The body lay cold on the hardwood floor, a dark pool slowly spreading around its head. The coppery scent of blood hung heavy in the air. Detective Lila Novak crouched beside the corpse, studying the wound with intense concentration. A single bullet hole pierced the temple - the mark of a professional hit. She glanced up as the lead forensics tech approached, a grim expression etched on his face. "Looks like the work of the Petrov syndicate," he said tersely. "Same MO as the other two hits last week." Lila's brow furrowed. The Petrovs had been quiet for months, biding their time. But now, in a span of mere days, they were sending a brutal message to their rivals. The stakes had just gotten much higher. Rising to her feet, she surveyed the opulent penthouse suite. The victim was clearly someone important - the furniture alone likely cost more than her annual salary. Her gaze fell upon an ornate antique pistol, the only object out of place amid the gleaming marble and polished mahogany. It looked almost ceremonial. "Bag and tag that," she instructed her team, pointing at the pistol. "I want every detail analyzed, from the serial number to the fingerprints on the trigger." As her people went to work, Lila stepped out onto the balcony, drawing in deep breaths of the night air. The glittering lights of the city stretched out before her, an endless sea of secrets and lies. She had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning. The Petrovs never did anything half-measured. This was an opening salvo in an all-out war - one that would drag her down into the darkest depths of the criminal underworld. Lila squared her shoulders and turned back to the gruesome scene within, ready to unravel the web of intrigue surrounding this killing. She knew the price of failure would be paid in blood - and not just the blood pooling at her feet. This case would test her wits, her nerve, and the very limits of her humanity. But Detective Lila Novak always got her man. Or in this case...men. It was time to go hunting, and pray that the beasts she was stalking didn't turn on her first. The game was on, and the stakes had never been higher. She had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning. The Petrovs never did anything half-measured. This was an opening