CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: MASTER IN THE GAME

Isabella's car pulled into the driveway a few hours past dusk, she stepped out of the car, retrieving bher bag from the back seat.

She stepped into the house with a bright smile playing on her lips. She hung her coat, practically humming with satisfaction. The meeting had gone better than she’d imagined—Luca was sharp, confident, and assured her that by the time he was done, the government wouldn’t find a single trace of their digital footprints. She’d given him all the information he asked for without hesitation.

Without any form of fear, she believed that the problem of the company was about to come to an end.

Humming, she walked into the dining room to find Rafael already seated at the table, a half-eaten dinner before him. His raised an eye at the first hint of her presence. Instead of the warm welcome she had expected, Rafael's jaw clenched at the sight of her.

"You didn't think to show up at the office today, or at least inform me of your absence.

I'm sorry, I would have informed you." She said, setting her bag on the table and grabbing a chair.

“I met with the tech guy today.,” she announced, reaching out for an empty plate and dishing herself some food. “He's in. He says he can clear everything. The government won’t see a thing.”

Rafael didn’t look up. He pierced a piece of chicken with his fork and muttered, “You gave sensitive company data to a man you barely know, Isabella. That's not a wise thing to do." 

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, Rafael. At least it's better than trusting Natalie." 

He dropped his fork with a sharp clink. “You think recklessness makes you smart? You’ve no idea who you’re dealing with. You just handed over our entire company’s digital profile to a stranger with a keyboard.”

“It’s still better than trusting a snake,” she fired back, her smile gone now, replaced with icy defiance.

After all, that was exactly what Natalie was, a snake.

An awkward silence settled between them, thick and unyielding. The rest of the meal passed without a word. Plates were cleared, lights dimmed, and the tension stretched across the house like a taut wire ready to snap.

They went to bed separately.

Isabella lay awake on her side of the bed in her own room, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. Let him sulk. Let him doubt her. Soon enough, Rafael would be forced to look at her differently.

She would fix everything. And when she did, she’d be the one he turned to—not Natalie.

***********

The city stretched endlessly before her, glittering beneath the night sky like scattered diamonds. Natalie stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass in her Milan apartment, draped in her robe. A crystal wine glass delicately cradled in one hand. Her figure was outlined by the soft ambient lights of her luxurious penthouse, casting an elegant silhouette against the view.

Lorenzo stood beside her in silence, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed on the city below. He twirled his wine glass in his hand.

No words passed between the two siblings, only silence. But in that silence, lots of words was spoken. They stood there, calculating, planning.

The quiet click of heels signaled Emma’s arrival. She approached with measured grace, a slim folder pressed against her chest.

“It’s done,” Emma said. “The next phase of the plan has been completed.”

Natalie didn’t turn to face her. She merely smiled, slow and knowing, as she nodded.

“Good,” she said softly.

Emma hesitated a second longer. “Is there anything else, ma’am?”

"No," Natalie said. “You can leave now.”

Emma bowed her head slightly. “Of course.” She turned and exited without another word.

As the door clicked shut, Natalie set her wine glass on the table beside her and reached for her phone. With poised fingers, she typed out a brief message to an unknown number and hit send.

Then she picked up her glass again, swirling the dark liquid slowly.

Lorenzo finally spoke, his voice low and a touch amused. “You never cease to amaze me, sister." He said.

Now, she may have proven to him that she was more than capable of achieving this.

Natalie took a slow sip, her smile widening just a little. “This?” she said, eyes still on the city. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

***************

The early morning light filtered through the blinds as Rafael adjusted his tie in the mirror, trying to push away the remnants of last night’s argument. He wasn’t in the mood for another day of tension, but business waited for no one.

He took note of his overgrown hair, acknowledging that he needed a haircut. But that can wait.

The sudden incessant buzzing of his phone interrupted the silence. Once, twice, then it wouldn't stop.

Before he could reach for it, the screen lit up with Matteo’s name.

He picked up. “Matteo?” He couldn't hide the panic in his voices, noting that Matteo would only call this early if there was something serious.

“There’s trouble,” Matteo said without preamble. His voice was sharp, urgent.

“What kind of trouble?” Rafael's breath hitched.

“Check your email. Now.”

A sinking feeling pooled in Rafael’s gut as he walked toward the dresser, unlocked his phone, and opened his inbox. The subject line hit him like a punch to the chest: "Anonymous Leak: Evidence Against D'Moretti Corp."

He opened it.

It felt like the world tilted. Document scans. Internal memos. Transaction histories. All pointing to the company’s shadow dealings—evidence that had been buried deep. Things only a few people could ever have accessed, the same secrets they were keeping from the government officials which Isabella's cyber security guy promised to hide.

Rafael’s grip loosened, and his phone nearly slipped from his hand.

“Matteo,” he breathed. “This can’t be real.”

“It’s real,” Matteo replied grimly. “The press hasn't published it yet. But they will. Twelve hours.”

Rafael’s pulse was pounding now. “How the hell did this leak?”

“I don’t know,” Matteo said. “But if this hits the media, we’re finished. You, me—everyone.”

Rafael dropped into the edge of the bed, panic seizing his chest like a vice. The walls of his empire were starting to crack, and there was no telling who had set the bomb.

He needed solutions, he needed to repair the damage,if only it could be repaired 

Only one name came to mind, the same person who always came through for him in difficult times—Natalie.