Chapter 9: A Feast of Iron

Thursday evening arrived with a heavy downpour that slicked the streets of Manhattan in shimmering neon light.

In the dining room of my penthouse, a long mahogany table was set for three. Crystal stemware, silver cutlery, and fresh white orchids decorated the polished wo

Chapter 10: The Unspoken Vow

The heavy double doors of the private dining room slammed shut with a resounding echo, cutting off the last of Julian Maroni’s panicked, high-pitched stammering.

He had left the penthouse in a state of complete hysteria, practically dragged out by his own horrified bo

Chapter 11: The Corsican Envoy

The rain had cleared by dawn, leaving Manhattan scrubbed in a brittle, cold sunlight. From the penthouse balcony, the city below looked like an oversized chessboard—and for the first time in three years, I was playing as the Queen rather than a pawn.

At nine in the m