Chapter 158 – Valentino Jr. POV
The champagne's still fizzing in my glass.
The fire's still glowing on the news feed.
I'm lounging, shirt half-unbuttoned, a lazy smile pulling at my mouth as I scroll through message after message—chaos in the streets, Castellano associates going underground, minor factions already reaching out to "negotiate."
It's working.
It worked.
And then the feed glitches.
For a moment I think it's over. A blackout. Static.
But no.
It shifts.
Live broadcast. Emergency press address.
And there she is.
Daphne Han.
Alive.
Bloodied. Limping. Arm wrapped in gauze, left temple caked in dried blood. The collar of her blazer is torn, and she walks like every step is made of glass, but she walks anyway. Straight to the podium. Straight into the spotlight.
I sit up slowly, the glass forgotten in my hand.
The press is silent.
Security surrounds her like a wall of shadows, but she doesn't hide behind them. She stands in front. Exposed. Battered. Breathing.
