At the De Luna's East Wing (the meeting room)—three days after I wake up.
"Boss?" Rigo's voice rings out, his face contorted with shock.
"Rigo, what's the status of your report?"
"The reports are flowing in strongly—plenty of them, all hitting the mark, and every one of them is in our favor."
"What did you find?"
"The night I went out, I discovered two external forces snooping. One at the company and another at the club. I tailed the ones at the company and asked Serena to track the other one."
"And?"
"Some of our brokers are already working with other families, some are selling information, precisely from your assistant, which is why your schedule has been leaking."
I'm already aware that my PA is involved; he's the one responsible for creating and scheduling plans. That doesn't matter, because whatever he's selling out is useless—it's nothing but a front.
Which I can use to rope out all these snakes, when the time is right.
"On following them, I was led to the Morreti villa, who surprisingly was meeting up with two other family heads and a third unknown person."
An unknown person.
"Did you get to catch this person's face? Who are the family heads with Morreti?"
"Yes, I did. I asked Serena to take a video through the nearest camera she could access." He takes out a laptop, playing the footage.
Why does he look so familiar? Since I haven't been attending much of The Consilium gathering, these men think they can be doing everything they like, huh?
"Has he been placed on facial recognition yet?"
"Yes Boss, and it turns out he is the Underboss of the La Cour Noire."
"What are they doing with the French?"
If they are with France, it's either they want underground dealings in art, fashion, jewelry... or assassination. That's the only thing France is into. So the Morreti are involved in the attempt. Or that's what they want us to think. They've been carving out pieces of my empire behind closed doors. Like wolves in silk suits, feeding on De Luna's blood while smiling across the table. Fools. They mistake my silence for weakness, my recovery for defeat. They don't just want a piece of my empire; they want to dismantle the throne. But a throne without a king is just furniture. And I am far from being dethroned. This isn't just about business anymore. It's personal. There's still time, and I'm going to hold them by the throat when they are at their knees.
"The other family heads are the De Santi and Cisco," Rigo added.
Cisco being involved is not a surprise. I've always known he's an ambitious man, who likely is involved in my elder brother's death.
The question here is, why is De Santi with them? They have always been neutral, working solely on growing their empire: of arms dealings, digital extortion, and corporate espionage. So why are they appearing in the picture now? De Santi is a shadow, a calculator, never one to risk their pristine hands in messy games. Their presence means this goes deeper than simple opportunism. Someone powerful is orchestrating this, binding unwilling pawns. And that 'someone' is the real target.
"What did Serena find?"
"She lost them, Boss."
"How come?"
"The plate number was fake and after going through the tunnel they didn't come out on the other side."
So the footage we have of her in the club and the one they could find are all useless. I've got to find her no matter what. And when I do, we continue from where we stopped, before I kill her.
"The Bratva Kvas reached out; they are assisting us with our course as long as we continue to protect Z—their second son."
"How are the rumors going, Marek?"
"Smoothly, Boss."
"We are to continue our charades, until I've procured all that is needed. Enzo, hold a party, invite every infamous doll you can find and make a bet of five million dollars at whatever casino that can loudly spread my name far and wide."
"On it Boss."
I need those fucking old geezers to keep underestimateling me and positivitly let their guards down.
"Boss, when I heard you were badly injured, I didn't think it'd be this severe," Rigo says.
"I'm getting better."
I sit there thinking, not of my own situations— but about her. She comes as a ghost. As a whisper in the wind. I hate whispers. Facial recognition. Tunnels and fake plates—she came prepared.
Amusing.
But not enough. She is still out there, somewhere in my city, working with my enemies.
"And also," I say, bringing their attention to me. "Make preparations for a party. My birthday is coming up very soon. Invite all the families."
"But why Boss, it's been so long since you threw a party?" Marek asks.
"I've got to draw out, Butterfly."
"How'd a birthday party draw her out?" he asked again.
"Since I'm still alive, she'd want to complete her mission, and if she's working for any of the families, she'd be attending too. I've got to find her."
"No need to say much Boss, I will personally see to this that it comes out the best," Enzo replies even though I wasn't talking to him.
"Marek, help him with any assistance he'd need."
"Yes, Boss."
This party... it's not just for show. It's bait. And if the bait doesn't draw her out, then I will.
With that, Enzo, Rigo, and Marek leave the room, leaving me behind.
She's not just a ghost—she's the echo of every scar I've hidden. And I intend to bury her with my name on her lips.
Author's Note
The Consilium: is the single/general name for the five major families.
The De Luna.
The Cisco.
The Morreti.
The Ravello.
The De Santi.