MARCOThe jet touched down smooth, the kind of landing that barely jolted the cabin. I looked out the window and saw gray skies stretching over Seattle. The air looked heavy, damp. Business city. It didn’t matter to me. I wasn’t here for the view.When we rolled to a stop, I stood, buttoned my jacket, and took my bag. Sofia was already brushing her hair back, checking her reflection in the small mirror by her seat. She carried herself like the world had been waiting for her to arrive.We stepped down the stairs into the cool air. On the tarmac, two sleek black cars waited. A group of men in dark coats stood by, their hands folded, eyes sharp but respectful.“Welcome to Seattle, Mr. De Luca,” one of them said, stepping forward. His handshake was solid, his tone careful.I gave him a short nod. Sofia smiled brighter, sliding into the moment with ease. “Always a pleasure,” she said like she’d known them forever. It was rehearsed, smooth.Then I saw him.Lorenzo Delphini. Older than me by
MARCOThe house was quiet when I came down the stairs that morning. My bag was already packed, my suit pressed, everything set in order. I hated leaving this way, but business never waited. Especially not when the Delphinis called.The smell of coffee lingered faint in the air, and I saw Maddalena at the dining table, cup in her hand, gaze steady on me. She didn’t greet me. She just watched, like she always did, weighing my every move without saying a word.Sarah came into the room just as I was fixing my cufflinks. She wore a soft sweater, hair falling over her shoulders, no makeup. Her face said more than she wanted. Tired eyes. Forced calm.“You’re leaving already?” she asked, voice low.“Flight’s early,” I said.She walked closer, arms folded across her chest like she was holding herself together. “I know it’s business, Marco, but three days… it feels long.”I set down my bag and looked at her. “It’s only three days. That’s nothing.”“Three days with her,” she said, her tone sharp
MARCOThe house was quiet when I walked in. Too quiet. The kind of silence that told me she was waiting. I loosened my tie as I stepped into the living room. Sarah was there, sitting on the couch with a book in her lap, but she was not reading. Her eyes lifted the second she heard my steps.I set my jacket on the armrest and lowered myself beside her. She shifted the book aside, her body turning toward me, but her face carried that look I knew. Calm on the outside, but sharp inside.“You came back late,” she said. Her voice was even, but her eyes searched mine.“I had things to settle,” I told her. My tone was flat, controlled. I let out a slow breath and leaned back, watching her. “I need to talk to you about something.”She didn’t answer right away. She just waited. That was her way of telling me to get to the point.“The Delphini deal,” I said. “It’s been moved forward. Three days from now, I’ll be in Seattle. It’s a three-day trip.”She blinked, her brows pinching slightly. “Three
SARAH**********A week later.Tony was standing near the armchair when I walked into the living room. He was bracing himself against the side, stretching one leg out slowly like he was testing it. His face tightened when he moved too far.“You’re supposed to be resting,” I said softly, though the relief of seeing him upright made my chest loosen. “Not starting a marathon in the living room.”Tony smirked at me, sweat already beading at his temple. “If I sit any longer, I’ll turn into one of those old men glued to a chair. I’m fine, Sira. Stronger than ever.”“You don’t look fine,” I said. I went closer, my hand hovering in case he stumbled. “You nearly died, Tony. Maybe act like it happened?”He chuckled, but it was cut short when he shifted wrong and hissed in pain. “Don’t tell Maddalena that. She’ll lock me in bed with guards at the door.”Right on cue, Maddalena’s voice cut across the room. “You’re already behaving like a child, Antonio.” She walked in from the hallway, sharp eyes
MARCOThe hospital smelled faintly of antiseptic mixed with the bitter scent of coffee that had been sitting too long on a burner. The hum of fluorescent lights pressed against the silence, and somewhere far down the corridor a phone rang once and then stopped. I stood against the wall outside Tony’s room with my arms crossed, eyes fixed on the floor tiles. They were polished but dull, their faded shine catching the faint reflection of my shoes.Two days had passed since we pulled him out of that mess, but the quiet in this place felt heavier than the chaos that night. Here, the danger was not shouting in your face. It was slow, patient, and still.Footsteps came from the far end of the hall. They were steady, confident, the sound of someone who knew exactly where they were going. The doctor stopped in front of me, holding a clipboard in one hand. His glasses were sliding down the bridge of his nose, and there was a deep crease between his brows from too many hours without rest.“Mr.
MARCOI pushed out of the front door with my phone still in my hand, my jacket hanging half off my shoulders. My heart was pounding hard in my chest and every step felt heavier than the last. I was not thinking. I was just moving. Years of knowing when trouble was close had taught me to react before my mind could catch up. This was not the kind of trouble you could ignore. It was the kind that arrived without knocking.Petrov was outside the gate, leaning against the black SUV with a cigarette between his fingers. The streetlight overhead caught the smoke curling into the night air. He was not relaxed. His eyes were moving, scanning the street like a man who had been waiting too long and could feel the wrongness in the air.The moment he saw me, he straightened and let the cigarette fall to the ground. He crushed it under his boot without looking away.“You look like hell. What is going on?”I did not bother answering. I yanked open the driver’s door and slid inside.“Get in the car.”