The morning after the declaration felt like waking up inside a storm she had not consented to.

Elena stared at the headlines sprawled across her desk, each one louder than the last.

"Moretti Aligns with Rossi Heiress - Unlikely Alliance or Last Gamble?"

"Alessia Romano Frozen Out? War Inside the Rossi Empire."

"Two Dynasties, One Lifeline: Can They Save Rossi?"

She pushed the stack away as though they might burn her. It was one thing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Dante in front of the ...