Chapter 40

Matteo’s POV

By the time I stepped into the office, I was already irritated, not even because of the board or the Angelos. Not even because of Giovanni Russo’s audacity.

But because of her. The way she walked past me this morning without looking at me. Like I was a mistake she didn’t want to even remember.

I pushed the thought aside as the elevator doors opened and then the entire executive floor went silent the second I stepped out.

“You’re early,” Luca called out from behind me.

“I didn’t sleep,” I replied flatly and he didn’t comment on that either. We entered the main conference room where three department heads were already waiting.

Financial projections lit up the screen in an instant. Red numbers. Declining margins, shipment delays. Insurance spikes.

On entry I didn’t sit.

“Explain what you mean,” I said as Marco cleared his throat.

“The Naples route interruption has created a backlog. Three clients have requested renegotiation.”

“Denied,” I said immediately.

“They’re threatening to walk.”

“Let them.” Luca shifted slightly. “If they walk, the media speculation—”

I slammed my palm on the table, as the sound cracked through the room.

“I don’t care about speculation, I care about control.”

“You lost control,” I continued coldly. “That is what this is.”

Marco swallowed. “We’re stabilizing—”

“No,” I cut him off sharply. “You’re reacting.”

A junior analyst near the end of the table fumbled with his tablet and I noticed.

“What’s your name?” I demanded.

“Paolo, sir.”

“Paolo, since you’re clearly uncomfortable, enlighten me.”

He froze. “Sir?”

“You’re sweating. Which means you know something you’re afraid to say.”

The room went still in an instant as he glanced at Luca for help.

“Look at me,” I said and he did. Voice shaking slightly. “There are rumors that the Angelos are positioning to undercut our Mediterranean contracts.”

“And?” I snapped.

“And… some of our partners are considering dual agreements.”

“You let them smell weakness,” I said low and furious. “And now you’re surprised they’re circling?”

Luca stepped in carefully. “We can tighten internal messaging.”

“No,” I snapped. “You should have tightened loyalty.”

I paced once around the table.

“If I have to clean up incompetence one more time this quarter, someone is leaving this building unemployed.”

“Fix it,” I said finally. “All of it.”

In an instant, everyone scattered like prey but Luca remained staring at me and then he placed a thick folder on my desk.

“This arrived this morning.” He said.

“I’m not in the mood for surprises.” I snapped feeling total uninterested in whatever was in front of me.

“You might have to want to see this.” He urged.

I leaned forward and opened the folder lazily and just then my jaw tightened. Naples Port Expansion. Shipping access. Financial cushioning. Media alignment.

Everything I needed to recover in half the time. But sighed—- Giovanni Russo.

In second, I shut the folder slowly.

“Why is this here?”

“For our good I guess,” Luca agreed.

“I have taken out time to study all of what’s needed and I must say that we need that indeed.” He added.

And I turned sharply, glaring at him.

“Are you suggesting I attach myself to Russo?”

“I’m suggesting you evaluate the leverage Sir.”

“This isn’t just about Rosa,” he said quietly.

“It absolutely is.”

“Then make it not be Sir.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“Structure the agreement legally. Separate personal from corporate.”

“And he won’t tie conditions?”

“He already did.”

“If I let her near me publicly,” I said coldly, “I lose authority.”

“Or you gain reinforcement Boss.”

I looked down at the contract again seeing that those numbers indeed don’t lie.

“I don’t like being cornered.”

“You’re not cornered,” Luca said calmly. “You’re choosing the faster pace.”

“Angelos will escalate if they think you won’t recover fast. Russo’s ports block that escalation.”

“And bind me to him.”

“Temporarily.” Luca’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“This is business.”

“Yes.”

“Separate it.”

“I always do.”

“Then sign it Sir.”

“You understand—,” I said quietly, “if this backfires, it’s on you.”

A smile crawled up his face and he didn’t even flinch.

“I understand.”

I stared at the signature line again, silence lingering between us and then I hesitated one last second.

Then— I slammed the pen onto the desk instead of signing.

“Damn it.” I stood abruptly with my chair scraping loudly.

“I will not be manipulated by a man who trades his daughter like stock.”

“Then outmaneuver him.”

“How?”

“Control the narrative before he does.”

“Announce the partnership first. Frame it as expansion. Make Rosa irrelevant in the contract terms.”

“And her presence?”

“Manage it.”

I stared at him.

“You’re asking me to juggle corporate war and domestic complication.”

“I’m asking you to fix it all back Sir.”

The red numbers on the screen behind him glowed like warning signs, as it rang in my head that the Angelos won’t wait. Investors won’t wait either and markets won’t wait.

Seconds later I grabbed the contract again. Flipped to the last page, with my pen in hand.

Luca exhaled subtly in front of me.

“You won’t regret it.” And then I looked at him sharply trying to hold back regrets.

“I already do.”

With a smile on his face, he gave a faint nod.

“I’ll inform Russo’s office about our decision.”

“Tell him nothing about compliance.”

“Understood.”

“And Luca?”

“Yes.”

“If this turns into leverage against me—”

“It won’t Boss relax!” He said and I just stood there staring at him.

“Make sure of that.”

He picked up the folder and turned to leave but just before he exited, he paused.

“You know,” he said carefully, “sometimes strength isn’t refusing an alliance though. It’s simply controlling one.”

I looked down at the signed contract one last time with my jaws tight with frustration simmering.

Angery at Russo and at myself for even hesitating.

And under all of it— A quiet, irritating awareness that this decision will ripple far beyond boardrooms and I exhaled sharply.

“Fine!!”