Blood Ties

Rebuilding the Walls

The night after the explosion, the Moretti estate is a war zone. Emergency crews, armed guards, and anxious staff scramble to secure the property. Ariana stands in the midst of it all, her mind racing.

Sophia is calm, moving through the chaos with the same elegance as ever, but there's a tightness in her every movement.

Ariana quietly

Who did this?

Sophia without looking up

Someone who knows our past. Someone who wants to bring it all back.

Ariana looks at the ruined wall, the spray-painted words still fresh in her mind. Her gaze darkens, fury rising.

Ariana:

They won’t get away with this.

Sophia:

No. But you can’t fight this alone.

Darker Alliances

Later that night, Ariana sneaks into the basement. The place that smells of old leather and secrets. She pulls out a hidden drawer in the desk where her father kept files on his enemies and his allies. The name De Rossi stands out among the rest.

She slams the drawer shut and stands there for a long moment, breathing deeply.

Just as she’s about to leave, her phone buzzes. It’s an encrypted message from Luca.

Luca text

You’re not alone in this. Meet me at the old docks. Midnight.

Ariana stares at the message, something in her chest tightening. She knows what this means.

Midnight at the Docks

The docks are dark. A single light flickers above an old, rusted warehouse. Ariana’s steps echo as she approaches, her heartbeat loud in her ears. She finds Luca standing there, his eyes shadowed by the night.

Ariana:

This is where it all starts, doesn’t it?

Luca looking at her, deadly serious

It’s already started. But this? This is the part where you make your choice.

Ariana sharp

My choice?

Luca stepping closer

You can walk away. Go back to your life, to the shadows of your family. Or you can join me. We destroy everyone who threatens our bloodlines. Together."

Ariana stares at him. The stormy sea crashes against the docks below them, the wind whipping her hair around her face. She feels a sense of destiny, of something bigger than her, pulling her forward.

She doesn’t hesitate.

Ariana:

I’m in.

Family Ties Are Torn

The next day, Ariana confronts her mother in the study. Sophia stands by the window, watching the rain as she does every morning.

Ariana steely

I know what you did. What you’ve been hiding.

Sophia turns, her face unreadable.

Sophia calm

I was trying to protect you.

Ariana cold

From the truth? Or from the responsibility?