The grand ballroom was alive with power. Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over the marble floors, reflecting off the glittering champagne flutes held by some of the most dangerous men and women in the world. The air was thick with tension, deals being made in hushed voices, alliances forming and breaking in the span of a single glance.

But the moment she stepped in, everything changed.

Sara Isabella Aiello.

Not the weak woman Alessandro DeLuca had once broken. Not the girl who had loved him.

This Sara was different.

She walked with the presence of a queen, every step calculated, every movement exuding control. Dressed in an elegant yet lethal black silk gown that clung to her curves, she looked like sin wrapped in power. Her fiery red hair fell in loose waves down her back, and her emerald eyes held no warmth—only dominance.

By her side stood Luca Romano.

Not just her protector. Not just her closest ally. But her partner—in power, in crime, in life.

And walking slightly ahead of them, with all the confidence of someone born into this world, was Athena.

She was only a child, but she carried herself like royalty. Her green eyes—Sara’s eyes—scanned the room with sharp curiosity, the kind of awareness only someone raised in this world

could possess. The way she walked, the way she carried herself—it was all Luca. His habits, his attitude, his sharp smirks and bold confidence.

Alessandro saw them before they saw him.

For the first time in his life, he hesitated.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Sara was supposed to be a ghost, a mistake he couldn’t undo but could forget. But now, standing before him, she wasn’t a ghost.

She was a force.

And the worst part?

She wasn’t alone.

Alessandro’s grip on his glass tightened as he watched Luca place a possessive hand on the small of her back, whispering something in her ear that made her smirk. It was effortless. Natural.

Like they had been together forever.

Like she had never been his to begin with.

Alessandro squared his shoulders, his pride refusing to let him turn away. He was Alessandro Marco DeLuca—he did not falter.

He moved forward, his gaze locked onto Sara’s. He was close enough now to see the sharp amusement in her expression, as if she had been expecting this moment.

And then, before he could speak, Athena turned toward him.

For a moment, the air in Alessandro’s lungs vanished.

She looks like her.

The same green eyes, the same fierce fire in them. A replica of Sara, but there was something else—a sharpness he couldn’t place.Who are you?” Athena asked, tilting her head, her tone bold and unimpressed.

Alessandro blinked.

Luca chuckled, running a casual hand through the little girl’s hair. “No one important, sweetheart.”

Athena nodded as if that was the only answer she needed. Then, without another glance, she turned back to Luca. “Dad, can I have a drink?”

Sara smirked, watching Alessandro freeze.

Luca bent down slightly, brushing a hand over Athena’s hair. “What do we say?”

Athena rolled her eyes but grinned. “Please.”

Luca chuckled and signaled to one of the waiters, who immediately brought the little girl a drink. He handed it to her without hesitation, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

Alessandro’s blood ran cold.

Dad?

Something sharp twisted in his chest.

But no. It was impossible.Because Athena wasn’t his.

She was Luca’s.

Sara watched Alessandro’s expression shift, the flash of confusion and something else—something deeper, something she hoped would haunt him for years.

She lifted her champagne glass and smiled. “You look surprised, Alessandro.”

He forced himself to regain control, his expression hardening. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Sara’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. “And yet, here we are.”

Alessandro’s eyes flickered back to Athena, who was now sitting on Luca’s lap, talking animatedly about something while Luca listened with an amused smirk. The way he looked at her, the way he fit so effortlessly into the role of her father…

It made Alessandro’s stomach tighten.

He looked at Sara. “You disappeared.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did I?”

“You vanished for years,” Alessandro ground out. “And now you return… like this?”

Sara tilted her head, amusement glinting in her gaze. “Like what? Stronger? Untouchable? More powerful than you?”

Luca chuckled darkly, pressing a kiss to Sara’s temple, his hand gripping her waist possessively. “She was always meant for more, DeLuca. You were just too blind to see it.”

Alessandro clenched his jaw.

For the first time in his life, he felt like the outsider.

He had built an empire on fear, on knowing that no one could challenge him.

But now, he wasn’t the one in control.

Because Sara Isabella Aiello was no longer a woman who could be broken.

She was a woman who had already won.

And she had no intention of ever letting him forget it.