Chapter 14
Arianna entered the quiet restaurant through a side door, the low murmur of voices and the soft clink of cutlery barely audible over the thud of her heels on the wooden floor. The place was empty, save for two figures seated at a round table near the back corner—Enzo De Luca and Sofia De Luca.
The siblings looked up as she approached, their expressions unreadable but cautious. Enzo was leaning back in his chair, one hand lazily holding a cigarette, his dark suit immaculate as always. Sofia sat stiffly beside him, her icy gaze following Arianna’s every move like a hawk.
“You’re late,” Enzo said, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. “I don’t like being kept waiting.”
Arianna smiled faintly, unbothered. “You’ll survive.”
Enzo’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as Arianna slid into the chair across from them, crossing her legs with slow, deliberate confidence. A waiter approached silently, placing a bottle of wine and three glasses on the table before disappearing as quickly as he had come.
“We don’t have much time,” Sofia said coolly, breaking the silence. “What’s the status on your end?”
Arianna reached into her bag and pulled out a small envelope, placing it on the table. “Everything is proceeding as planned. Marco is completely blind to what’s happening. I’ve positioned myself as his most trusted advisor, and his men are falling in line. He thinks I’m fighting for him, while I’m slowly tearing the ground out from beneath him.”
Sofia took the envelope, glancing briefly at the contents—a list of Venetti-controlled routes and warehouses. She nodded once, satisfied. “This will help. Cutting off those routes will cripple Marco’s supply chain.”
Enzo flicked ash from his cigarette, his expression skeptical. “And what about you? You’re gambling a lot, Arianna. If Marco finds out you’re playing both sides—”
“He won’t,” Arianna interrupted smoothly. “Marco is too distracted chasing shadows to see what’s happening right under his nose. He’s weak right now, questioning his every move because of Carmen’s disappearance. It’s perfect. He leans on me because he thinks he has no one else left.”
“Is that so?” Sofia asked, her tone faintly amused. “You sound very confident for someone sitting in the middle of two warring families.”
Arianna’s smile sharpened, her eyes gleaming. “That’s because I am. I play to win, Sofia, and right now, I’m holding all the cards.”
Enzo shook his head slowly, a thin smirk curling his lips. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Arianna.”
“It’s only dangerous if I lose,” she replied. “And I don’t lose.”
Sofia studied her for a moment, her calculating gaze giving nothing away. “What’s your endgame, Arianna? Once Marco’s empire falls, where does that leave you?”
Arianna leaned forward, her voice dropping into a quiet murmur. “It leaves me where I belong—on top. When the dust settles, the Venetti empire will crumble, and the De Lucas will emerge stronger than ever. And you’ll have me to thank for it. Once Marco is out of the way, the family can be rebuilt under a smarter, sharper hand.”
“Yours, I presume,” Enzo said dryly.
“Perhaps,” Arianna replied with a small shrug, as though the idea wasn’t worth debating. “But that’s not the point. The De Luca family has a chance to dominate the city, and all I’m asking is a little patience.”
Sofia exchanged a glance with Enzo, and for a moment, neither said a word. Finally, Sofia leaned back in her chair, her lips twitching into the barest hint of a smile.
“Very well,” Sofia said. “We’ll proceed with the sabotage. But if you falter, Arianna—if Marco so much as sniffs out what you’re doing—we’ll cut our losses. You won’t like what happens after that.”
Arianna met her gaze unflinchingly. “Don’t worry about me. Just be ready when the time comes.”
Enzo crushed the cigarette into the ashtray and stood, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. “We’ll be in touch. Make sure you keep your end of the bargain, Arianna.”
Without another word, the De Luca siblings turned and left the restaurant, disappearing out the same side door they’d entered through. Arianna remained seated, her fingers lightly tapping the table as the waiter came to clear the untouched glasses. Her confidence never faltered, not even for a second.
“You’ll thank me later, Marco,” she murmured under her breath, her voice soft but laced with venom.
________________
Marco sat in his office at the estate, a deep frown etched across his face as he stared down at the paperwork in front of him. It was Arianna’s latest plan—an outline of her proposal to strike at the De Luca supply lines. On the surface, it was sound, precise even, but something about it gnawed at him.
There were inconsistencies.
The dates for certain shipments didn’t line up with Luca’s latest reports. The route information seemed incomplete in places, and Marco couldn’t shake the feeling that Arianna was leaving things out—important things.
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as doubt crept into his mind. Arianna had been a voice of reason in recent weeks, someone who stepped up while others faltered. Yet, here he was, second-guessing her.
“Marco?”
The voice startled him, and he looked up to see Luca standing in the doorway, watching him carefully. Marco sat up straighter, smoothing the papers on the desk. “What is it?”
Luca stepped inside, his expression casual but his eyes sharp. “The men are ready for the next move. Just wanted to make sure everything’s set.”
Marco paused, glancing back at the plans. “Does this look right to you?”
Luca approached the desk, his gaze flicking to the papers Marco held. He scanned them briefly before shaking his head. “Something’s missing. These routes don’t match up with the last intel we pulled.”
Marco exhaled slowly, his suspicions deepening. “Arianna drew this up. She said it was airtight.”
“Airtight, maybe,” Luca said carefully, “but it’s got holes, and you don’t like holes.”
Marco looked up at Luca, his jaw tight. “She’s been running point on everything. Every decision, every plan.”
“She’s in deep, Marco,” Luca said cautiously. “Maybe too deep.”
Marco stared down at the papers again, his mind turning. For weeks now, Arianna had maneuvered her way closer to the center of his operations, closer to him. Her words had been sharp, her plans clear, but now that he looked closer, there were cracks—cracks he hadn’t let himself see before.
Was she helping him, or was she playing him?
“I’ll handle it,” Marco said quietly, though doubt clung to the edges of his voice. “For now, we keep moving forward.”
Luca hesitated but nodded. “Whatever you say, Marco.”
As Luca left the room, Marco leaned back in his chair, his thoughts darkening. The seed of doubt Arianna had worked so hard to bury now pushed its way to the surface. He wanted to trust her, needed to trust someone after Carmen had left.
But what if Arianna was lying?
Marco sat alone in the darkening office, the papers forgotten on the desk as he stared at the window, the shadows outside deepening with the night.
