Morning light spilled across the Romano estate like gold over marble. Alessia rose early, her mind already sharp and alert. Today wasn't for polite homecomings or family dinners — today was about business.
Her father's company, Romano Holdings, had been the heart of their empire for decades. From luxury exports to political connections, it was built on influence, silence, and power. And now, it would soon be hers.
The drive into the city was quiet. Her driver, Luca, didn't dare speak; everyone in the Romano circle knew Alessia wasn't a woman of idle talk. When she stepped out of the black car in front of the glass tower, heads turned. Employees straightened, whispers followed her down the marble lobby.
"That's the boss's daughter."
"She's taking over soon, isn't she?"
"Heard she's colder than her father."
She didn't need to correct them — she preferred it that way.
Inside the boardroom, Don Romano's most trusted men sat waiting. Alessia greeted them with a calm smile that never reached her eyes. "Please," she said, sliding into the head chair. "Don't get up on my account. I'm just here to see how the empire breathes."
The men exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, Signor Bellini, cleared his throat. "Your father didn't mention you'd be attending, signorina."
Alessia leaned forward slightly. "That's because I don't wait for permission to understand what I'll soon lead."
Silence. Only the ticking of the clock filled the room.
As the meeting continued, Alessia absorbed everything — the contracts, the trade routes, the missing funds that no one dared mention aloud. When one of the accountants hesitated to answer a question about a "Vitale contract," Alessia's gaze cut through him like glass.
"Vitale," she repeated softly. "As in Marco Vitale?"
The man nodded nervously. "Just minor dealings, signorina. Nothing of concern."
Her lips curved faintly. "Everything concerning Marco Vitale is a concern."
By the end of the day, Alessia knew three things: the company was strong but vulnerable, her father's allies were too comfortable, and Marco Vitale's shadow stretched closer than she'd imagined.
As she left the building, she paused by the glass doors, her reflection blending with the city behind her — a woman standing between power and danger.
A chill of intuition passed through her. Someone, somewhere, was already watching her moves.
And though she didn't know it yet, the next set of eyes to follow her would belong to Lorenzo De Luca — the son of her father's greatest enemy, and the man fate would soon pull into her path.