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The Night Before...
"They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
The cold wind swept in from the cliffs below, carrying with it the scent of salt and earth, mingling with the coolness of the night. The moonlight reflected off the sea, casting an eerie glow on the rippling waters far beneath us, making the entire scene feel like something pulled from a dark, dream.
Valentino took a deliberate drag from his glass, whiskey swirling in the crystal, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. "Well, Carmello," he said with that razor-sharp grin, "I'm literally fucking mine. It doesn't get closer than that." His smirk stretched across his face, a mix of amusement and something far more dangerous as he leaned casually against the railing of the balcony.
I slowly reached into my pocket, the movement deliberate and almost reverent, and pulled out the small ring box.
The weight of it in my hand felt heavier than it should have been, not because of its physical mass, but because of what it symbolized. Without a word, I extended it toward him, the gesture quiet but charged with significance.
Valentino's gaze dropped to the box, his expression unreadable, though I could see the subtle tension in his jaw. His hand hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. The box seemed to carry the gravity of an entire legacy, one that neither of us could ignore, no matter how much we might have wanted to.
Inside was a ring that gleamed faintly even in the dim light—a polished band of golden and obsidian, elegant and stark. It was crafted with meticulous care, every detail precise. The Rossi crest was etched into the surface with delicate intricacy, the curling patterns of the family's sigil like veins of dark ink running through stone. A single, blood-red garnet sat embedded in the center, its fiery glow subdued but undeniable, like a restrained promise of power.
"It's almost an exact replica of yours, just as you requested," I said quietly, my voice barely breaking the stillness. I watched as his fingers traced the ring's contours, his touch almost reverent, though his expression betrayed nothing.
He scoffed, taking another slow drag from his drink, his focus momentarily lost to the horizon.
The sky above us was deep and velvety, a blanket of navy that stretched infinitely into the dark, the stars scattered like diamonds, glimmering cold and distant. Midnight had settled over the world, and with it, the heavy silence that only seemed to amplify the pounding of my pulse.
The wind whipped through the night, carrying the briny scent of the ocean, mingling with the deep bass of waves crashing against the jagged rocks below. It was as if nature itself was providing a soundtrack to this delicate, dangerous moment, where one misstep could tip the entire world into chaos.
