The next morning, sunlight spills into the penthouse, the morning light feels like a betrayal.
Bella's words linger, unanswered.
"In this world, the stakes are always higher than you think.". Bella steps into the room, her heels clicking against the polished floors, sharp and deliberate.
She's dressed in a simple black dress, elegant but understated, her hair pulled back into a sleek bun.
The perfect mafia wife.
"I've arranged a meeting for you," she says, her voice steady as she takes a seat at the glass dining table. Her expression is unreadable, as always, but there's a sharpness in the way she watches him, something that hints at suspicion beneath the surface.
Roberto's eyes narrow, but he doesn't respond immediately.
"Who?" he asks, finally turning away from the window to face her.
Not with Sofia's involvement, not with the war brewing between their families.
"Vito wants to talk," Bella replies, her gaze unwavering.
"He's worried about the direction things are heading."
Roberto lets out a breath, the mention of Bella's brother pulling him back to reality.
Vito has always been a thorn in his side.
"Tell Vito I'm not interested in his concerns," Roberto says, moving toward the door.
"You can't ignore him forever, Roberto.
He's your brother-in-law.
And more importantly, he's not the only one worried.
Giovanni's becoming… anxious."
Roberto stares at her, his pulse quickening.
Giovanni, her father, is the most powerful man in their world, the man who controls a vast network of resources.
"Tell Giovanni I'm handling it," Roberto responds, though there's a hint of unease in his voice that he tries to mask.
"He doesn't need to worry about me."
Bella doesn't answer immediately.
She stands there, looking at him, her green eyes cutting through the tension in the room.
"I don't trust Sofia," Bella says finally, her voice quieter now.
There's no accusation in her tone, but the warning is clear.
"I never have."
The air in the room seems to freeze.
Roberto stiffens, a flash of irritation crossing his features, but he forces himself to remain calm.
"You don't have to trust her. I do."
"Why?" Bella presses, her voice steady despite the underlying tension.
"What does she offer you that I can't?
Or is it something else?"
The question hangs in the air, pregnant with meaning.
Bella's suspicion is like a crack in a fragile glass, and Roberto can feel it widening with every word.
Her loyalty to her family, her blind trust in the people she's been taught to trust, is starting to fracture. She's beginning to see through the facade, and it terrifies him.
For a moment, neither speaks, the silence between them suffocating.
Roberto knows the moment has passed.
"She has information," Roberto says, his voice finally breaking the stillness. "And she has connections that we need.
That's all."