Chapter Nine: Deal

Raffaele sat behind his desk, going through a few paperwork. A knock came from the door before it was pushed open, Giovanni stepping in. “We're leaving, Don. I have my doubts about these people. This is our first deal and they're–”

“Just carry it out, Giovanni. Make sure it is legit. Then we can deal with things later. I don't want the money sitting pretty.” Raffaele cut him off, staring straight at him to show he was serious.

Withing questioning further, Giovanni gave a slight bow before stepping out, heading towards his men. Giovanni and his mem– Vito, Lorenzo, Matteo and Aldo– leaded into two black SUVs, armed and ready to move. The convoy made its way through the winding roads out of the Conte estate, passing vineyards, olive groves, and eventually, industrial districts, far from the usual beautiful sights.

Their destination was an abandoned factory in the outskirts of Verona—a place the Eastern European dealer had chosen for the exchange. The decision hadn’t sat well with Giovanni, but he knew criminals often favored such locations for their isolation. Also, it wasn't like Raffaele would listen to him. If anything goes wrong, he is expected to swiftly and cleany deal with it.

They arrived after sunset. The area was dimly lit with rays from the lampposts. A truck was already waiting in front of the warehouse. A handful of men stood nearby, smoking and watching their approach.

Giovanni wasn't shocked as to how Viviana came in contact with these guys. She was a mafia underboss of a top family, and that meant she had a deep.linr of connections. But she acted just to clean sigh Raffaele and he couldn't help but be curious about her locked background.

Giovanni signaled for his men to spread out. Vito stayed close, eyes constantly scanning the shadows, while Lorenzo and Aldo flanked the building. Matteo pulled up the schematics of the truck on his phone, double-checking for any known escape hatches or false compartments.

A tall, bald man with icy blue eyes stepped forward from the dealer's group. His dark coat flapped in the evening breeze, and he had a thick accent when he spoke.

"You must be Giovanni."

"That’s me. You got what we came for?”

The man smirked. “Of course, the best. But before we show you the goods, we talk price.”

Giovanni crossed his arms. "The price was already discussed. This isn’t a haggling session. We’re not in a market square."

"Prices have changed since this morning. Demand has grown. Ukraine. Brazil. Even some buyers in Dubai. Supply is short, my friend. You want these goods, you pay the new rate.”

Giovanni didn't flinch. “We didn't come to negotiate. Price has been decided and we add nothing.”

The man gave a lazy shrug and signaled to one of his men, who opened the back of the truck. Inside were several sealed crates. Giovanni stepped forward, cutting the tape of the nearest one. Inside, raw, uncut diamonds glinted under the light of his flashlight.

He examined a few stones with practiced eyes before handing them off to Matteo, who brought out a testing kit. Within minutes, it was confirmed—the diamonds were genuine.

Giovanni walked to the second crate, which held smaller chests filled with gold ingots. Each bore a unique imprint from a smelter in Bulgaria. Again, Matteo tested them.

"Legit," he whispered.

For goods this pure, he had expected more but it was much more better than their usual deal. “Old price and we have a deal.” Giovanni said, turning to the bald man.

“Fine.”

The transfer was made. Vito and Aldo supervised the crates being loaded into the SUVs while Lorenzo kept a watchful eye on the perimeter.

As they were about to leave, a gunshot rang out.

"DOWN!" Giovanni shouted, ducking behind the truck. One of the dealer’s men had hit, pulling a gun and firing at Lorenzo. The bullet grazed his arm, drawing blood.

Within seconds, the Conte men retaliated. Vito took down the shooter with a clean shot to the leg, while Aldo tackled another trying to flee. Giovanni stepped out, gun drawn, and pointed it at the bald man.

"You didn’t mention this was part of the deal. For first timers, you definitely have bad impressions"

The man raised his hands. "He acted alone! I swear!"

Giovanni glanced at Lorenzo, who was already wrapping his arm. "We’ll keep the goods, and you’ll expect words from Don Raffaele. Try anything funny and I'll hunt you down."

The man’s expression shifted from confident to desperate in mere seconds. One couldn't tell who exactly it was he feared. The words, or Raffaele.

****

Back at the Conte estate, Raffaele was sitting in his study when the message came through. A secure call from Giovanni.

"We have the goods. Some trouble. Minor injury. Lorenzo’s fine. The diamonds and gold are real, even more pure than expected."

Raffaele exhaled. "Good work. I want full tests done before we move them. Then you know what to do after.”

“Yes, Don.”

Just as the called ended, the door opened and Viviana walked in. Raffaele could tell she just arrived seeing she was still dressed fancy. Not her usually style but it still had the point of edginess to it. “Done with Nonna?”

“She took me to the Jewel house.” She replied, taking her seat across from him, which was a first. “She said I'll be taking over once you authorize it.”

“Are you sure you want it now? You'll have less time…”

“Keep it. You'll have to get through a bunch of requests before I take it. But that aside, how'd it go with Giovanni?” She asked, her head tilted.

Raffaele leaned back in his chair, his eyes roaming over her. "Yes. Your contact came through. Although one of them pulled a gun."

She paused for a few seconds before she rolled her eyes. "Eastern dealers. Always a little dramatic.”

Not waiting for anymore of his response, she pushed her chair back, standing to take her leave. “I'll be out till late tonight. And don't have your men following me.”