"She's perfect."
Dante Vitale stood at the window of his apartment talking to someone on phone.
"Perfect for what?" Isabella asked in calculating voice as always.
"For destroying him. For giving us exactly what we need to finally take what should be ours."
"Explain."
Dante smiled.
"I had someone run a deeper background check on Sera Moretti, the artist from Florence with the convenient dead grandmother and the perfect portfolio."
"And?"
"And everything checks out. Her records are flawless. There are no gaps, no inconsistencies, no digital footprint before two years ago." He turned from the window. "She is definitely planted by someone."
"Lorenzo would have discovered that already."
"Maybe or maybe he's so obsessed with her he's not looking as closely as he should. Either way, she's connected to someone.The question is who."
Isabella was quiet for a moment.
"The Rossis have been quiet lately. And the timing of her appearance…right when dad announced Lorenzo would officially inherit in six months…"
"Exactly." Dante's smile widened. "I think Sera Moretti is a Rossi operation. She's sent to get close to Lorenzo, to what end, I'm not sure yet. But we can use it."
"How?"
"Think about it. If we expose her before Lorenzo figures it out himself, we look like the loyal family members protecting him. He'll owe us. He'll trust us more." Dante's mind raced with possibilities. "Or…and this is even better…we let it play out. Let her get closer. Let Lorenzo fall harder. Then reveal the truth at exactly the right moment."
"When he's vulnerable." Isabella finished. "When the betrayal will hurt most."
"Exactly. A man in pain makes mistakes, and when Lorenzo makes mistakes…"
"We're there to clean up the mess. To prove we should have been in charge all along. But this is risky, Dante. If Lorenzo finds out we knew and said nothing…"
"He won't. We'll be careful." Dante sat down, already planning. "For now, we watch. We gather evidence, and we wait for the perfect moment to strike."
"There's another option. We could approach her directly, offer her a better deal than whoever sent her."
"You mean turn her against the Rossis?"
"Why not? If she's a spy, she's motivated by something. Money? Protection? Family obligation? Everyone has a price. Find hers, and we control her which will mean we control Lorenzo."
"I'll test her to see if she can be bought."
"And if she can't?"
"Then we burn her. One way or another, Isabella, Sera Moretti is going to give us what we've always wanted."
"Be careful, little brother. Lorenzo didn't become 'The Viper' by being careless. If he suspects what we're planning…"
"He won't. He's too distracted by his new toy. Let him play with her. Let him think he's in control. When the time comes, we'll show him exactly how wrong he was."
SERAFINA'S POV
I dressed up for the dinner. I wore the lingerie Lorenzo had sent me. I didn't know what Lorenzo was thinking when he sent me this. He has discovered the recording device, and he knew I was the one who has put it in his jacket.
He was going to expose me, probably going to k*ll me tonight. Buy still, here, I was ready for my own funeral. I didn't tell anyone about his message including Matteo. I had put the wire was in the drawer.
Lorenzo's driver picked me up at 7:30. The drive to Lorenzo's penthouse felt like driving to my own execution. The elevator opened directly into his penthouse.
Lorenzo was in the kitchen, cooking. He looked up when I entered, and smiled.
"Sera. You came."
"Did you think I wouldn't?"
"I wasn't sure." He gestured to the wine on the counter. "After you ran that night, I thought maybe I'd scared you off."
"You didn't scare me." I said, accepting the wine glass he offered.
"Good." He returned to chopping vegetables. "I'm making risotto. I hope that's okay with you."
"Of course."
"We should talk." Lorenzo said while still cooking.
Here it was.
He plated the risotto, brought it to the table, and we sat opposite to each other.
"I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me."
"Alright."
"You're not just an artist, are you?"
"No. I'm not just an artist."
LORENZO'S POV
She admitted it.
"Tell me the truth. Who are you really?"
She set down her fork, and looked into my eyes directly.
"My name is Sera. That is true. The artist part is real, I did study in Florence, I do paint. But my grandmother…" She hesitated. "Her maiden name was Rossi."
There it was.
"Distant relation to Giovanni Rossi?"
"You knew?"
"I suspected. The timing of your appearance was too convenient. Your background was too perfect."
"So you've known this whole time?"
"That you had Rossi blood? Yes. That you were sent here to spy on me?" I paused. "I'm still deciding."
I pulled the listening device from my pocket, and put it on the table between us.
"This was in my jacket. You planted it the night we cooked together." I watched her face. "Want to explain that?"
Sera stared at the device, and then at me.
"I.." She stopped. "I wanted to protect myself. I knew being close to you was dangerous. I thought if I could hear what you were planning, I could stay safe."
"And who did you think would harm you?"
"Your family. Your enemies. Anyone who saw me as a threat or a weakness." She looked at me. "You're not exactly known for trusting people, Lorenzo."
"So this was self preservation? Not intelligence gathering for someone else?"
"What else would it be?"
I studied her face. There was slight tension in her jaw, her hands gripped the wine glass tightly.
She was lying.
But not about everything, they was what made this even more fascinating.
"I believe that you have Rossi connections. I believe you planted that device to protect yourself. I even believe you're attracted to me, that kiss last night wasn't faked."
"Then what's the problem?"
"The problem is I don't know the full truth. And I hate not knowing." I leaned forward. "So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to make you an offer, and you will have about thirty seconds to decide if you're smart enough to take it."
"What kind of offer?"
"A business arrangement. Mutually beneficial." I looked at her. "You clearly want access to my world, to my life, my business, my secrets. And I…" I paused. "I want you."
"Lorenzo…"
"Let me finish." I stood, moved around the table until I was standing over her. "You're connected to the Rossis that makes you dangerous. It also makes you valuable. You have insight into their operations, there plans, their weaknesses."
"You want me to spy for you."
"I want you to be honest with me about who you are and what you know. In exchange, I'll protect you from both our families. Give you the access you clearly want. Make you successful beyond your dreams." I traced my finger along her jaw. "
"That's insane."
"Is it or it is it the smartest move either of us could make?" I crouched beside her chair so we were eye level. "Be mine, Sera. Be exclusively mine. Give me your loyalty, your honesty, your body. In exchange, I'll give you access to everything you need."
She stared at me.
"You're asking me to betray my family?"
"I'm asking you to choose yourself for once. Choose what you want instead of what they want." My hand cupped her face. "Unless you're telling me you don't want this?"
"I…" She stopped.
"Because if you walk out that door right now, this ends. We go back to being enemies. You disappear. I forget you existed." I leaned closer. "But if you stay…if you say yes…everything changes for both of us."
"This is a trap."
"This is an opportunity."
Sera looked at me for a long moment. I could see her mind working, weighing options, calculating risks.
"And if I say yes? What happens then?"
I pulled her, and pressed her against me.
"Then you stay tonight. We make this official. I introduce you to my world as my acknowledged companion, and we see where this incredibly dangerous, potentially catastrophic decision takes us."
Her hands came up to rest on my chest.
"You're gambling everything on trusting me."
"Yes."
"I could destroy you."
"Then let it be."