Baldassare's monastery was all cold marble and whispering history.
Luca stood in a dimly lit vault, facing the artifact hunter. Baldassare was an old man with thin, white hair and eyes that had seen too many horrors buried beneath the earth.
Luca placed a briefcase stuffed with €2 million on the marble table. "The item is a small metallic piece, stylized as a heart. It's connected to the Bianchi's family's original settlement in Verona. I need its exact location and a way to breach the area without alerting the authorities."
Baldassare didn't touch the money, he looked at the briefcase, then at Luca, his expression unreadable. "I know the object you speak of, Luca Morano. It is known locally as Il Cuore Profano—The Profane Heart. It's not in the city...
