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One of the dancers approaches, her sequined outfit leaving nothing to imagination as she slides onto the leather beside Nico. He absently places a hand on her thigh, but his eyes remain locked with mine.

"Explainexactlyhow he's more dangerous," I demand.

"Bianca has changed him," Nico says with a simple lift of his shoulders. "Their relationship, this child... it's given himsomething beyond the throne to fight for. Something personal. Transformation through love. It sounds like sentimental nonsense, but I've seen it firsthand."

I dismiss his romantic notions with a wave. "It's weakness, that's what it is."

"That's what I thought too," Nico admits, fingers sliding on the dancer's bare skin. "But it's not that simple. Having something to protect, someone to fight for... it's made him both more vulnerableandmore formidable. More willing to cross lines even our father would have hesitated at."

I lean back, processing the idea while maintaining my stone-faced exterior. "So tell me Nico… where do you stand in all this? Still the loyal younger brother to Luca, the chosen heir?"

Something shifts in Nico's expression, a crack that might be honest emotion breaking through his carefully maintained façade.

"Let's just say that things back home aren't always as Father planned them," he says quietly. "Some roles become... restraining over time."

The statement hangs between us, loaded with unspoken meaning. I study his face, searching for deception, for the trap I've been expecting since his message arrived.

"Why tell me this now?" I finally ask. "Why not remain safely in Luca's shadow if he's becoming so formidable?"

Nico dismisses the dancer with a gentle pat on her ass, waiting until she's out of earshot before continuing. "Because the Volkovs have larger plans that neither you nor Luca fully understand. Plans involving the child."

Ice forms in my veins. "Bianca's baby?"

"A child of mixed Ravelli and Volkov blood," Nico confirms, finishing his scotch in one swallow. "That's the ultimate alliance. The perfect puppet to control once they've eliminated both you and Luca."

The pieces rearrange themselves in my mind, a deadly chess game I've been playing with incomplete information.

My hands itch for violence, for the simplicity of a trigger beneath my finger rather than this web of betrayal and strategy.

"And you're telling me this out of brotherly concern?"

I can't keep the skepticism from my voice, and Nico's smile lacks warmth.

"Let's call it mutual self-preservation. I've never wanted the throne, Dante. But I do want to survive what's coming."

I signal for fresh drinks, using the momentary interruption to assess my brother's claims. If the Volkovs truly are playing both sides, my position is more precarious than I realized. But with Nico's information, perhaps there's opportunity within the chaos.

"What's happening with Bianca's pregnancy?" I ask once we're alone again, the dancers having moved to entertain other patrons.

"Placental issues, from what I've gathered. Nothing fatal, but enough to require regular monitoring." Nico twirls his fresh drink, watching the liquid swish beneath his control. "The doctors have ordered bed rest. Limited stress for at least two weeks before they continue to monitor."

I can't help the dark laugh that escapes me. "Being married to Luca qualifies as 'limited stress'? Poor fucking choice she made there."

"On the contrary," Nico counters, his expression serious. "I've never seen Luca like this. He's... devoted to her. Protective in ways that go beyond possession. He actually loves her, Dante. And that makes him unpredictable."

"Love is weakness," I respond automatically, the mantra ingrained by our father repeating in my mind even as Francesca's face flashes behind my eyes.

"So you've always said," Nico concedes. "Or perhaps it's just a different kind of strength than the one Father taught us to value."

The statement unsettles me more than I care to admit. It echoes too closely the things Francesca has begun whispering in my ear. Dangerous ideas about partnership, about shared power, about what we might build together.

I drain my second scotch, pushing those thoughts aside. "So the Volkovs are double-crossing me, Luca is distracted by his pregnant wife, and you're suddenly questioning your loyalties. Quite a night of revelations, little brother."

"Just providing information you need," Nico replies with a subtle shrug. "What you do with it is your choice."

"And if I choose to move against Luca now? While he's vulnerable?"

Nico meets my gaze steadily. "I won't stand in your way."