CHAPTER TWO

>>VINCENZO'S POV

>>>THE DE LUCA COOPERATION

I was power.

That was what the people whispered whenever I walked past.

That title, it stubbornly stuck to me like smoke to the fire as I peered down at the wasted man afore me.

"Please," he whimpered as I pushed the knife deeper into his palms.

"Tell me what I want," I said to him with an evil smirk, enjoying seeing the pain that rippled over his face.

"I know... Nothing," he whispered.

He screamed as I drew the blade out with force, his tied form jerking in the seat.

I carefully wiped the blood on the knife on his bloodied clothes.

"Then, I have no use for you," I said.

"I don't..."

The sharp blade in my hands sliced across his neck smoothly.

The man stared starkly at me in surprise as blood gushed out of his neck.

I watched life drain out of him, stepping back so the blood wouldn't touch me.

He gurgled, choking helplessly on his own life force before slumping, dead.

"Take the body away," I ordered as I took a seat with a deep sigh.

It was yet another dead end.

I leaned back heavily in the high back leather chair and pondered on my failing investigation which irked me.

I needed to find them, soon.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused me to open my eyes.

One of my escorts took a step closer to me, avoiding my eyes.

"What is it?" I demanded, sitting up with a groan. He shuffled his feet.

"Capo, your phone keeps buzzing. There's a board meeting, about some stock thing," he informed me.

I felt my brows crease in annoyance.

Those little rats! They could never get anything properly done.

"We shall head to the office," I snapped as I took my phone from his outstretched hands. He nodded and led the way.

The drive there was silent, but my mind was not, in any way.

It was occupied with many thoughts; my plans for the future and the things playing beyond my control.

"We have arrived sir," the voice of a guard drew me in after he opened the door.

I sighed and got out of the black Audi.

I stared up at the De Luca Cooperation.

It was a tower with glass that shimmered under the sun.

And it was mine.

Every single thing that lay behind those walls belonged to me.

I nodded at the guards who flanked my side as I walked through the main doors.

My phone began buzzing nonstop in my pocket but I chose to ignore it.

I took the elevator to the boardroom that was on the top-floor of the ten floor building embalmed in glass.

The executives who waited there all straightened at my entrance.

“Good morning, Signor De Luca,” flew in as greetings from all sides.

I ignored everything and took a sit at the head of the table.

"Who messed up the stocks?!" I snapped.

Silence swallowed the space.

Marco, the financial head hurried to the front as they all settled in.

He nervously brushed his coat with his arms as he stared at me.

“Shall I wait an hour more for you to speak?” I demanded harshly.

He nodded as he scampered closer to the table after turning the projector on.

"The mees up was not from us," he began, shaking anxiously.

I leaned back in my seat.

"The financial team has been watching the stock trends recently due to the last drop," he continued.

"And why did it drop?" I said, tapping my fingers lazily against the table.

"That is linked to the supply delay from the Milan branch from the last quarter sir,” he explained while flipping through the slides on the white screen.

I could see that he was trembling like a chick out of water.

“But we’ve made some new deals with a French distributor—”

“That is not good enough,” I said, sitting up and staring straight at him.

He seemed to wither under my obvious scrutiny.

“We don’t follow the market but lead it. I want someone better by the end of today, am I clear?” I snapped.

My voice sailed through the tension that swallowed the boardroom.

There was silence for a moment before the sound of agreement claimed it.

"Continue," I said.

The meeting went on with Marco and the other speaking about numbers and takeover strategies.

But, I barely listened.

My mind was already three steps ahead as I sat there, contemplating.

Business was the other side of me, the clean side of my power.

The door to the boardroom opened, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see my right hand man, Julio walk into the space.

If it was someone else, I could have had his head for that.

But Julio was different.

He was my right hand, my eyes in the dark.

He walked up to me and leaned down.

“Leonardo Moretti has just sent you a marriage proposal,” he smiled.

I blinked once.

Then I smiled too.

So, the fish had taken the bait?

This was the best news of the day.

I knew that with this, a part of my problems would be solved.

I instantly stood, ignoring the confused looks going around the room.

“This meeting is over.”

“But sir—” Marco started.

“I said it’s over!” I snapped in a jussive voice that left no room for argument.

Julio followed closely behind me as I walked to my office, closing the door behind me.

I walked to the French windows that was overlooking the city.

A smile curved my lips as I slipped my hands into my pockets.

Leonardo had taken the idea, exactly as I had hoped.

I had easily had that seed planted at his favorite casino.

I never knew it would work because it was just a whispered idea, a false rumor.

But, it had happened.

If I said yes to this, Isolde Moretti would become my wife.

I knew who she was, of course.

Everyone did.

She was the famous spoiled daughter of the late Don Moretti.

She was a pampered woman who had been raised in luxury while I had grown up in blood and smoke.

We were nothing alike.

She had a soft heart while mine bore scars that would never fade.

But this wasn’t about her.

It was about a war, a silent looming one.

After Don Moretti's murder, I had noticed the movements of rogues.

There had been reports of deals being made in the shadows.

There was unusual attacks across the Mafia borders and rumors of betrayal.

The Moretti allies had all even turned against them.

It was obvious that someone wanted ear between the Mafia families and was stirring chaos on purpose.

That person didn’t care who burned as long as they got the throne.

I wasn’t stupid.

Someone was playing a game and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be a pawn.

This marriage was a door.

I was willing to step through it and be close to the Moretti's, closer than any enemy could ever hope to get.

I needed to find out who was pulling the strings and stop the war before it started.

The Moretti's were the key to uncovering this because my investigation had led to their father's death.

I would find the enemy.

“I would make sure that they will never see me coming.”

No one would.