Chapter 68
The ringing phone cut through the early morning quiet, waking Marco from a fitful sleep. Carmen stirred beside him as he grabbed the phone, his voice sharp with tension.
“What is it?” Marco demanded.
Luca’s voice came through the line, grim and urgent. “They’ve hit us. Three strongholds—Sicily, Naples, and Florence. All at once.”
Marco swung his legs out of bed, his adrenaline surging. “Casualties?”
“Too many,” Luca replied. “Enzo’s gone.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Marco’s hand tightened around the phone, his jaw clenched. “I’m on my way.”
“What happened?” Carmen asked as Marco hung up.
“The Consortium,” Marco said, his voice low and cold. “They’ve just declared war.”
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The war room was a whirlwind of chaos by the time Marco arrived. Advisors and guards moved with frantic energy, their voices overlapping as reports came in from across the territories.
“Give me a status update,” Marco barked as he strode in, commanding immediate silence.
Luca approached, his expression dark. “They coordinated simultaneous strikes on three key locations. Enzo was holding the Florence stronghold when it fell. He didn’t make it.”
Marco closed his eyes briefly, the weight of the loss pressing down on him. Enzo had been more than just a lieutenant—he had been a friend, a confidant, someone Marco trusted implicitly.
“They knew exactly where to hit us,” Carmen said, stepping forward. “This wasn’t random.”
“It was planned,” Luca agreed. “They had insider knowledge—details only someone within our circle would know.”
Marco’s gaze sharpened. “You think we have another traitor?”
“I don’t think,” Luca said grimly. “I know.”
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As the day wore on, Carmen and Luca delved into the investigation, piecing together fragments of information from the attacks. Carmen sat at the study desk, reviewing reports and cross-referencing schedules while Luca paced behind her, his frustration evident.
“Whoever it is, they’re careful,” Luca said. “They’re not leaving a trail.”
“They don’t need to,” Carmen replied, her tone thoughtful. “All they need is access to our operations and a way to communicate with the Consortium.”
Luca stopped pacing, his brow furrowed. “But how are they passing information? We’ve locked down communication channels.”
Carmen tapped her pen against the desk, her mind racing. “Unless they’re using something we haven’t considered. A third party, a neutral channel.”
“Someone like Alessandra?” Luca suggested.
Carmen shook her head. “No. Alessandra has everything to lose if the Consortium wins. She’s not stupid.”
“Then who?” Luca asked.
“That’s what we need to find out,” Carmen said firmly.
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Meanwhile, Marco’s response was swift and severe. He stood in the courtyard, flanked by armed guards as a group of men knelt before him, their faces pale with fear.
“These men were caught passing information to rival families,” Sergio Montini said, his voice cold. “They may not be Consortium, but they’re a threat all the same.”
Marco’s eyes burned with fury as he stepped closer. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? The lives you’ve cost?”
The men stammered, their protests falling on deaf ears. Marco raised a hand, silencing them.
“No more second chances,” he said, his voice like steel. “Take them.”
The guards moved swiftly, dragging the men away as Marco turned to Sergio.
“We can’t keep reacting,” Marco said. “We need to eliminate every possible threat—inside and out.”
Sergio nodded but hesitated. “Be careful, Marco. If you push too hard, you’ll lose more than just your enemies.”
Marco didn’t respond, his mind already consumed by the next move.
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That evening, Carmen found Marco in the study, staring out the window with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
“You’re pushing them too far,” she said, her voice calm but firm.
Marco didn’t turn. “They need to know what’s at stake. If they can’t be trusted, they don’t belong here.”
“And what about the ones who can be trusted?” Carmen asked. “The ones you’re alienating with these crackdowns?”
Marco finally turned to face her, his expression hard. “You think I’m being too harsh?”
“I think you’re letting your desperation cloud your judgment,” Carmen said.
Marco’s jaw tightened. “Desperation? We’re fighting for survival, Carmen. Desperation is all we have.”
Carmen stepped closer, her gaze steady. “We’re fighting for more than survival, Marco. We’re fighting for the people who believe in us, who stand by us. If you push them away, we’ll have nothing left to fight for.”
Marco’s shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of her words settling over him. “I don’t know how to do this any other way.”
Carmen reached for his hand, her touch grounding. “Then let me help you. We’ll find the traitor. We’ll stop the Consortium. But we have to do it together.”
Marco met her gaze, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his defenses. “Together,” he said quietly.
As the night deepened, Marco and Carmen stood side by side, their resolve strengthening even as the shadow of betrayal loomed over them. The fight ahead would test them in ways they couldn’t yet imagine, but they were determined to face it as one.
