Chapter 3 - The Boardroom and the Broken Contract
Two days later, the tension inside the main manor had reached a boiling point. The discovery that Matteo Moretti—the cold, unyielding apex predator of the Italian underworld—had not only spared a clumsy maid but openly defended her against high-society guests sent shockwaves through the estate staff and the visiting syndicate delegates.
In the mahogany-paneled study on the second floor, Matteo sat behind an enormous walnut desk. Piled before him were dossiers detailing the financial shipments arriving through the Genoa ports.
Dante Moretti—Matteo’s cousin and second-in-command—stood by the fireplace, swirling a glass of amber scotch.
"The Milan council is asking questions, Matteo," Dante said, his voice laced with warning. "They say you’re getting soft. Bringing a stray off the streets, letting her handle Bruno, publicly humiliating Bianca Russo in front of the municipal delegates... it sends the wrong signal. In our world, weakness is an invitation."
Matteo didn't look up from the ledger. His expression was carved from granite. "Does it look like I’m inviting a challenge, Dante?"
"No. But the girl has a history," Dante pressed, tossing a folded detective’s report onto the desk. "Clara Hayes. Divorced six months ago from Grant Hayes, a low-level accountant with heavy debts tied to the regional gambling syndicates. Her father left her nothing but mortgages and legal fees. She’s vulnerable. Someone could use her to get to you."
Matteo picked up the folder. His eyes scanned the lines of text detailing Grant Hayes’s desperate attempts to track Clara down across provincial borders. A muscle ticked along Matteo’s jawline.
"She isn't vulnerable," Matteo said quietly. "She’s surviving. There is a difference."
"She’s a liability," Dante insisted. "Pay her severance. Send her back to Milan."
"No."
Before Dante could argue further, a sharp knock sounded at the door. Arthur, the estate’s head of security, pushed the door open, his face tight with concern.
"Boss, we have an uninvited guest at the main security gate," Arthur reported. "A man claiming to be Clara’s ex-husband. He’s demanding entry, saying he has legal papers regarding property distribution, and he’s causing a scene with the gate guards."
Matteo stood up so fast his heavy oak chair scraped backward against the Persian rug. The air in the room instantly dropped twenty degrees.
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"He’s on my property?" Matteo asked, his voice dropping into a register that made even Dante take a step back.
"He was," Arthur replied grimly. "Until Bruno got loose from the west wing and met him at the gates."
