SANTORINI

.
,
SANTORINI POV.
.
.
.
I sat in my private room, thinking about how things had changed. When I stepped down as boss, I put Knight Colby in charge. I thought I could control him. But I soon saw that he had fallen hard for Lori; a woman he cared for much too much. I had played a careful game. I told Lori I loved her, and she believed me. But in truth, I never loved her. I only wanted to use her as a lever against Knight if he ever made a mistake.
The door opened, and my second in command, Vincenzo, walked in. His face was tight, and he wasted no time getting to the point.
“Boss, we have a problem,” Vincenzo said, his voice low and steady. “The drugs from India. They were stopped. Knight intercepted the shipment.”
“Vincenzo, why did Knight stop my drugs? Was it simply because I didn’t inform him?” my voice was laced with venom.
Vincenzo’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. “Boss, I believe he wanted to prove his strength. He thinks he can act on his own, that he is more powerful than you. He stopped the drugs to show he doesn’t need your word.”
Paolo interjected sharply, “Exactly. It’s not just about the drugs, Boss. It’s about sending a message-he’s trying to rewrite the rules. And that is a challenge I cannot ignore.”
In that moment, my personal assistant, Paolo, entered the room. He always had a sharp tongue and a keen eye for betrayal. He crossed his arms and said, “A dog like Knight always tries to show his teeth until one day he bites back. He thinks he is smart, but he has crossed the wrong man.”
I gave a small smile at Paolo’s words, though it was not a smile of warmth, but one of cold calculation. “Exactly,” I replied in a measured tone. “Now is the time to act. This is the perfect moment for plan B.”
Paolo nodded. “Plan B is our secret card. Use Lori to corner him. We know his heart is tied to her, and if we control her, we control him. He will be weak when he least expects it.”
I leaned back in my chair, letting the silence fill the room for a moment as I thought over our next moves. “Lori must believe that I care for her. She must think I am her ally, her friend. But I will make sure she understands that in the end, she is just a tool for our plan. Knight never saw it coming.”
Vincenzo stepped forward, his eyes intense. “Boss, are you sure about this? Using Lori means playing with fire. If she finds out the truth if Knight finds out how you truly feel…”
I cut him off sharply. “Vincenzo, listen to me. In our life, we learn that trust is a fragile coin. Knight has already broken that coin by betraying me with his act. I never cared for Lori in the way she thinks I do. My affection was a mask-a means to an end.”
Paolo added, “He may look like he is in love with her, but that is his weakness. Our plan works only if we keep this charade alive long enough for him to drop his guard. When he is distracted by the idea that I care for her, we can strike.”
I paced the length of the room slowly. “Knight has always been ambitious, and that ambition makes him rash. He will take risks that should be off-limits. I knew it when I made him boss-I thought I could tame him with a little pressure. Now, with the shipment stopped, he knows I am not a man to be trifled with.”
Vincenzo’s eyes, dark and full of worry, met mine. “What do you want me to do, Boss?”
“First, I want you to keep a close watch on Knight’s movements. Monitor his contacts, his calls-anything that can tell us where he’s moving next. I want to be ready for his next step,” I commanded.
Paolo, always the one to make sure details were not lost, quickly scribbled notes on a pad. “I will send out word to our people. They will act as watchers on the street. The moment we see any change in Knight’s behaviour, we jump on it.”
I paused, looking out the narrow window as the city lights flickered like distant stars. “And what about Lori?” I asked quietly.
Paolo replied without missing a beat. “I will approach her personally. I will remind her of our bond. I will let her see that I care for her-what she needs to hear. When she sees how devoted I am, she will trust me completely. Then I will plant the seeds of doubt about Knight.”
The plan was dangerous, but every move we made in our line of work was. I knew that trust was something bought and sold in the shadows, and now I was buying loyalty with lies.
“Good,” I said as I turned back to Vincenzo. “Make sure that every detail of this plan is set in motion. I do not want any surprises. If Knight thinks I am soft, then he will truly believe he is untouchable.”
Vincenzo gave a respectful nod and said, “I understand, Boss. We will get this right.”
Paolo looked at me with a touch of sympathy in his eyes. “Boss, sometimes I think you forget that in our world, the strong are the ones who control the fate of the weak. Knight thought he was strong, but he will soon learn that my master never truly lets go.”
A moment of silence settled over us as each of us contemplated the next phase. I could almost see the chessboard of our lives before me. Each piece was in place, and now it was time for a decisive move.
“Remember,” I said firmly, addressing them both, “we play the long game. Trust is our enemy, and we must use deception to our advantage. Knight’s ambition has blinded him, and with Lori in the mix, he will soon be caught off guard.”
Vincenzo replied softly, “I will not fail you, Boss.”
Paolo added, “I will do all I can to make sure Knight pays for his betrayal. He will regret underestimating you.”
I leaned forward, voice low and resolute. “Let him come. I have planned every move. Knight is walking right into our trap, and once he does, there will be no turning back.”
I snarled, “A challenge he’ll soon regret. We need to bring him down. I want him to pay for every move he makes without my approval.”
Vincenzo crossed his arms. “So, Boss, what is our first move? Do we confront him directly or work from the shadows?”
I replied slowly, “We work from the shadows. We play on his arrogance. We let him think he is smart, then we make him choke on his own ambition.”
Paolo added eagerly, “We use Lori for this, Boss. She is the key. If we control her, we control Knight. I’ll make her believe that our bond is unbreakable, and then I’ll let her see how his decisions hurt us all.”
I nodded. “Right. Paolo, go meet Lori. Remind her of our ‘bond’-make her see that loyalty runs deep with me. Tell her that our future depends on stopping Knight’s reckless moves.”
Paolo’s voice was firm, “Understood, Boss. I’ll remind her how much you care. I’ll make sure she thinks I’m on her side, and that Knight’s betrayal is tearing our world apart.”
Vincenzo then asked, “And what about the shipment? How will we twist this setback against him?”
I leaned forward with a steely gaze, “We expose his mistake. I’ll let it be known that he stopped my drugs. Not because I asked him to, but because he thought he was above me. That is our opening. Once our people know he acted on his own, his image of strength will crumble.”
Paolo smirked, “He’ll be seen as a loose cannon, Boss. One who defied his own bloodline. Our allies will lose faith in him. They’ll begin to doubt his judgment.”
I said, “Yes. And while he’s busy patting himself on the back for thinking he’s independent, we will move in. Vincenzo, I want you to track every call he makes, and every step he takes. I want details.”
Vincenzo replied without hesitation, “I will follow him every minute, Boss. Every word, every move. I promise you there will be no surprises.”
I continued, “Remember, the reason he stopped the drugs is his own pride. He believes he can run things without me. That pride is his weakness. Now, Paolo, tell me exactly how you plan to manipulate Lori.”
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
THE NEXT CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN SOME HARMFUL WORDS AND EROTIC CONTENT AND IT MUST BE STRICTLY 18+.