The Game Begins
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I was already taking every little chance I got at ruining him. Xavier walked in, his presence alone enough to fill the room. He carried himself with confidence, like a man who knew he was in control.
I hated the fact that I noticed every single thing about him.
His dark eyes studied me, full of quiet amusement. He had been watching me all morning, throwing little tests my way, trying to see who I really was beneath the surface.
But I never planned on making it easy for him. "Elena," Xavier said smoothly, his voice calm but firm. "What do you think about trust?"
I traced the edge of my glass cup with my fingers, letting a small smirk play on my lips. "Trust?" I repeated, moving my head slightly. "It's a weapon in the right hands. A mistake in the wrong ones."
He chuckled, settling into the chair across from me. Tapping his fingers against the table in front of him, thoughtful.
"A weapon. Interesting."
I wasn't going to let him push me into a corner. I met his eyes without hesitation. "I think you're testing me," I said, my voice light but firm. "But the thing about tests is… they reveal more about the person giving them than the one taking them."
Xavier leaned back slightly, his lips curling in a half-smile. "Very true. But I wonder… are you ready for what I'm about to show you?"
I didn't blink. "I'm always ready, Xavier. The real question is—are you?"
He locked his eyes onto mine for a moment longer, as if he was searching for something in my expression. The atmosphere in the room felt thick, heavy with unsaid words.
Then, his smile widened, not quite reaching his eyes. "You're an interesting woman, Elena." His voice was softer now, almost dangerous. "Tell me, do you like games?"
"Games?" I repeated, keeping my tone casual. "I've played games my whole life." Xavier's smile deepened.
"Good, Xavier shot back, Because this one is just getting started." His words made a chill run down my spine, but I kept my face neutral. I was never going to let him see how his words affected me. I had to stay composed.
Before I could respond, the door opened. A strange woman walked in, scanning the whole room with her sharp eyes until they met mine.
"Xavier," she greeted, nodding at him. Her voice was smooth, but there was something devious about it.
"Gabriella", he called her. Have a seat please". She didn't look at me. Not once. I wasn't sure if that was confidence or if she saw me as a threat. Either way, I wasn't here to make friends.
The shift in the room was immediate. Xavier had been focused on me, but now, with Gabriella here, I could see it—the way her presence affected him. And she saw it too.
She looked at both of us,and at that moment, I knew—deep down she had already decided I was a problem.
Xavier didn't seem to mind the tension. In fact, he enjoyed it. "Gabriella and I were just talking about the future of our business," he said, turning back to me.
"What do you think, Elena? How do you see your role in all this?" It was a test. Another one. But I was done playing safe.
I leaned back, folding my arms. "I see no future," I said simply. "At least, not the way you want me to." Xavier's expression immediately changed.
"Oh? And how do you see it?"
I let the silence hang between us for a while before answering his question. "All I see is a game. Right now, and you're the one making the moves.
But you might not like what happens when I start playing." Gabriella, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke.
"You don't know what you're walking into, Elena. This is not a game that words alone can win"
I met her stare, wicked, hateful . But I had to give her a befitting reply.
"I'm not trying to win with words. But if you think you can scare me easily, you're wasting your time." Something changed in her eyes—respect maybe?
But it was gone fast exactly the same way it took to show up on her face. Before any of us could speak again, the door opened.
This time yet another woman walked inside, moving with quiet confidence. She was calm, elegant, but there was a tension inside of her that told me she was not here to be admired.
Xavier's expression turned soft just a bit. "Sophia." She barely acknowledged him. Instead, she looked straight at me. Her gaze was mysterious, something about it that I couldn't yet figure out.
"So, this is Elena," she said, looking at me from head to toes. There was something familiar about her face, but I was still trying to figure out where I had seen this face.
Then it hit me.
Sophia Moretti. The heiress of one of the most dangerous crime families in Italy. That realization alone sent a jolt through me. I had heard of her before, but I never thought we would ever meet this way.
Sophia's dark eyes shifted back to Xavier, then back to me. "You seem… uncomfortable," she said smoothly.
I opened my mouth to respond back to her, but immediately that was when my eyes caught it. Behind Xavier, a file lying on the desk.
The name on top of the file caught my eyes. It was…Vic…
Victor.
My brother's name.
I forced myself to stay calm, but my pulse pounded in my ears. I quickly stretched further to take a closer look at the document, catching just enough to make my stomach drop.
Victor's name linked to Lorenzo Santini. One of the most dangerous Mafia bosses ever known. I felt my breath.This was going to ruin things for me.
Really bad.
I had come here to gather information that would bring down Xavier and his empire, but I never expected to find something like this.
I raised my eyes, Xavier was still studying me, Gabriella's suspicion still intense as it had grown worse with the look on my face.
And now Sophia was here, glancing back at me like she knew something I didn't. I needed to leave here before they realized that I was suspicious about the document.
But I couldn't just leave like that, not without making my mission successful.
The game had just started.
And there was no choice but for me to play it.