Lily flipped through the channels, her jaw tight. “I don’t see him,” she muttered. “Keep looking.”
Jazz’s stomach twisted as her gaze darted between the faces, searching, dreading. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime. They were all the top crime bosses. But... No Titus. At least, notyet.
“Federal authorities have executed a large-scale sting operation, leading to the arrest of multiple high-profile figures in an ongoing corruption case. Among those taken into custody is Senator Alistair Vex, who is now facing a slew of charges, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, and conspiracy.”
The footage shifted to a live scene. Vex, looking pale and stunned, was being led away in handcuffs. Cameras flashed, reporters shouted, but he kept his head down, lips pressed into a tight, furiousline.
Jazz’s stomach twisted. She clutched the back of the couch, her fingers digging into the fabric as thereality of what she was seeing hit her like a freight train.
This wasn’t Titus.
These were all his enemies.
Everything she thought she knew collapsed, the foundation of her world crumbling beneath her like a sinkhole opening without warning. The truth wasn’t just shifting—it was swallowing her whole. The pieces didn’t fit anymore. None of itdid.
Her mind raced. Had Titus been arrested, too, or just his enemies? Was he part of this or not? She grabbed her phone, hands shaking as she searched frantically for his name in the reports. Lily did the same, flipping between channels, scanning the news feeds.
Nothing.
Not a single mention of Titus Dante.
Only Vex. Only the men who had tried to move againsthim.
A choked sound of realization and dread came from the corner of the room. Jazz turned just in time to see her father stagger back, his griptightening around the edge of the table. His face had gone ghostly pale, eyes darting between the TV and his own shaking hands, like he could somehow change what he was seeing. His chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths, his lips parting soundlessly before the words finally brokefree.
“Oh, God,” he whispered. His voice sounded hoarse, barely audible.
He looked at Jazz, realization dawning in his wide, horrifiedeyes.
“He played me.”
Then, before anyone could react, Sam bolted.
Jazz snapped out of her shock. “Dad!” she called, but he was already gone, shoving out the back door, disappearing in the direction of hiscar.
Lily let out a low whistle. “Damn. The Dante really did it. He’s got his digital fingertips in so many pies, I can’t believe he pulled it off.” She shook her head, eyes locked on the screen. “I knew he was playing a long game, but this? This isnext level.”
But Jazz barely heard her. Her heart was pounding for a different reasonnow.
Where was Titus?
Jazz turned to Lily, her voice urgent. “I have to go. Ihave to find him.”
Lily’s expression softened, but she didn’t try to stop her. Instead, she gave a small, understanding nod. “Don’t worry about me. Go. Go find him.”
Jazz didn’t think. She just ran. If Titus had been arrested, if he had been taken in with the others, she needed to know. If he wasn’t—if he had somehow orchestrated all of this—then she needed to understand why he hadn’t toldher.
The drive was a blur, her hands white-knuckled on the wheel as she sped through the streets, barely registering the lights, the turns, the city flashing pasther.
Fear and hope warred in her chest. When she reached home, each step toward the door felt like it carried everything she had left unsaid. She flung the door open, expecting tofind him inside.
Nothing.
The house was empty.
Her breath came in short, panicked bursts as she moved through the rooms, searching for any sign of him. No clothes tossed on the chair. No shoes by the door. No half-finished drink on the counter. The floorboards creaked under her hurried steps, the echo of her own movement making the silence feel even heavier. Afaint scent of leather and spice lingered in the air, but it was fading, vanishing as if taking him with it. Jazz snatched a deep breath, desperate to hold onto the last trace of him, but it was already slipping away. Her chest tightened, the emptiness of the house pressing in around her like a weight she couldn’t shake.
Just silence.
