Valentina.
The air in the room seemed to shift as Lorenzo stepped forward, commanding the space like he owned it.
Which… technically, he did.
He adjusted the sleeves of his suit with deliberate ease, his every movement calculated.
Matteo stood rigid beside me, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, the tension radiating off him in waves. Alessia lingered in the background, her sharp eyes darting between me and Lorenzo, as if waiting for one of us to slip up.
I could feel the weight of her gaze, but I refused to acknowledge it. Not now.
Not when I needed to focus.
Lorenzo stopped in front of the screen, gesturing at the blinking red dots clustered around the map.
“This,” he said, his voice smooth and measured, “is where Luca will make his final stand. It’s a secure location, heavily guarded, but not impenetrable.”
Matteo scoffed. “And you just happen to know this because…?”
Lorenzo smirked. “Because I have people on the inside, Matteo. People who are tired of Luca’s games and ready to see him fall. As we speak, my men are already on the move. The plan is simple, we hit him hard and fast, leaving no room for escape.”
“Simple,” Matteo repeated, his tone dripping with scepticism. “You don’t strike me as the simple type.”
“Ah, but sometimes simplicity is the most effective strategy,” Lorenzo countered, his grin widening. “Luca won’t see it coming because he’s too arrogant to believe anyone could outmanoeuvre him.”
“And what about Isabella?” I asked, stepping forward.
My sister was innocent of whatever plan Luca might conjure. He had to know that.
Lorenzo’s gaze shifted to me, his expression unreadable. “Isabella will be there. If we take Luca, we take her by default. They’re a package deal.”
Matteo’s jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists. “And what about casualties? Collateral damage?”
“Minimal,” Lorenzo said smoothly. “My men know what they’re doing. They’ve been briefed on who to target and who to spare. But let’s not pretend there won’t be blood, Matteo. This is the mafia, not a fairy tale.”
Matteo opened his mouth to argue, but Lorenzo raised a hand, cutting him off.
“Before you start lecturing me about morality, consider this. Luca wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who’s stands in his way and that includes you. He’s already proven that. If we don’t act now, he’ll consolidate power and become untouchable… so untouchable that Pedro would have to make him the Don of the Nevarro clan. Do you really want to let that happen?”
Matteo didn’t respond, but the tension in his posture told me everything I needed to know.
Lorenzo turned back to the screen, tapping a specific location on the map. “My men will create a diversion here,” he said. “That will draw Luca’s guards away from the main entrance, giving us a clear shot at him.”
“And you’re expecting us to trust that your men won’t turn on us the second we step inside?” Matteo asked, his voice sharp.
Lorenzo laughed, a low, mocking sound. “Trust is such a fragile thing, isn’t it? But for now, we have a common enemy. That should be enough.”
I studied Lorenzo as he spoke, watching the way he moved, the way he emphasized certain words. He wasn’t just outlining a plan, he was teaching Matteo, subtly guiding him on how to think and how to act.
How to be a Don.
It was a power play, and Matteo didn’t even seem to realize it.
But I did.
Every word Lorenzo said, every gesture he made, was calculated to leave an impression. He wasn’t just setting up Luca’s downfall; he was laying the groundwork for something bigger.
And I couldn’t afford to miss a single detail.
As Lorenzo continued, I caught Alessia watching me from the corner of the room. Her sharp gaze felt like a spotlight, and I had to force myself not to react.
She knew.
Or at least, she suspected.
I kept my expression neutral, my attention focused on Lorenzo, but my mind was racing. Alessia was too smart for her own good, and if she figured out what I was really after…
I pushed the thought aside, focusing on Lorenzo’s words.
“Once Luca’s guards are neutralized, we move in,” he said. “Isabella will be with him, likely in his private quarters. She’s not a threat, but she won’t go quietly, so be prepared for resistance.”
“And if she’s armed?” Matteo asked.
“She won’t be,” Lorenzo said confidently. “Luca doesn’t trust her with a weapon. He knows she’s dangerous enough without one.”
There was a flicker of something in his eyes as he spoke, something I couldn’t quite place.
Regret?
Guilt?
I filed it away for later.
Matteo stepped closer to the screen, studying the map. “And what’s your role in all this?”
Lorenzo’s smirk returned. “I’ll be coordinating from here, of course. Someone has to keep an eye on the bigger picture.”
Matteo’s lips curled into a sneer. “Convenient.”
“Necessary,” Lorenzo corrected, his tone light but firm. “If I’m in the field, I can’t ensure everything goes according to plan. And trust me, Matteo, you’ll want me watching your back.”
“I don’t trust you,” Matteo said bluntly.
Lorenzo chuckled. “You don’t have to. You just have to follow my lead.”
The tension between them was palpable, and for a moment, I thought Matteo was going to punch him.
But then the door opened, and a man dressed entirely in black stepped into the room.
“It’s done,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Lorenzo’s smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Excellent.”
“What’s done?” Matteo demanded, his voice sharp.
Lorenzo turned to him, his expression smug. “The first move, of course. Luca’s outer defences have been… neutralized. The path is clear.”
Matteo’s eyes narrowed. “You started without us?”
“Time waits for no one, Matteo,” Lorenzo said, his tone almost playful. “Now, are you ready to finish this?”
Matteo didn’t respond, but the fire in his eyes was answer enough.
I glanced at the man in black, trying to gauge his role in all this, but his face was unreadable. Something about him set me on edge, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
As Lorenzo and Matteo squared off, I felt Alessia’s gaze on me again, sharp and probing.
She knew I was paying attention, that I was soaking up every word Lorenzo said.
And she didn’t trust me.
But that was fine.
Because I didn’t trust her either.
As the tension in the room reached a boiling point, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come.
There was something Matteo wasn’t focusing on at the moment. Something that seemed quite crucial to.
Lorenzo was able to put us in a plan before we showed up, he was able to find Luca even when Matteo’s team couldn’t.
The man didn’t seem the type who would allow a stranger attend his party.
What are you hiding, old man?