Episode 6: A GAME OF SECRETS

*Evelina’s POV*

I barely slept.

Even with my windows locked, the curtains drawn, and the faint hum of the city outside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted.

My father had never hung up on me before.

Not once.

But last night? The moment I mentioned Cassian Moretti, he shut me down like I had touched a live wire.

What the hell was he hiding?

I tossed the covers off, my body thrumming with restless energy. Lying in bed, overthinking, wouldn’t get me answers. If my father wouldn’t tell me the truth, I’d find it myself.

And there was only one person who could give me those answers.

Even if I despised him.

Cassian Moretti.

I didn’t let myself second-guess as I grabbed my bag, shoved my phone inside, and left my apartment. The drive across the city was a blur, my mind racing with every possible scenario.

By the time I pulled up to a towering black building, sleek and menacing against the skyline, my stomach was a tangled mess of nerves.

Cassian’s territory.

I had never been here before, but I didn’t need a map to know it belonged to him.

The guards stationed at the entrance. The blacked-out luxury cars parked outside. The sheer power radiating from the place.

This wasn’t just a building.

It was a fortress.

And I was walking straight into it.

I took a steadying breath and pushed through the heavy glass doors.

A polished lobby greeted me—dark marble floors, dim lighting, and a receptionist who barely glanced up as I approached.

“I’m here to see Cassian Moretti,” I said, keeping my voice firm.

Her fingers paused over the keyboard. Then she lifted her gaze, assessing me. “Do you have an appointment?”

I clenched my jaw. “No. But I doubt he’ll turn me away.”

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, to my surprise, she reached for the phone, murmured something into the receiver, and nodded toward the elevator.

“He’s expecting you.”

Of course he was.

I stepped inside the elevator, watching as the doors slid shut. My pulse pounded as I ascended floor after floor, higher and higher.

When the doors finally opened, I stepped into a dimly lit office—spacious, elegant, and suffocatingly quiet.

And there, leaning against his desk like he had all the time in the world, was him.

Cassian Moretti.

His gaze flicked over me, dark and unreadable. “You came faster than I expected.”

I crossed my arms. “You knew I’d come?”

He smirked, stepping closer. “Of course. I know you better than you think, dolcezza.”

The nickname sent a shiver down my spine.

I lifted my chin. “What do you want from me, Cassian?”

His smirk faded. “It’s not about what I want.” He circled me slowly, like a predator toying with its prey. “It’s about what you want.”