The scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air, mixing with the acrid burn of smoking tires and broken glass. Sirens echoed distantly, but Luciano knew the response time here was always slow—by design. The cops in this part of Palermo didn't show up unless someone paid them to.
Luciano tucked his Glock back into his jacket, scanning the street with sharp eyes. Two bodies lay sprawled beside the wrecked SUV. Blood pooled beneath them, leaking into the cracks of the cobblestone road.
Ariana stood frozen, pressed against the marble pillar, hands trembling, chest heaving with shallow, panicked breaths. Her wide brown eyes darted between the corpses and Luciano.
"Wh-what... what just happened?" Her voice cracked.
Luciano stepped toward her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm but grounding. "Welcome to my world, Ariana. This… is what happens when snakes start to feel cornered."
Her lips parted but no words came out.
"Breathe," Luciano instructed softly, his voice lowering, more gentle than she had ever heard it before. "Deep breaths. In… out."
She nodded shakily, copying his pace.
The moment her breath stabilized, he shifted back into CEO and mafia boss mode. "Come. We can't stay here."
Luciano grabbed her hand without thinking—firm, possessive, protective—and pulled her toward the parked black Mercedes waiting a block away. His private driver, already aware of his boss's instincts, had relocated the vehicle just out of the danger zone.
The second they were inside, the car peeled off.
---
In the Lion's Den – De Luca Family Estate
Within thirty minutes, they were back inside the towering gates of the De Luca family estate.
Guards opened the doors instantly as Luciano marched in, Ariana trailing behind him, still pale, but keeping up.
Don Matteo sat in the grand study, puffing a cigar, eyes narrowing as they entered.
"You're back early," Matteo grunted, then noticed Ariana. His gaze flicked between her and his son. "Who's this?"
Luciano didn't hesitate. "My new financial advisor."
Matteo lifted a bushy grey brow. "She looks like she's about to pass out."
"She just had her first introduction to the family business." Luciano guided Ariana to sit. "Ariana Russo, meet Don Matteo De Luca. My father."
Ariana gulped but nodded politely. "S-sir."
"Pleasure," Matteo said dryly, then turned to his son. "What happened?"
"Hitmen. Two. Russian-connected," Luciano replied smoothly, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. "Petrov's syndicate. Either a warning... or the beginning."
Matteo scowled, cigar grinding between his teeth. "Damn Russians have been sniffing around for months."
Luciano sipped. "No. It's more than sniffing. They're preparing for a bite."
Matteo stood, pacing. "Then we strike first."
"Not yet," Luciano countered. "A wounded animal is still dangerous. We don't swat the snake—we burn the nest."
Ariana blinked. "You… you're talking about... a full-out war."
Both men turned to her.
"Correct," Matteo said, tone dark. "A very bloody one."
Luciano leaned against the marble countertop, arms crossed. "But not yet. Not until we have every piece in place."
---
A Secret Meeting – Old Shadows Return
That night, under the cover of darkness, Luciano drove alone to the docks—the less public side of Palermo, where the real deals were made.
Waiting for him was a man most assumed was long dead.
Sergio Romano.
Once the De Luca family's top enforcer, Sergio disappeared years ago after a bloody betrayal. In truth, he'd been working underground ever since—cleaning messes, hunting traitors, doing the jobs too dark even for the main family.
Sergio leaned against a black motorcycle, cigarette between his lips, his face half-shrouded in the shadows.
"You've grown," Sergio commented as Luciano stepped forward.
Luciano smiled. "And you've survived."
"Barely." Sergio flicked the cigarette away. "Word is... you're stirring the hornet's nest."
"Word's right."
Sergio's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, kid?"
"I want a shadow crew. Off-book. No family name attached. I want the best hackers, trackers, mercenaries, and spies you can pull."
Sergio chuckled, low and dark. "That costs."
"I'm not short on money," Luciano replied. "And the job comes with something better than money."
Sergio tilted his head. "What?"
Luciano stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Giovanni Costa... and the Russians."
Sergio's eyes lit with something primal. Hatred. "Giovanni," he spat. "That bastard's still breathing?"
"Not for long."
Sergio grinned, sharp as a knife. "You've got yourself a deal."
---
Back at the Penthouse – An Unexpected Guest
When Luciano returned, it was close to 2 a.m. He expected silence.
What he didn't expect... was Ariana, sitting on his sofa in an oversized De Luca estate hoodie, her legs curled beneath her, a laptop open on her knees.
She glanced up, startled. "Oh—sorry! I... I didn't mean to invade your space. I just... couldn't sleep."
Luciano set his jacket down, loosening his tie. "Why are you here?"
"I found something," she said quickly. "I traced the Moscow account further. Guess what I found?"
Luciano crossed the room. "Tell me."
"It's not just Petrov. There's a third party... someone from Zurich, using a dummy corporation to funnel funds into both Petrov's and... and Giovanni's accounts."
Luciano's eyes darkened. "A foreign investor... or a rival family."
"Exactly." Ariana spun the laptop toward him, pointing. "I couldn't crack the encryption fully, but the signature matches a data pattern used by the Grimaldi Group."
Luciano clenched his fists. The Grimaldi family. Corrupt billionaires with one foot in corporate law and the other in organized crime. Long-standing rivals.
"They're funding this," Luciano muttered. "They want the De Lucas gone... and the Russians are their knife."
Ariana bit her lip. "What... what happens now?"
Luciano's gaze locked on hers, voice low but firm. "Now... we burn Zurich."
---
The Game Shifts
By sunrise, Luciano had summoned a private war council—only his most trusted.
Marco. Isabella. Sergio. And now... Ariana.
Ariana sat among hardened criminals, clearly out of place but holding her ground.
"Zurich is the key," Luciano began, tapping the map displayed on the screen. "If we cut the financial artery there, Petrov folds. Giovanni loses power. The Grimaldis lose leverage."
Marco grinned, cracking his knuckles. "So... we're hitting Switzerland?"
Luciano smirked. "Not with guns. With information."
He pointed to Ariana. "You'll lead the data breach. Sergio... you secure the physical side—any assets, facilities, or weak points in Zurich. Marco... increase security here. We can't leave the family exposed."
Isabella crossed her arms. "And me?"
Luciano's gaze softened just slightly. "You... are my eyes inside the family council. I need to know who's shaking hands behind my back."
Isabella smirked. "Easy."
The room buzzed with tension and anticipation.
Luciano stood, voice dropping into something cold, powerful. "The time for waiting is over. We strike. Quietly... precisely... fatally."