"I'm in," Natasha agreed to take the job.
"You don't have a choice," Luca replied. That was a lie.
He was inwardly happy that she accepted his offer, he expected her to turn it down immediately.
Lorenzo was the most feared person in Italy and maybe even America. No sane person would think about killing him. If she had turned down the job, he would have had to resort to other means.
He didn't have enough evidence to send her to prison, but she wouldn't know that.
There were two things Natasha feared; losing her freedom and losing her sister. He exploited her weakness, hoping she would fall for it, and she did.
Alas, the two months of research weren't a waste. He trusted her to carry out the job perfectly. She was the best at what she did. Soon, Lorenzo Lizzo would be dead, and he would have control of America's business.
He couldn't wait. The thought alone made him smile, he had a massive grin plastered across his face. Luca waved his hand, ordering the guards out of the room. He couldn't take chances. Anybody could be a snitch. He had learned his lesson the hard way.
"What's the plan?" Natasha questioned with a confused look on her face.
"We change you," Luca said, getting up and moving towards her.
Natasha stood up, alarmed, and backed away as he came closer. "You need me unhurt if you want this to succeed. Don't come any closer."
She had reached the end of the room, and he had her back pressed to the wall.
"I have no reason to hurt you." Taking two steps forward, Luca closed the gap between them. "You're beautiful, I just need to get you in shape," he said, trailing his fingers on her face.
Her breathing became heavy. "Back away," she said in a weak and shaky voice. What was he planning to do with her?
He turned round immediately and started to walk towards the door. Stopping midway, he placed a card on the table, "Report here by 9 am on Monday."
She heard his car speed away as soon as he left. She felt relieved instantly. She had second thoughts about the deal.
She could run now, but she didn't have enough money, and he would definitely find her again. Furthermore, she picked up the card from the table. She was to meet him at the address on Monday. What did he mean by he would change her?
* * *
"Kill her immediately," Lorenzo Lizzo just ordered the execution of his secretary.
She had come across some confidential files while snooping around, and he didn't care if she was smart enough to keep it to herself or not.
Any threat to the sealing of the billion-dollar investment would be eliminated. He had taken chances in the past, and they almost cost him the family business.
Lorenzo Lizzo was the youngest child of the Lizzo family and the CEO of the Lizzo empire. He was the smartest of the two sons, making him a better choice and his father's favorite.
His father passed away when he was eighteen, and he had been single-handedly running the business since then. Lorenzo was also the leader of the biggest Mafia group in Italy, a second inheritance from his dad.
He was ruthless and was very feared in all of Italy and America. The Lizzo empire was a family business with headquarters in America.
It had maintained the record as the biggest business in America for over ten years. This billion-dollar investment was going to make sure the record stayed the same for years.
Lorenzo had been working on this for three years now. There had been a hitch before, and he couldn't give room for that again.
He was very close to making the deal. Not even the life of a small fry who refused to mind her business would stop him now.
"Set up a meeting with the board," Lorenzo ordered over the intercom.
He needed to go through the basics of the investment plan with them again to avoid mistakes. "Tell the receptionist to put up a vacancy sign for a secretary," he added.
"There's an urgent situation that needs your attention, boss," Matteo said, entering the office hurriedly.
Matteo was Lorenzo's bodyguard. They have been friends since childhood. Lorenzo trusted him and left him to oversee the activities of the drug business.
"What's the issue? I'm in the middle of something."
"The shipment was seized."
At this statement, Lorenzo froze. "Was it the FBI or the DEA?"
"None. Our guys were hit and someone took the drugs," Matteo said.
"Who do you think would dare to hit us?" he asked. He trusted Matteo's instincts.
"I suspect the Russians or the Latinos. They've always wanted to take over the distribution process."
"No shit."
"Send a message across. We meet at the table now."
Lorenzo was beyond surprised, no one dared to step on his toes. Not even his biggest enemy, the Russians.
This was the first time his guys got hit. He has never lost a shipment. Whoever dared to steal from him had something else coming. He needed to fix that as soon as possible.
The extra cash influx from the drug business was important for the success of the billion-dollar investment.
"Postpone the board meeting," he said to the manager, who had come running towards him as soon as he left his office.
Without wasting time, he got to his car and drove to meet his table of six. The issue was pressing and had to be addressed. Waiting would be dangerous.
* * *
"Be seated," Lorenzo said, taking his seat at the head of the table of six. "As you may or may not have heard, my guys got hit."
Their eyes widened in shock.
"Quit playing around Scorpion," Marco, one of the five dealers at the table, said. — Scorpion was Lorenzo's code name on the streets- "I don't believe you got hit. No one dares to mess with you."
"Who do you suspect Scorpion?" Angelo asked. "We need to end every one of them who had a hand in this," he said.
"No shit. My guy said he thinks it's the Russians or the Latinos," Lorenzo replied.
"Mhmm, the Russians always had an eye out for you. They hate your guts," said Paolo, the fourth member of the table. "Whoever it is, we have to find out fast.
"Until then, no one gets any products," Lorenzo declared.
"What do you mean by nobody gets the product? I don't give a shit about you getting hit. Whatever happened to YOUR shipment is YOUR burden to bear. I need to distribute the products on the street," Bruno ranted.
Bruno was the only one who wasn't scared of Lorenzo, he knew Lorenzo wouldn't do anything to him, except he was ready for war. He had brothers down in Mexico who would fight for him. His network was strong.
"My decision stands. No products until I find out who hit me."
Lorenzo knew that his downfall might be seated with them, ended the meeting, and headed back to his office. He had to play his card meticulously.
* * *
"You are not allowed to fail," Lorenzo told them, bringing the board meeting to an end.
He took the elevator back to his office on the top floor, his mind was bothered with different thoughts. Who was courageous enough to hit him and why, Even though he was ruthless and powerful, he dealt with business fairly. No one had any reason to hit him except the person who was trying to start a war.
The ding of the elevator snapped him out of his thoughts. He would just pack up and go home. He would leave the investigation to Matteo. He needed to direct all his focus on the investment deal.
"What's this?" Lorenzo was staring at an envelope on his desk. Just then, there was a knock at his door. "Come in," he answered. It was the manager.
"I found the envelope in front of the office a few minutes after you left. It is addressed to you personally, so I didn't bother to open it," he reported.
"It's fine. Take your leave." Lorenzo was curious. Why was an envelope directed to him at the same time all these were happening?
He opened the envelope immediately. It had just one content. A black handprint with the word VENDETTA written boldly. A sign of revenge.