Page 19 of The Shadow King's Brother

“—fucking. Amazing?” I finish for her, a boyish grin spreading across my face. It’s the most relaxed I’ve felt all day.

She sends me a smile back, a knowing one, baring her teeth in a smirk that always manages to kill me inside, and I let it.

I pull her close, both of us still partially undressed, and press a gentle kiss to her hair while zipping up my pants.

“Put on your skirt,” I say, my voice rougher than I intend. “I don’t want you to get cold.”

She nods, her eyes sparkling. “As you wish, boss,” she teases, winking.

Another smile melts whatever resistance I have left inside me. I turn away as my phone vibrates in my pocket.

It’s Gio:

‘I ran the license plate through Jackson’s contact. The car belongs to some unknown company.’

My fingers move fast.

‘What company?’

The dots appear. My breath hitches. A cold feeling spreads through me as the response comes back:

‘Broad Corporation.’

Behind me, Nia gasps.

I see her jaw drop—just before mine.

Chapter4

Victoria Galli

The mansion isquiet after the chaos of the hospital. And the office…

I blush, thinking about Elio—his hands on me, his commands, his raw intensity. The way he is. It all plays on repeat in my mind.

The bedside lamp casts long shadows across the ceiling. I lie in bed, staring at the wallpaper, my mind racing, refusing to shut down.

And then there was Gio’s message:The car belongs to a company called the Broad Corporation.

It can’t be a coincidence. I know it’s not.

First, the B.C. in the office files. Then Jackson’s words about a mysterious note with B.C. scrambled under some names and addresses. And now, a car following us—registered to the same company.

I swallow hard and turn.

It’s been a long day. A hard one.The baby. Elio’s mother. B.C.

I can hear Elio moving around next door, his voice is a low murmur. He’s on the phone, checking in with Gio, making sure Celeste is safe I’m guessing. I can picture him, his brow furrowed, the tension in his shoulders, but also that soft look in his eyes.

I like seeing him like that, giving a damn about someone other than me.

Not that I’m the only one he cares about, but... it’s different now.

It’s like seeing a new side of him, a softer one. It reminds me that he’s not just the hard shell the world sees…

Sometimes, he reminds me of my father.

They were close, I know that.

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