His Villain

19

His gaze remained fixed on the crystal mirror, capturing the reflection of his impeccably sculpted physique like that of a Greek god. Adjusting his cufflinks, he completed his final touches before moving towards the bed to retrieve his suit jacket.

Just as he approached the bed, an urgent knock echoed through the suite door, followed by his nonchalant command to enter. The door swung open, revealing none other than his younger sister, Miss Dalia D'Amico Cassano.

Raising a perfect eyebrow, he watched as she approached him with measured steps, producing a pen drive from her left pocket and handing it to him. Taking the pen drive, he slid it into his own pocket and inquired, "What's on it?"

"It contains recordings of every single second of Celia's surroundings. You'll have a detailed track of her interactions and any meetings with anonymous individuals from yesterday onwards. The device is connected to a microphone installed in her room, allowing you to listen to everything until she is discharged," she explained, meeting his matching pair of grey eyes.

He couldn't help but be impressed by his sister's audacious move. Underestimating her capabilities would be an insult to both of them. It seemed he had underestimated her resourcefulness, though it ultimately made his own plans easier, as he had intended to monitor Celia's every communication and action as well. With a nod of acknowledgment, he excused himself.

Descending the stairs, he encountered Alessia, who held a manila file in her hands. She patiently waited downstairs while he climbed the last step, gesturing her towards his garage. Without a word, she complied. Opening the door to his new model Mercedes car, he settled into the driver's seat. Alessia was momentarily taken aback but quickly joined him, clutching the seatbelt tightly as anticipation churned in her gut. She suppressed a gasp as the car sped out of the garage like a bullet.

Her heart raced as she observed that the road was relatively clear, with only a few scattered cars. This worked in their favor, allowing him to push the car's speed further. If he continued at this pace, they would reach their destination ahead of schedule or possibly even arrive at the hospital in the next 15 minutes. It all depended on his mood, which didn't seem particularly pleasant. Alessia couldn't wait to be out of the car when he was behind the wheel. Driving with him was never a good sign.

She clutched the file tightly in her lap, attempting to distract herself by admiring the architectural beauty of the passing buildings. The half-hour drive was completed in just twenty-five minutes, and she was grateful to arrive in one piece.

Exiting the car, he tossed the keys to the valet. Alessia trailed behind him as he was greeted by everyone along the way. He entered his private elevator, pressing the button for the twenty-seventh floor. With a soft ding, the elevator announced their arrival, and the doors opened a moment later.

His office was more spacious than the average workplace, adorned with dark colors predominantly in shades of brown and black. On the west side of the office, massive bookshelves housed a collection of contemporary, non-fictional, historical, and business books and magazines. A sturdy mahogany table dominated the center of the room, piled with various documents, with an expensive, gleaming leather chair positioned behind it. A towering window on the north side offered a view of the skyscrapers, while a few couches occupied the remaining space on the east side.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the leather chair, rolling up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. Opening his laptop, he retrieved the pen drive from his pocket and inserted it into the USB port. A document appeared on the screen, and he clicked on it.

Alessia began gathering the files required for the day's work, leaving one in front of Venezio that she had brought with her. She excused herself and left the room.

Venezio listened to the recording at double speed, but found nothing suspicious. Frustration gnawed at him, as he couldn't pinpoint any evidence against Celia without substantial proof of her actions.

No matter how skilled or flawless a person may be, everyone makes mistakes eventually. And this person would too.

Setting aside the pen drive, he focused on his office work and pushed aside the file Alessia had presented. He made calls, checked emails, reviewed corrected documents from his employees, and engaged in various tasks. A knock interrupted his concentration as he permitted the person at the door to enter.

Alessia entered with a troubled expression, holding a folder in her hand. Swallowing her discontent, she handed the folder to Venezio.

Opening it, he extracted the enclosed photos. His eyes scrutinized them, and his demeanor shifted. Clutching the photos tightly, he shot her an indignant look and asked through gritted teeth, "Who?"

She swallowed her worry and resentment, hesitating before answering, "A delivery boy left it in your name."

Retrieving his phone, he made a call to gather the information he needed. However, the response left him disappointed, causing him to erupt in a string of curses and furious exclamations in his native language. Slamming his phone down on the floor was a customary reaction when someone failed to meet his expectations.

Knowing that this case was going to be challenging, as the culprit had left no traces of their actions, Alessia suggested, "Kill them before dawn and sever all partnerships with them. But it will only complicate matters further for you, Don. Perhaps we should focus on capturing the culprit first."

He slammed his hand on the mahogany table, causing the items atop it to tremble momentarily from the force. Alessia nodded urgently in understanding.

"How?" she inquired.

"Make it look like an accident. The media will do the rest," he stated firmly.

Acknowledging his plan, she left to carry out the crucial task assigned to her.

He glanced at the photos once more before discarding them in the trash bin.

In those photos, Romano was seen meeting with his opposition party.

Finding a suitable underboss had become an urgent necessity.