lood in the Marble, to

a's

ike old rain and

the soft hum of history beneath layers of concrete. But something felt different now. May

en much since w

rning a hole in

n't ready. Because we knew, once we did, some

d quietly as we walked th

ust that he doesn't lie unle

s not

id. "It's

dn't a

could hear was Marco's voice-something he'd s

an, Luca. But not

understan

eginnin

a's

wo layers of encryption just to access the logs. The Riccis had always believed in physical a

ng the

a's father bleeding out be

ed through at least four anonymous proxies, and then conveniently dropped

s that someone had

te bouncing back to a server cluster in Berlin, then to R

a third-

one o

Ri

on the

access Marco's sealed a

e breach: four days

known what h

d him dea

, lit a cigarette, and sta

" I mu

cked up t

a's

ad belonged to my father's second cousin before it became a Ricci asset. Now, it wa

e perimeter,

the tape

d her arms but

led. The

ic.

o's

didn't recognize at first. B

ice low. "I think the orders are coming

leaned forwa

hesi

someone in the Ricci bl

s breath

ned f

tage cu

co De Luca. He was standing in a

t. I don't care wha

ice tr

or this. I bled. And if Marco is

in the

tur

e came

ina

seen e

room without

ten seconds late

from what

hat I hadn

a's

ll con

was clipped

ced th

ave a

But I've got so

le

cci archive. Someone accessed Marco's di

swo

more,"

liste

father-he wasn't

ani

m talk. Let him scream. They wan

idn't

e to scare the r

on who pulled

ive. Stil

hardened.

N

sita

tion order. His name's in the ove

led. "The

said. "But I'm g

a's

ands gripping the rusted rail l

," she sa

now it was

eone close to Mar

es

n't tur

didn't you

ould've made

ed. Bitte

lready

"I'm the only one who wants

face

t also confusion. Hurt. The kind of hurt that

amily killed mi

ked a

ey

blin

kept

Marco's death. My bloodline did that. But

speak for a

d, "Why are y

ry the

ecause when this is over,

alked bac

e edge of a city tha

vow I'd never

cci name to the ground

a's

it by

cluster labeled

l. Analog encoding i

a con

by fi

Riccardo Ricci

e I didn't expect

na's

dissenters from a shadow committee that governed Ricci and affiliated assets

lerio

ther wa

da

before M

't about

about

amilies we

a's

me through an h

of the c

"You'll want

d it

n a

at the name: O

na's

ed off on her

idn't

e didn'

ant to be the

I did

e else

it wouldn't c