The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the ceiling fan and the occasional rustling of pages as we pretended to study. The warm light of the lamp cast long shadows, but my mind was far from the equations and diagrams in front of me. My thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, tangled up in the words Fuse had casually dropped earlier.

It was so matter-of-fact, like he was commenting on the weather. But the certainty in his voice had left no room for denial.

I stared at the book in front of me, its words blending into a meaningless blur. Why Greco? Of all the people in the world, why him? He was frustrating, elusive, and worst of all—taken.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice the faint creak of the front door until Renzo glanced up, curiosity flickering across his face.

"Who's that?" Miles asked, craning his neck to see.

The answer walked into the living room a second later.

Greco.

My heart stuttered. For a moment, I thought I was imagining him, conjuring his image because he had been in my thoughts so often lately. But he was real, standing there as if he had every right to be.

I shot up from my seat, the world narrowing down to just him. I barely noticed the others exchanging confused glances as I moved toward him, my hands clenched into fists.

"You," I said, my voice shaky but insistent. "Why haven't you shown yourself to me? Why haven't you talked to me?"

He stopped in his tracks, his expression unreadable as he looked at me.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to see you? To hear from you?" I demanded, my words spilling out faster than I could control.

Greco opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, his phone buzzed loudly, shattering the tension.

He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening. "One second," he muttered, raising a hand as if to silence me.

I stood there, my emotions threatening to boil over as he turned away to take the call. His voice was low, his words clipped, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.

When he ended the call, he hesitated for a moment before turning back to me. "Sorry," he said, his voice softer now. "I have to go. We'll talk another time."

I stared at him, disbelief and frustration warring inside me as he walked out the door.

The room fell silent, the air heavy with unspoken questions.

"I know where he's going," Fuse said, his voice breaking through the quiet.

I turned to him, startled. His face was calm, but his eyes gleamed with a quiet intensity.

***

The car ride was tense. Fuse drove with a steady hand, his expression unreadable as we followed Greco's car through the dark streets. My heart pounded in my chest, each turn making me more anxious.

We stopped a few blocks away from a tall, imposing building. Its modern exterior was lit by soft, golden lights, but there was something ominous about it that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"A building?" I asked Fuse, leaning forward to get a better look. "What's so special about that place?"

"You'll see," he replied, his voice cryptic.

I reached for the door handle, determined to follow Greco inside, but Fuse grabbed my arm.

"Wait," he said firmly. "You can't just walk in there."

"Why not?" I snapped. "It's a hotel. Anyone can go in."

He shook his head. "It's not just a hotel. The hotel is a front. Where Greco's going is hidden, and you won't get there by walking through the lobby."

"Then how do we get in?"

"There's another way," Fuse said. He stepped out of the car, gesturing for me to follow.

I hesitated, glancing back at the building before trailing after him.

Fuse led me through a narrow alley that opened up into a dense thicket of trees. My shoes crunched against the undergrowth as we pushed forward, the hotel's bright lights dimming behind us.

"What is this?" I whispered.

"Just keep moving," Fuse replied, his voice low.

We emerged from the trees to find ourselves behind the hotel. A section of its outer wall had crumbled away, leaving a jagged opening big enough to slip through.

From inside came the sound of distant voices, loud and raucous like a rowdy stadium crowd.

"What's going on in there?" I asked, straining to hear more.

Fuse didn't answer. Instead, he motioned for me to stay quiet. As we approached the opening, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind a large tree.

"Someone's coming," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.

I held my breath, peeking around the tree as a man in a security uniform stepped out of the hole, lighting a cigarette. He stood there for a moment, scanning the area, before turning back inside.

"Let's go," Fuse whispered, tugging me toward the opening.

We slipped through the gap, finding ourselves in a dimly lit basement. The air was heavy with the smell of sweat, smoke, and something metallic that made my stomach turn.

Before I could take in my surroundings, a hand shot out of the shadows, yanking me backward.

I gasped, but the figure quickly clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Tac?" I managed to whisper when I recognized him.

He nodded, his expression grim. Behind him stood Jaco and a few others I didn't recognize.

"What are you doing here?" Tac demanded, his voice low and sharp.

Before I could answer, he turned on Fuse, shoving him hard against the wall.

"You don't belong here," Tac hissed, his hand tightening around Fuse's collar. "What do you think you're doing?"

Fuse smirked, completely unfazed. "What's the matter, Tac? Scared I'll expose your precious secret?"

Tac's jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I'm not protecting him," Tac growled, his voice dangerous. "I'm protecting her."

He glanced at me, his expression softening for a brief moment before hardening again.

"From what?" Fuse shot back. "The truth?"

Tac's grip on Fuse's collar tightened. "The truth won't matter if she gets killed before she hears it."

The words hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy and suffocating.

"Don't you get it?" Tac continued, his voice rising. "If they realize you don't belong here, they won't just throw you out. They'll kill you. Both of you. And you know who'll do it?"

He pointed toward the dark hallway ahead.

"Him."

I felt a cold dread settle over me as the meaning of his words became clear.

Tac released Fuse, stepping back with a look of warning. "You're in the devil's territory now. Don't expect any mercy."