The Game

Alessio

I stood in the shadows of the basement hallway, watching Evelyn through the cracked door. She sat on the floor, her back against the cold stone wall, staring at the gun on the table like it was a venomous snake. Her hands were trembling, her face pale, and for a moment, I almost felt... guilty.

Almost.

But guilt was a luxury I couldn't afford. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

I turned and walked away, my mind racing. Evelyn was stronger than I'd anticipated-defiant, even in the face of my threats. It was... intriguing. But it was also a problem. If she couldn't follow orders, if she couldn't adapt to this world, then she was a liability. And I didn't have room for liabilities.

I made my way to the study, where Sofia was waiting for me. She sat in the armchair by the fireplace, her legs crossed and a glass of wine in her hand. She looked up as I entered, her green eyes narrowing.

"Well?" she asked, her tone sharp. "Did she pass your little test?"

I walked over to the desk and poured myself a glass of whiskey, my movements calm and deliberate. "She's learning."

Sofia snorted. "Learning? Or breaking?"

I turned to face her, my expression unreadable. "What do you want me to say, Sofia? That I'm sorry? That I'll let her go?"

She stood, her eyes blazing. "I want you to stop treating her like a pawn in your twisted game. She's not her father, Alessio. She doesn't deserve this."

I took a sip of my whiskey, the burn of it grounding me. "And what about me? Do I deserve what happened to my parents? To our family?"

Sofia flinched, her expression softening. "That was different."

"Was it?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like the Morettis destroyed everything we had. And now, I'm just returning the favour."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place. "This isn't justice, Alessio. It's revenge. And it's going to destroy you."

I didn't respond. The truth was, I didn't care. Justice, revenge-it didn't matter what she called it. All that mattered was that I made them pay. Every last one of them.

After Sofia left, I sat down at the desk and pulled out the file I'd been working on. It was filled with photos, everything I'd gathered about the Moretti family over the years. But there was one page in particular that caught my attention: a photo of Evelyn, taken years ago.

She was younger in the photo, her hair longer, her eyes brighter. She was smiling, her arm around a man I didn't recognize. I stared at the photo, my mind racing. Who was he? And what had happened to him?

I set the photo aside and picked the document report on Marco Moretti's recent activities. According to my sources, he'd been meeting with members of a rival family, trying to broker a deal behind my back. It was a desperate move, but not an unexpected one. Marco had always been a coward, willing to do whatever it took to save his own skin.

But Evelyn... Evelyn was different. She was strong and far too perceptive for her own good. And if I wasn't careful, she might just figure out the truth.

I closed the file and leaned back in my chair, my mind racing. I needed to keep her close, to control her, but I also needed to keep her in the dark. If she found out what I was really planning, it could ruin everything.

I stood and walked over to the window, staring out at the estate grounds. The guards were patrolling as usual, their movements sharp and deliberate. Everything looked calm, but I knew better. Beneath the surface, tensions were rising.

My thoughts turned back to Evelyn. She was a complication I hadn't anticipated. I'd expected her to be weak, like her father-easily controlled, easily broken. But she wasn't. She was strong, resilient, and far too perceptive for her own good.

And that made her dangerous.

I thought about the gun I'd forced her to hold, the way her hands had trembled as she aimed at the target. She'd been terrified, but she hadn't backed down. She'd faced her fear, even if it had nearly broken her.

It was... admirable.

But admiration was a luxury I couldn't afford. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

I turned away from the window and walked back to the desk, my mind racing. I needed to keep her close, to control her, but I also needed to keep her in the dark. If she found out what I was really planning, it could ruin everything.

As I sat there, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. I looked up to see one of my men standing there, his expression grim.

"We have a problem," he said, his voice low.

I stood, my jaw tightening. "What kind of problem?"

"Marco Moretti," he replied. "He's gone."

I froze, my mind racing. If Marco had run, it could only mean one thing: he'd figured out what I was planning. And if he'd told Evelyn...

I grabbed my coat and headed for the door, my mind already working through the next steps. This wasn't over. Not yet.

And if Evelyn got in my way, I'd have no choice but to break her.