“Honestly, it’s risky—yes. But if you’re going to help us, I think we can pull it off. Don’t you want to know where The Red Dock is, too?”
“Christiane,” a new voice growls from behind.
Mariano steps into the room, shirtless, wearing just short training pants. Every muscle is carved like stone.
Yeah... I would not want to get on the wrong side of those abs.
I swallow—less out of fear, more because Chris’s father looks ridiculously hot in workout clothes. Well, pants.
Damn.
Luca raises a hand to stop the next firebomb from exploding out of Mariano’s mouth.
“No,” he says firmly. “Chris trained hard to earn her voice in this operation. Let her speak.”
Mariano huffs through his nose, clearly not thrilled, but takes a step back.
Chris looks briefly thrown off, but she recovers fast, nodding at Luca. Her eyes are gleaming now, just a flicker of excitement under the tension.
The men here really do treat the women differently. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this kind of freedom.
“I don’t know if you caught all of it, but Roran ran Konfetki her entire life. She knows this client. If the plan works, she could get you the information faster than anyone. She could sneak in and out before they even blink. The staff knows her—”
“That’s exactly why it’s not a good idea,” Luca cuts in, his daughter still holding onto him, her eyes locked on his face like she’s trying to read between the lines. “Think about why Roran is here to begin with. What was the plan?”
His voice drops lower.
Is he testing her now?
Plan? What plan?
Malec said I’d work under him. I figured they took me to punish my father—make him sweat. But not for a nobody like me...
“He’s going to marry Diana off to that monster if we don’t move fast. Or worse—kill her if she’s not useful and Ivan doesn’t agree.”
I blink. Twice.
Chris is... fighting for me? For Diana? In front of her capo?
“Chris,” Luca grits out. “Leave emotion out of it. Why is Roran here? What was the plan?”
She hesitates, then exhales loudly. “To make them kill each other and blame the other side.”
I gasp in realization—then freeze. That sound. That smug, venom-laced chuckle.
I turn and meet Luca’s cold, cunning smirk.
He wasn’t testing Chris. He wanted me to hear it.
“What’s wrong? Scared for dear Father?” he sneers, mockery dripping off every syllable.
Now I see it.
The madman I was warned about.
But I’m not his enemy.
I shake my head. “You’d do me the biggest favor if that’s how things go down. But please—I need my sister back.”
