Chapter 5 TORN LOYALTIES

Serena's body ached.

Every breath burned against her ribs, and her wrists throbbed from where Adriano had restrained her. But the pain was nothing compared to the hatred simmering inside her.

She lay on the bed, his bed wrapped in tangled silk sheets. The room was dark except for the faint flicker of the city lights beyond the window. She should've felt broken.

But she wasn't.

Not yet.

Her fingers trembled as she traced the marks left on her skin evidence of what he had done. Forceful. Unforgiving. Ruthless.

He thought he had won.

He was wrong.

The door creaked open, and Serena tensed as Adriano stepped inside. He didn't speak at first. He simply stood there watching her, his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the sharp edges of muscle beneath. There was no remorse in his expression. Only satisfaction.

"Still awake," he murmured. His voice was calm, but there was something raw beneath it.

Serena refused to look away. "I don't break easily."

He smiled coldly. "Good. I'd hate for you to be boring."

His words were casual, but the weight of his presence made her skin prickle. He moved closer, his eyes dragging over her body like a predator surveying his prey.

"You want to hurt me," he said softly. "I can see it in your eyes."

Serena's nails dug into her palms. "One day, I will."

Adriano laughed under his breath. "I almost hope you try." He tilted her chin up with a finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. "But until then, you're mine."

She wanted to spit in his face. Instead, she held his stare, her heart pounding in her chest. He wasn't just cruel, he was obsessed. And the more she fought, the more he wanted her.

One day, she would make him pay.

But tonight, all she could do was survive.

---

In Adriano's private study, Camila poured herself a drink.

The burn of whiskey did nothing to dull the anger clawing inside her.

Adriano had been distant for days ever since he brought Serena into their world. And Camila was done waiting in the shadows.

The door swung open, and she turned to find Santi lingering in the doorway. His jaw was tense, his usual arrogance replaced by something darker.

"You shouldn't be here," she said coolly.

Santi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "Neither should she."

The bitterness in his voice wasn't subtle.

Camila smiled thinly. "Jealous?"

"You think I'm blind?" His voice dropped lower. "I see how he looks at her."

A flicker of something sharp twisted in her chest. "He always comes back to me," she said, more to herself than to him.

Santi pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them. "Maybe he shouldn't."

Camila's breath caught as he reached for her, fingers brushing against her hip. There was no mistaking the heat in his eyes-he wanted her. And for the first time, she didn't push him away.

Because if Adriano wanted to play games, so could she.

---

Across the city, Diego Vega knew he was being reckless.

But as he pressed Isla De Luca against the wall of her apartment, his lips capturing hers in a desperate kiss, he didn't care.

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered, though her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.

Diego smirked, trailing his mouth down the curve of her neck. "And yet here I am."

He should've walked away, should've ended whatever this was before it spiralled out of control. But Isla was a drug he couldn't quit.

"What if they find out?" she murmured.

"They won't." But even as he said the words, Diego knew the truth.

Secrets never stayed buried in their world.

And if Adriano discovered he was sleeping with the enemy's daughter, there wouldn't be a body left to bury.

---

In the weapons room, Val slammed a crate shut.

"Careful, Chiquita," Javier drawled from across the room. "Those explosives are sensitive."

Val shot him a glare. "Keep talking, and I'll test one on you."

Javier laughed, leaning against the workbench with his usual cocky grin. "You're cute when you're angry."

"I'm always angry when you're around," Val muttered, adjusting the sight on a sniper rifle.

Javier tilted his head, watching her with dangerous amusement. "Maybe that's because you're too scared to admit you want me."

She froze, her breath hitching. "In your dreams."

"Every night," he said, his voice low and rough.

For a moment, the tension in the room thickened, crackling like a live wire. But before either of them could speak, the door slammed open.

Mateo stood in the doorway, his face hard. "We've got a problem."

---

Mateo's stomach churned as he walked back toward the main house.

Every time he looked at Adriano, the guilt grew heavier.

He'd been loyal to Adriano since they were boys through blood, war, and everything in between. But the ambush... the one that killed Adriano's brother... that was his fault.

And if Adriano ever found out?

He wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

But it wasn't just the secret tearing him apart.

It was Elena.

The mother of his child. The woman he still loved. And no matter how hard he tried to bury those feelings, they refused to die.

One day, the truth would come out.

And when it did, everything would burn.

---

Back in the bedroom, Adriano traced his fingers along Serena's bruised wrists.

"You're still angry," he murmured.

She jerked her hand away. "What did you expect?"

His smile didn't reach his eyes. "I expected you to hate me."

"I do," she whispered.

But even as she said it, her body betrayed her.

And Adriano noticed.

"You can hate me all you want," he said softly. "But you're still mine."

Serena's heart pounded as he leaned closer, his breath brushing against her lips.

One day, she would destroy him.

But for now, she was trapped.

And the most dangerous part?

A small, broken piece of her wondered if she would survive him.