In the aftermath of Elena Voss’s fall, the city seemed to settle, at least on the surface. Her empire was shattered, and the factions that had once bent to her will were left to scramble for power. But beneath the calm, the tension simmered. The Vincenzos and the Santos families had once again come out on top, but the victory felt hollow. They had struck down an empire, but in doing so, they had made themselves more vulnerable than ever.

Lysander and Kylie stood on the balcony of ...