Vittorio Moretti punched a code on the glass panels that made up the door, and it slid open for him to go through.
The door led him into a bedroom that still made his heart rumble in awe every time he found himself in it.
Glass framed the floors, walls and ceilings, trapping reflections that made the already large room look endless.
in the center of the room, a large bed sprawled with its headboard in the shape of wings.
Vittorio's eyes continued to move.The ceiling space above the bed was covered with a mirror. So even when one slept, their reflection kept them company.
Despite all of these masterpieces of luxurious designs, Vittorio loved the room more because of its simplicity when it came to furnishings.
Neatly arranged singular couch, a closet, and glass casing that held the best whiskey.
Finally, his gaze moved to the far end of the room where glass doors opened to reveal a balcony.
There the lord of lords stood. Shirtless, with a drink in hand.
"Are you done molesting my room with your gaze?" Luciano asked, as Vittorio walked in behind him.
A grin covered his face, and he took a step forward to stand beside Luciano. "It's a testament of how far you've come. How far we've come. It never fails to amaze me," he admitted.
"You could get your room to look like that too, you know?"
"It would lose its magic then. Better one than two of the same."
"Hmmm," Luciano's gaze swept through the view from the balcony.
Waterfalls, and fountains that sang tunes of bliss.
In all of Aurivilla, his city, including his own home, Neravalle, there was not a single place he preferred to this balcony.
"The girls?" He broke the silence.
"Settled in."
"They're hiding something." He took a sip of his drink.
"Of course they are. The purse was filled with pictures of Giovanni."
"And the phone?" He lifted a brow.
"Nothing of interest. Just phone calls we identified as their own personal numbers."
"Still there's a reason they brought along just one phone. I tell you Vitto, the wild one was acting as a distractor, while the other one tried to approach Giovanni."
Vittorio sighed. "We'll not get anything substantial from Valentina. She's the glue."
The corner of Luciano's lips twitched. "You don't like her."
"She's disrespectful." His eyes turned icy.
"I'll say spoiled."
"Both true. I'm surprised at how lenient you were with her." His tone was guarded, but prodding enough.
Luciano let the silence stretch. And as it stretched, he used the seconds to try and push away the image of her that had formed in his head.
The moment she took off her mask replayed over and over again.
Beautiful woman. Absolutely beautiful!
"She's a woman," he finally replied.
Vittorio chortled dryly. "I understand your weakness when it comes to women. They're weak, and softer, so deserve more protection. But this one–" he gathered his words carefully. "There's something about this one. She's trouble, amico."
Luciano's eyes twinkled with mischief, as a thought crossed his mind.
"And her friend?"
"Huh?"
"Huh," he mimicked, and followed it up with a short mocking laughter. "Her friend is more your speed? Visibly scared- the damsel in distress archetype."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said a little too defensively.
"No you do know. You just won't admit it. You never admit when you find a woman interesting. Will you ever let go of that puttana?"
"Don't—"
"You say my weakness is women because I think they should be protected at all costs. Isn't it better than you, whose weakness has been just one woman? It's been ten years already. When will you let it go?"
"And you? Have you let go of the hurt of seeing your mother—" he pressed his lips to silence. "Can you see what is happening? Those girls are already causing a divide."
Luciano gave him a pitiful look. "No woman, no matter how she looks, will ever cause friction between us, caroamico. But yeah, you're right. Let us talk about how to handle all of this."
The tension in the air lingered a little while, as both found temporal solace in their thoughts.
"If we want to break them, and get some truth, we have to focus on the scared one. She'll break first."
"You think so?" Luciano emptied his whiskey down his throat.
"You think otherwise?"
"I know for a fact that women like Valentina are not as difficult as they project. I've seen her gaze. Her nose turns up in disgust at us, yet her eyes hold intrigue. She'll bend with a little push. I'm just in no position to be that force."
"Why? Because you're getting married?" He chuckled.
Luciano laughed alongside. "Daniela is equally as ferocious."
"But she's respectful. She obeys orders. She recognises ranks. This one looks at us like we're beneath her. Which is absolutely insane because she may be from the States, but she bears an Italian name."
"See? Now you see my vision. When do we get details of their backgrounds?"
"The IT boys say first thing in the morning."
"We'll start from there. My mind tells me we only need to search in the right plates to get our answers. For now, I've sent a couple of boys to Giovanni's home. If anything happens, they'll know what to do."
Vittorio bobbed his head. "Remember the thing tomorrow? Are you finally going to honour their invitation? The voices are getting louder, and harsher."
Luciano lost the glow in his eyes again, as his gaze dimmed. "The voices have always been loud and harsh. I do not owe them my response."
"But you do, fratello. And before you get mad at me, you have to remember that there are still protocols and codes of conducts that must be honoured, and upheld."
"Fuck the codes of conducts!" He snarled, his brow snapping together to give him a monstrous look. "Fuck honour! Where was the honour twenty years ago? Where were the protocols ten years ago? From the bottom of my heart, fuck those bloody leeches!"
"Luciano—"
"No Vitto! Just no! I won't be lectured about who I choose to associate with. Or the causes I decide to pump my money into. I built this shit brick by brick, while fighting the obstacles those bastards threw at me from every corner. And if I eventually choose to go tomorrow, that's exactly what I'll be telling them. To take their words, and shove it deep in their ass!" He spat out, as his hand squeezed into a fist.
Vittorio sighed. There was no use trying to get Luciano to see things from a different perspective. He was never going to see it.
When it came to the Dons, his mind was pretty made. He would do everything he could to go against them.
Everything they wanted, he stood against.
The only thing that worried Vittorio was the alliance that was bound to be formed against him.
"Should I send the signal that you'll be attending then?"
"No," he shook his head. "If they see me, they see me."
"Alright boss."
Luciano whipped his head towards him. "Don't ever try to make me doubt my capabilities again. If I could build an entire city on my own, then I certainly do not need the Dons approvals."
"Amicomio, I was just trying to get you to see things from a different perspective. You're outnumbered as things stand. If they band together, then it's over."
"Let this be the last time." He turned his gaze away from him, and returned it to the bliss of the waterfalls.
Vittorio understood he had been dismissed.
He bowed respectfully, turned around, and walked out the same way he had walked in.
Luciano exhaled sharply, and closed his eyes.
The words he lived by trickled into his ears loud and clear, reminding him of his vision and mission.
I am Luciano De Luca. The Luce Nera. And on the chosen day, they'll all bow to me.