Vito led her to his office, the dim light casting long shadows across the room. He motioned for her to sit, but Kleia remained standing, her arms crossed over her chest.
" what's going on Vito?" She asked, her voice steadier than she felt.
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before taking a seat behind his desk. For moment he didn't speak, his gaze fixed on the polished wood of the desk as if searching for the right words.
" there's something I need to tell you" he began, his tone heavy. " something I should have told you sooner."
Kleia's heart sank. " what is it?"
Vito leaned forward, His elbows resting on the desk as he met her eyes. " the attack wasn't random.. The man who came onto our home.. he wasn't just some hired thug. he was sent by someone. I've been trying to avoid for years."
Her breath hitched . " who"
" Alessandro Ricci" Vito said, his voice hardening as he spoke the name. " he's an old rival, a man who has been looking for any excuse to come after me. And now, he decided to use you and the kids to get to me."
Kleia stared at him, her mind racing. " why didn't you tell me this before?"
" because I didn't want to scare you." Vito admitted. " I thought I could handle it without involving you, but after what happened.. I realise I was wrong. You deserve to know what we're up against."
