**Stefano’s POV**

The gunshot still rang in my ears, a sharp, metallic hum that vibrated inside my skull. It drowned out the sound of my own ragged breathing. I stared at the red stain spreading across the white marble floor, watching the life drain from Joel in a slow, silent crawl.

Usually, when I dealt with a traitor or a failure, I felt a surge of cold satisfaction. It was justice. It was the law of my world. But today, I felt nothing but a vast, echoing emptiness. It was as if the bullet ...