Veil of Shadows

Chapter One- Evangeline

The silence in the Moretti estate was suffocating. Even the walls seemed to hold their breath, afraid to betray the secrets they had witnessed over the years. My heels clicked against the marble floors, the sound echoing through the vast corridors as I made my way to my father's study—now, I supposed, my study.

The door loomed ahead, as heavy and imposing as the man who once occupied the room behind it. I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering over the brass handle, before pushing it open. The scent of leather and cigar smoke still lingered in the air, a reminder that, despite his absence, my father's presence was woven into every inch of this house.

The room was just as I remembered: dark wood paneling, shelves lined with books on philosophy and war, and the massive mahogany desk that had been the center of his empire. My father had built his kingdom from this very spot, making decisions that shaped the lives of everyone in this city—including mine.

I walked slowly to the desk, my fingers brushing over the smooth surface. There was a time when I had avoided this room, its darkness was too much for me to bear. But now, I had no choice. My father was gone, and the weight of his legacy had fallen on my shoulders.

Sitting down in his chair, I felt a strange mix of emotions. The leather creaked beneath me, familiar yet foreign, as if it resisted my presence. I could almost hear my father's voice in the silence, giving orders, making demands, never allowing weakness to show.

But I was not my father. I could never be him. And perhaps that was my greatest strength.The door creaked open, and I looked up to see Dante standing in the doorway. My older brother, his expression as unreadable as ever. Dante had always been the one more suited to this life—calculated, ruthless, a mirror image of our father in so many ways. But now, his eyes betrayed something I hadn't seen before: uncertainty.

"Evangeline," he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "The family is waiting for you downstairs. They expect you to make an appearance."

I nodded, knowing what was expected of me. "I'll be down shortly."

Dante studied me for a moment, his gaze hard, searching. "Are you ready for this? They'll be looking to you for guidance, but more than that—they'll be looking for any sign of weakness."

I met his gaze, my voice steady. "I know what they'll be looking for. And they won't find it."

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth—approval, perhaps, or relief. It was hard to tell with Dante. He had learned to mask his emotions as well as any of them.

"You were always stronger than they gave you credit for," he said quietly, a rare moment of honesty. "Father knew that, even if he never admitted it."

The mention of our father stirred something inside me, but I pushed it down, locking it away with all the other emotions I couldn't afford to show.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Dante, but we both know this isn't about strength. It's about survival. And that's something I'm very good at."

He didn't argue. Instead, he gave a curt nod and turned to leave, pausing only to glance back at me one last time. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."