𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄 - 𝟏𝟖+

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Is this about the wedding?" I sat straighter, surprised at his soft tone, and looked at his face, "You understand it needs to be done, right"

Fuck me for thinking he cared for a second. I guess the naive girl inside of me was still alive, even after her dreams were shattered countless times.

I ground my teeth, suddenly losing my appetite, but papa didn't notice my exasperation and continued, "I would never trust him with you, my love. He isn't going to live long enough to be your husband." I stared at my so-called father, baffled at his insane confession, "It wouldn't be the first time a wedding between Camorra clans turned bloody." Papa chuckled at his own joke, but I didn't find it funny, if anything I was almost inclined to voice my animadversions.

"Do you think it's wise?" Realizing it might be my only chance, I decided against incivility. "Killing Lorenzo wouldn't accomplish much, the Santini clan is big." I shrugged nonchalantly, wishing that for once he would hear the hidden plea behind my words, and choose not to dangle me as bait.

"They might be big, but only one of Leonardo's sons had it in him to be Capo, if Lorenzo falls, they all fall." He paused, taking another sip from his cup, "Besides, most of them should be dead at the wedding anyway, it doesn't leave many people to carry on the legacy."

I shuddered, finally realizing the extent my father was willing to go for his vile plans. He was so blinded that he didn't even recognize the potential loopholes in his plan.

"This won't end well,"

"I didn't ask if it would." His voice, now cold, cut through my hopeless optimism, "You do remember everything I do is to keep you and your mother safe."

"She was right to leave you," I whispered, shaking my head as I stood up, and left the room, my breakfast unfinished, my tea cold, exactly like the hearts of the people I lived with.

My father was blinded by his pleonexia, and I knew he was too far gone, and now the curse of his actions wouldn't leave anything untouched.

* * *

L O R E N Z O

Showering had been the only time when I didn't have to think, but not today. This time as the water trailed down my body, I couldn't force my thoughts to settle and focus on the loud splashing of water. I kept vacillating between the two choices in front of me, one was logical, even expected of me, I just didn't know why I couldn't bring myself to do wrong by a woman I didn't even know. I'd always known my mind, executed all of my plans to utmost precision, however this time I was incredulous at my reluctance. Agosto Romano might not have been able to hide his malicious motives from me, but he'd managed to surprise me with his approach to getting what he wanted.

Getting Romano killed wouldn't be hard, but his death would warrant uninvited attention on me, and I couldn't have that, not now at least. Besides I doubted Romano could be persuaded to delay the wedding, he certainly seemed like he had an ace up his sleeve. And it wasn't like I had anything to lose, love's volatile, and I could do without it.

Unable to feel relaxed under the warm spray, I finished cleaning myself up, and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist. Pushing my wet hair off my face, I decided against shaving and hurried out to get dressed. I wanted to know if Agosto had something I could use against him since yesterday, and I wasn't interested in waiting to acquire that information as I'd hoped knowing his unholy plans would help me reach a conclusion regarding his offer.

After I'd dressed in my charcoal suit, I walked towards my nightstand, picked my phone, and checked my messages. Alessandro's name popped up on the screen, and I opened his message immediately.

Lorenzo, fucking get down to the mansion. You need to hear what Romano's been saying.

I scoffed, berating myself for nearly expecting anything different from that cunt. If he had a death wish, I felt it was my obligation to deliver him at Hades's doorstep. I contemplated drinking my coffee before going to the mansion, but decided against it, and walked out of my house, my heart racing without the added caffeine in my system.

Now that I knew Agosto was only biding his time to backstab me, any feelings of compassion for his daughter evaporated. It was highly unlikely she wasn't aware of her father's plans, and even if she wasn't she deserved to be touched by the same smokeless arcane as her father. Wanting to be quick, I decided against walking to the mansion and unlocked my Lamborghini, barely taking a minute to slide behind the wheel. The car roared as it came to life, and its wheels screeched against the gravel as I pulled in towards the street.

I killed the engine in front of the mansion, and walked out, moving towards the office with long strides. Alessandro and Luca were already in my office when I opened the door, they nodded at me as I sat behind the table on my seat.

"Agosto wants to attack at your wedding." Anger radiated off Alessandro as he spat the word wedding out, and I felt my own anger running in my veins like venom, but I controlled myself.

"It isn't a creative idea, but effective nonetheless," Luca added, his gaze moving between me and Alessandro as his forehead creased with worry.

"Let him try," I felt a smirk forming on my face with the realization that one way or the other, Agosto had signed his death sentence, his failed conspiracies would form the foundations of my plans, and unlike him, I would be shooting him right in the face. "Do you have those recordings? I want to hear every word the motherfucker said."

Alessandro nodded, and plugged a flash drive in his laptop, soon after Agosto's voice could be heard in the room, his disgusting confidence tainting my office as I took note of each and everything he said. The arrogance at his supposed foolproof plan was unmistakable, and it nearly made me laugh. It was pride that made empires fall, shame Agosto had failed to take any lesson from history.

"I don't like the smirk on your face, Renzo," Alessandro warned as I met Luca's eyes across the table, the insanity inside me pushing to be let free.

"You're not the one who needs to worry about it, Alessandro." I dismissed him with a flick of my hands.

"I don't, but that look means you're going to do something crazy."

"If agreeing to the wedding is crazy, then yes that's what I'm doing." I turned to Luca, "Call Agosto, tell him the wedding is in two weeks, and tell Florence I want every little detail about Andrea Romano and Agosto Romano. Tell him I want everything, no matter how insignificant it seems." Luca nodded, typing on his phone, no doubt to text Florence.

"That's knowingly walking into a trap!"

"It's not a trap if I know where the rocket net is, Alessandro." He rubbed his jaw, still unconvinced, but decided against debating with me further.

I unlocked my phone, dialing Alessio's number to ask him to fly to Italy, after all the wedding had to look real for Romano to die.

"Renzo, what the fuck?" Alessio's disbelief bled through his voice as soon as I finished telling him the current situation.

"Calm down, brother." I stood up from my seat, and walked towards the window overlooking the garden, "There will be a fucking wedding, there will be a bloodbath, but the blood won't be ours." I couldn't look at him, but it wasn't hard to imagine the leering on his features.

Agosto would be played like a violin for my humorous nobility, and his narcissism wouldn't even let him see it. I saw no other end fit for a motherfucker like him.

Men often nailed their own coffin, after all, there's no noose worse than the one tightened by your own hand.

* * *

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