Painted in Red (SPIN-OFF)

Chapter 19- The Cold Truth

--Giana POV--

It was taking longer than expected to find information on that man that had been with Maria. While it wasn't a complete surprise, it annoyed me to know that she had somehow found an ally that could potentially hold a place in society that was higher than mine.

If that was the case, then teaching her a lesson would prove to be more difficult than it was supposed to be. Back then, I could treat her as I wished, but now I had to be careful all because of who that man could be.

"So, what did you find out?" I asked, leaning over the desk impatiently while I waited for my father to speak, the documents that I'd been waiting for all this time in his hand.

"Before you start complaining about how little information there is, make yourself aware of exactly who this man is... What are you planning, Giana? If you get on his bad side, then know that I won't be able to help you." We were sat in the study at my house, and only my son was at home, but that boy was in his room, so we didn't need to worry about anyone listening in. My father knew that, yet he spoke in a quiet voice as if he feared that someone was listening in.

"Can you stop wasting time with all the unnecessary questions, and just tell me what I want to know? Who is that man?" I groaned, rolling my eyes impatiently as he sighed, reading through the document.

"His name is Leandro Gonzalez... He's the invisible man in black, the ruler of the underworld. One wrong move with him, and it's a death sentence."

My mind went black, all of it suddenly making sense, but I didn't want to believe it. How... Exactly how was she able to enlist the help of that man? What did she have that I didn't? Why are all these men only ever looking at her while treating me like dirt!?

"...What?" I spat out through clenched teeth, suddenly growing angry.

Everyone from high society knew that man for just how terrifying he was, and I'd heard of him, but never put a face to his name. How could someone that young be so terrifying? With the way people spoke of him, you'd think that he was at least in his fifties, but he couldn't have been older than thirty. And to add to it, he was beautiful. 

And supposedly, he was interested in Maria. Why else would he defend her and humiliate me in front of all those people at the reunion? Maybe, just maybe if he knew who I was then he would have thought otherwise.

"What else?" I muttered, urging my father to keep talking. When I first asked him to do a background check on that man, whatever I had been expecting was not this.

"He's the leader of the Italian mafia, an open secret. But outside, he owns a tech company, Gonzalez industries, making him a multi-millionaire. He doesn't earn nearly as much as other businesses, but yet he holds ten-times the influence... And the only way to contact him is through the voice of someone else who uses the voice of someone else; To put it simply, he's untouchable." He spoke as if he's personally met him, sounding fearful.

"If Maria was able to snag him then he's not that untouchable." I muttered, biting down on my manicured nail, the cogs turning in my head as I tried to conjure up some ideas.

If she can do it, I can do it. He's part of the mafia, and if I can hire him to do my dirty business then it'll be a swift victory for myself. The only thing those kinds of people care about is money anyway, so it shouldn't be too difficult to steal him from her.

"What are you thinking about, Giana?" My father asked, snapping me out of my reverie with an almost bored look on his face as if he could see the thoughts in my head.

"I want that man."

"I thought so. And I'm letting you know now that you can't have him. No matter how much money you have, you can't trust someone riddled in as much danger as he is. You make him your ally then all his enemies automatically become yours too, and unlike him, you don't have the ability to protect yourself." He may have been right, but if I didn't do anything then he'll only get closer to Maria, and my guaranteed victory will no longer be guaranteed. I'd rather die than let that happen.