Vivien," Luca said, his voice flat, devoid of any anger or pity. "Because your father was stealing from my transport lines. You didn't do this to protect your family. You did this to pay off your own debts."

He turned back to me.

"Miss Ward, your work is impeccable. Marcus, prepare the payment. Double the agreed rate."

"Thank you, Mr. Moretti," I said, bowing my head slightly.

"But we are not finished," Luca said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the door. "The ceremony is tomorrow at noon. The tracker you removed is currently sitting in a lead-lined box in my basement, emitting a static signal to make the feds think I’m still at home. But tomorrow, they will expect that signal to move toward the cathedral."

"And if it doesn't?" I asked.

"They will realize the compromise has been discovered," Luca said. "They will launch their secondary plan. The Marcone family won't wait for the federal agents to arrest me. They will use the infrared marker to target my vehicle on the bridge."

"But the marker is gone," I said. "I cut it out."

Luca reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny, capsule-sized chemical tag I had extracted from his hem. He held it up between his fingers, the small glass tube catching the light.

"We need someone to carry the signal," Luca said. "Someone who can drive my decoy vehicle across the bridge while I take the private channel."

"Luca, no!" Vivien screamed, realizing what he was suggesting. "You can't do that! That's a death sentence!"

Luca ignored her. He looked only at me.

"I need a driver, Miss Ward. Someone who knows how to blend into the background. Someone who is... invisible."

I looked at the tiny capsule in his hand. I looked at the man who had the power to destroy me with a single word, but who had chosen to ask instead of command.

"I don't drive decoys for free, Mr. Moretti," I said, my voice steady.

A slow, genuine smile spread across Luca’s face. It was the first time I had seen him look human.

"Name your price, Clara."