Deceit.

CHAPTER 6

VINCENZO 

“Master, your car is ready,” Scott, one of my boys, informed me while I was standing on the balcony of my estate. I nodded and gave him the go-ahead to leave; I would be on my way soon.

As I made my way into the living room, Mrs. Hills blocked my path. “Good morning, Master Vin. Breakfast is ready.”

I sighed. Mrs. Hills was the only one who could pull off such a stunt of stopping me when she knew I really needed to be somewhere very important. She is my personal cook and, most importantly, my nanny since I was little. If there's anyone who knows both the good and bad sides of my life, it should be her.

Standing at five foot four, she is in her late sixties but has such a beautiful physique.

"I'm running late. I will have breakfast when I come back home,” I said, making my way out.

Meetings in the White House take a lot of time. I have served in one of them. They only serve lunch and green tea in the morning.

I rolled my eyes and walked out. She is quite the character. Reaching the driveway, I entered the newest edition of the Lamborghini Urus while my boys trailed after me in other cars.

Upon entering the car, I noticed that Niko, my right-hand man, was already settled inside.

“Vin, I have some bad news,” he said once I settled into the seat, and the car began to move.

I looked up at him with raised brows. “What is it, Niko? Please, man, I hope it's worth it. I had such a long night last night.”

Niko paused for a minute, his eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a smirk. “Wait a minute,” he said amusingly. “I don't want to believe your new plaything is giving you a hard time.”

I sighed. “Don't call her that,” I corrected him. “I think she is just new to all of this, so I will give her a little more time to adjust.”

Niko's loud laughter shot through my chest, and I winced. This jerk has always been a thorn in my side since my family picked him up from the orphanage.

“Did you just say I shouldn't call her a plaything?” He furrowed his brows at me. “What would you have me call her? Isn't that what all those women come for? I mean, they come over, submit, and you fuck the hell out of them, then give them some life-changing checks… Isn’t that what all this is about?”

I swallowed hard, a wave of embarrassment washing over me as I spoke. “She refused to take the money. She's playing hard to get.”

“Then maybe you should let her go, Vin. Finally, you get to agree that all women are not the same,” Niko concluded confidently.

“No, I can't let her go. She is my possession now, and I won't let her go. That asshole she calls a husband is such a psycho for hitting such a beautiful lady and even going as far as freezing her cards. I have asked my boys to track down his house; I really need to pay him a visit.”

“How is her mother doing?” I asked curiously. “How is she faring in the hospital?”

“Faring good so far. The old lady is preparing for her last surgery, so I can't tell if she will survive or not,” Niko responded nonchalantly.

I nodded, wandering my eyes away. I didn’t know why I felt bad for her. I really just want her mother to survive so she can get to meet her again. She seems to have been so detached from her family while she was with that asshole.

Some minutes later, after a long trail of thoughts, I finally sat up.

“What news were you talking about earlier, Niko?”

Niko hissed. “There's good and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

I leaned back in my seat, sighing in annoyance. “Go on with the bad one.”

“Leonard Patek was murdered. His entire crew was murdered in cold blood inside his drug warehouse,” Niko reported.

I sat up, staring blankly at Niko. “What about his family?”

“Nothing on them yet. They're not at home, but his wife is a brave one. I believe she is safe with the kids,” he expressed boldly.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Make sure you find her and his family. And find out what happened inside that warehouse. Leonard has never been a weakling, so something must be wrong somewhere.”

Niko wanted to say something, but I cut him off, not ready to take the good news yet. According to the Bianchi family rules, I gently closed my eyes, giving a minute of silence for the dead. Leonard was one of us; he was my father's former butler before he earned his freedom.

“Vin?” Niko spoke up. “The Moranos are back in New York.”

I froze. My eyes snapped open at the mention of that name. I had waited for this news for the past five years after they shot Alessia in front of the altar. They escaped New York back then, and now they’re back?

They're making a big mistake by coming back here, and it’s a mistake they won’t live to regret.

“When did they come in?” I asked Niko, and he scrolled through his phone before answering me.

“They came in yesterday night on private jets. The airport informed me that they all arrived with new names. I guess they wanted to stay low-key for the moment.”

“Good.”

“Make sure to keep an eye on those Morano bastards.”

Niko nodded in agreement. He knows how much I want to take my hands around the throats of the men who took Alessia from me. I didn’t need to tell him to pull the trigger on any Morano; he would do it without hesitation. I have different men ready to die and shoot for me when the time comes; all they need is my kill order. But for the Morano?

They have been under a standing kill order for the last five years, and I don’t plan on rescinding it.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the minister’s mansion, and we exited the car.

I made my way inside, and they ushered us to the couch where other ministers were also waiting.

I didn’t bother to greet any of them. I know they all know me, so gawking at me like they’ve never seen me before ought to be normal in this side of the world.

Some minutes later, Niko rushed in, his voice urgent and filled with panic. “Vin, there’s a problem at home. We have a situation that you might be interested in.”

“What is it?” I raised my gaze to him. “Speak, Niko!”

“The last girl you brought is dying!” He announced, and my heart sank. I jerked up from my seat. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”

“Mrs. Hills just informed me she tried to kill herself,” he said. Without a word, my instincts kicked in, and I rushed out, but Niko stopped me halfway.

“Vin? You can’t leave now. You need to stay back and—”

I cut him off sharply. “Stay back then. I have to leave now. I can’t let her die in my estate.”

.

.

Once I reached my estate, I quickly exited my car and rushed inside on my heels.

Getting inside, I met Mrs. Hills. I paused, my face filled with worry and my voice carrying a hint of concern. “Where is she?”

She pointed to my room. “Inside there, sir. She's resting.”

I glanced in the direction she pointed and couldn't wrap my head around the fact that they took her to my room. Nobody does that here. But for now, I didn’t care to scold anyone; I needed to make sure that kitten was fine first.

Rushing in, I pushed the door open, and nothing could have prepared me for a half-naked Sophie!

I froze. The sight of her took my breath away; she was lying on my bed in a bikini thong, her body glistening. The tiny scraps of cloth barely covered the gentle swell of her breasts and the soft curve of her hips.

My gaze narrowed on the delicate curve of her navel. My mind went blank, and the only thing I could think of was to claim her, possess her, and make her mine.

My body responded accordingly. My erection grew harder; I couldn't control myself seeing that body, nor could I tear my gaze away from her.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She rolled off the bed and took a step toward me. “I'm here to keep my own side of the bargain… Vincenzo.”