جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

Morning inside my mansion did not begin with peace anymore. The house was too big for peace. The marble floors echoed even the smallest footsteps, and every sound felt louder than it should have been.I was sitting in the living room wearing yesterday’s shirt, leaning back on the couch with a glass of whiskey resting in my hand, even though the clock on the wall had barely reached nine in the morning. The television in front of me was playing the news again.These days the news loved me.Not the way it used to.Before, they spoke about my businesses, my investments, the luxury parties I hosted, and the beautiful people who surrounded me. Back then the reporters smiled when they said my name. Now they said it with the same tone people used when talking about a disease.The screen showed an image of my mansion gates from yesterday when those annoying protesters had gathered outside again. Some of them carried signs. Some of them shouted until their voices sounded like broken radios.One

The morning started like every other morning that week.My kitchen counter was covered in open files, sticky notes, and a laptop that had been running since sunrise. The coffee in my mug had already gone cold because I kept forgetting to drink it.I was sitting on the stool by the island, scrolling through financial reports while my phone buzzed every few minutes with emails and alerts. The city outside my apartment windows looked gray and wet after the rain from the night before. Cars moved slowly through the streets below, leaving thin trails of water behind their tires.Everything looked normal.Everything felt normal.Until my phone started vibrating again.I glanced down without thinking and picked it up with one hand while still staring at the laptop screen.The message came from Elena.At first I only saw the headline link she had sent.Then I opened it.The page loaded slowly.A photo appeared first.Matteo.My fingers stopped moving.Below the photo was the headline.BUSINESS

The room stayed quiet except for the soft sound of the television.A news channel played on the screen across the room, and the same headline kept repeating every few minutes. The reporter stood outside a tall building with microphones pointed toward her while cameras flashed behind her.I sat in the chair near the window with one leg crossed over the other and a glass of water resting in my hand. The curtains were half closed so the afternoon light slipped into the room in long thin lines across the floor.Nobody outside could see in.That was important.The reporter on the television adjusted the papers in her hand and spoke again.“Sources close to Luca DeLuca suggest that businessman Matteo De Santis may not be in immediate danger, but his location remains unknown.”My lips moved slightly into a small smile.“Good,” I murmured quietly.Across the room Elena stood beside the table with a tablet in her hands. She had been reading through news articles for the past hour, scrolling th

Men moved through the halls without talking too much. Phones rang behind closed doors. Orders came down and people followed them. No confusion. No panic.But today the place felt different.Too loud.Too restless.The mansion used to feel quiet, not empty kinda quiet but controlled quiet.The kind of silence that meant everything was working the way it should.I stood near the entrance of the main hall with my hands folded in front of me while watching one of the house staff rush across the floor carrying a tray of drinks. Two security men were arguing near the staircase, their voices low but tense.Another guard hurried past me with a phone pressed to his ear.“Yes, sir,” he whispered quickly. “We’re handling it.”Handling what?Nobody seemed to know anymore.I shifted my weight slightly and looked toward the large double doors that led to Luca’s private office.They had been opening and closing all morning.Every few minutes someone walked in.Then someone else walked out looking p

The drive to Luca’s mansion felt longer than it should have.The car moved slowly through the tall iron gates while the guards checked the driver’s face again like they did not trust anyone anymore. Cameras pointed down from the stone pillars. Two men with rifles stood near the entrance road. Their eyes followed the car until it stopped in front of the wide staircase.I stepped out before the driver could open the door.The air smelled like rain even though the sky was clear. The mansion stood in front of me the same way it always had, tall and expensive and proud, but something about it felt different now. The place looked nervous.A guard walked down the stairs toward me.“Miss Serafina,” he said while giving a short nod. His hand rested on the gun at his side like it had become a habit.“Where is Luca?” I asked while brushing my hair away from my face.“In his office.”“Okay,” I said while already moving past him.The guard tried to say something else but I had already started clim