Freddy’s POV

The first time I saw Aliana step into my world, she had been vulnerable. A woman betrayed. A woman with nothing. Now she was something else entirely.

She wasn’t just surviving. She was thriving and I wasn’t sure if I should be proud or pissed.

We had just finished handling some business at one of my warehouses—an arms shipment that had finally cleared customs after a long wait. Everything was running smoothly. Until Aliana decided to make a move.

I stood alongside Desmond by the loading docks, observing my team perform last inspections on the shipment. The scent of metal and oil lingered in the air, accompanied by...