Chapter 21
The sharp stench of blood lingered in the warehouse, mingling with the chill of the early morning air. Arianna stepped carefully over a darkened stain on the concrete floor, her heels clicking softly against the silence. The bodies of two men—loyal Venetti informants—lay slumped in their chairs, their faces frozen in expressions of shock. Around her, a few of Marco’s men were already securing the scene, their faces pale as they avoided looking directly at the aftermath.
Arianna turned to one of the men—a tall, burly soldier who avoided eye contact as he stood by the door. “Make sure this gets back to Marco exactly as I told you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the man muttered, his voice strained.
“Say it.” Arianna’s tone sharpened, her gaze drilling into him.
“It… it was the De Lucas. A retaliation,” he replied stiffly.
Arianna smiled faintly, satisfied. “Good. Remember, you didn’t see anything, and you don’t know anything beyond what I told you.”
He nodded quickly, and Arianna turned her attention back to the bodies, studying her work with a detached coolness. These men had been a problem—too close to talking, too close to tying her name to the De Lucas. Now, they were just a cautionary tale. Loose ends don’t survive, she thought.
Walking toward the exit, she pulled out her phone and dialed Marco. He picked up after the second ring.
“What is it?” Marco’s voice was rough, strained from lack of sleep.
“There’s been an attack,” Arianna said, her tone carefully measured—urgent but not panicked. “Two of your men. De Luca retaliation, I think. They knew something, Marco. They were getting close to the truth, and the De Lucas silenced them.”
Marco swore softly on the other end. “Where?”
“I’m at the scene now,” she replied. “It’s bad, Marco. I don’t know how they got to them, but… we’re vulnerable.” She paused, letting the moment hang before softening her voice. “You see now, don’t you? Carmen isn’t the only problem. The De Lucas are more dangerous than you realize. This is a war.”
Marco didn’t respond immediately, and Arianna pressed on. “Trust me, Marco. I can help you fix this. But you need to listen to me.”
“Send me the location,” Marco muttered finally.
“I already have.”
Arianna ended the call, a small, triumphant smirk playing on her lips as she stepped into the waiting car. Marco’s trust had been shaken, but she’d bought herself time—enough time to ensure he remained blind to the truth.
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Carmen sat at a round table in a dimly lit private dining room, her eyes fixed on the man across from her. Don Matteo Giordano, head of the Giordano family, swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze assessing as he listened to her proposal. The Giordanos had kept a low profile for years, avoiding the power struggles that had consumed the Venettis and De Lucas, but their silence had given them something Carmen needed—resources and connections.
“And what exactly are you offering me, Mrs. Venetti?” Don Matteo asked finally, his voice calm but edged with skepticism.
“Mutual protection,” Carmen replied, sitting straighter. “Arianna Ricci is a threat to everyone—not just Marco. She’s manipulative, dangerous, and reckless. If she consolidates power, no family will be safe. Not mine, not yours.”
Matteo raised an eyebrow, though his expression remained unreadable. “And you think you can stop her?”
“With your help,” Carmen said, meeting his gaze directly. “I don’t want power, Don Matteo. I want to dismantle Arianna’s influence before it’s too late. You have the resources. I have the information. Together, we can stop her.”
Matteo set down his wine, steepling his fingers as he studied her. “And what happens to Marco Venetti? Where does he fall in all of this?”
Carmen’s throat tightened, but her voice stayed steady. “Marco doesn’t see it yet, but Arianna is destroying him. Once she’s gone, Marco will have a chance to rebuild—stronger and smarter. With your alliance, the Venetti family can stabilize, and you can ensure Arianna’s power never touches your family.”
Matteo considered her words for a long moment before nodding slightly. “You’re bold, Mrs. Venetti. I respect that.” He leaned back in his chair, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’ll provide the resources you need—men, intel, safehouses—but I expect you to keep your word. If this comes back to me, our deal is done.”
“It won’t,” Carmen promised, relief flooding through her.
He stood, extending a hand, and Carmen rose to shake it. “Then we have an agreement,” Matteo said. “For now, we’ll see if you can deliver on your promises.”
“I will,” Carmen replied, her grip firm as she met his gaze.
As she left the dining room, the weight on her shoulders felt just a little lighter. Arianna was dangerous, but Carmen wasn’t alone anymore. The Giordano alliance gave her the edge she needed—resources to fight back and expose Arianna’s lies.
For the first time in weeks, Carmen felt like she was gaining ground.
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Back at the Venetti estate, Marco sat at the head of the long conference table, surrounded by the strained silence of his remaining advisors. The tension in the room was thick, and Marco could feel the unspoken accusations hanging in the air.
Pietro, one of his oldest allies, finally broke the silence. “Marco, we need to talk about Arianna.”
Marco’s jaw tightened, and he glanced at Luca, who sat silently near the back of the room. “What about her?”
“She’s leading you into ruin,” Pietro said bluntly. “The men are talking. They’re questioning your decisions, your leadership. This last ambush? We lost too much.”
“That wasn’t Arianna’s fault,” Marco snapped, though even he didn’t sound fully convinced.
Pietro leaned forward, his tone sharp. “She’s pulling strings you can’t see, Marco. And you’re letting her do it.”
“I make the decisions here,” Marco said coldly.
“Then act like it,” Pietro shot back. “Because if you keep trusting her—if you keep ignoring the signs—there won’t be a Venetti family left to lead.”
Marco pushed back from the table, his fists clenching. “You think you can do better, Pietro? Do you?”
Pietro didn’t flinch. “I think we deserve better.”
The words hung in the air like a threat, and Marco looked around the table. The faces of his men—men who had once looked at him with unwavering loyalty—now wore doubt and suspicion. Even Luca wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Marco stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him as his anger boiled over. He strode down the hallway, his thoughts a chaotic mess of Arianna’s reassurances, Carmen’s warnings, and the truth he didn’t want to see.
Who’s lying? the question gnawed at him. Arianna had been his rock when Carmen left, but the cracks were starting to show. And Carmen—Carmen wouldn’t stop sending her warnings, no matter how much he tried to ignore them.
Marco stopped at the window overlooking the courtyard, his hands braced against the frame. The empire he had fought to build was slipping through his fingers. His allies were fracturing. His men doubted him. And for the first time, he wondered if he was the one who couldn’t see the truth.
The sound of footsteps broke the silence, and Marco turned to see Luca standing in the doorway.
“Marco,” Luca said quietly, his face etched with worry. “You need to decide who you trust before it’s too late.”
Marco didn’t answer. He turned back to the window, staring out into the darkened grounds as the weight of everything bore down on him.
The cracks in his empire were spreading. If he didn’t act soon, everything would shatter.
