Chapter 66

Chapter 66


Just as Mary left, the office door burst open. Rico strode in, panting heavily, his chest rising and falling, and his jacket slightly disheveled. His eyes darted toward Adrian immediately. “Have you seen the news?” he asked with a  voice sharp, tinged with urgency.

Adrian, seated behind his desk, didn’t look up at first. When he finally did, he nodded slowly. “Yeah,” he said, voice calm but firm.

Rico ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself. “I went there… like you told me,” he said, his words spilling out fast. “I went to call Daniel, but there were cops everywhere, and crowds. Goddamn it, the killer… I can’t believe—” He trailed off, cursing under his breath, frustration and anger mixing in his tone.

Adrian didn’t respond. He just watched him, his eyes sharp, unblinking not leaving rico. The silence stretched, and Rico’s words seemed to hang in the air.

Finally, Adrian broke the quietness. “Rico,” he said, leaning forward slightly, “are you hiding anything from me?”

Rico froze, his hands gripping the edge of the chair he had walked past. His eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. “Wait… woah. I hope you don’t mean what I’m thinking,” he said cautiously, his voice low but filled with tension. “What do you mean, ‘am I hiding anything from you’?”

Adrian didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. He just sat, still, calm, but with that quiet weight that made Rico shift on his feet. “A lot of things are going wrong, Rico,” he said slowly. “A lot of things.”

Rico frowned, confusion knitting his brow. “What does that have to do with me?” he asked, defensive now, a flicker of irritation in his voice.

Adrian sighed, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. “You’re my right-hand man,” he said quietly, the words carrying both disappointment and frustration. “But at this point… it’s like you aren’t even helping me.”

Rico’s jaw tightened. He exhaled slowly, trying to regain control of his emotions. “I am helping,” he said. “Maybe you are not seeing it… maybe you are just holding back because of Lucia.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, a shadow crossing his face. “Don’t bring Lucia into this,” he said sharply. “You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

Rico hesitated, opening his mouth as if to argue, but Adrian cut him off with a slow, deliberate shake of his head. “Leave,” he said. “Go for now. I need to think.”

Rico’s shoulders stiffened. He straightened his jacket, jaw tight, then gave Adrian a brief, measured nod. Without another word, he turned and walked toward the door. The click of his shoes echoed softly across the office floor as he left.

Adrian watched him go, studying him hard before picking up his phone. “I need my driver and Matteo here immediately,” he growled slowly. His voice tinged with a bit of command.

Moments later, Matteo arrived, quiet as always, and the driver followed. Adrian didn’t waste a second. “We’re leaving now,” he said. “I need to follow him.”

The three of them moved quickly, getting into the car. Matteo slid into the passenger seat while the driver took the wheel. Adrian sat in the back, his arms crossed, and eyes fixed on the garage doors. Outside, they saw Rico’s car slowly pulling out of the company’s garage.

Adrian’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Follow him,” he ordered. “We will be using this new car. Bought it recently. He won’t expect us.”

The driver nodded, keeping the distance between them, before the chase began. Matteo kept his gaze on the rearview mirror, making mental notes of every turn, every vehicle that approached.

Just as they were about to move past the first intersection, the elevator dinged behind them. Adrian glanced up briefly. Lucia appeared, standing at the entrance, her  eyes sharp as if there was a  determination in her stance.

“I heard everything,” she said calmly. “I want to come with you.”

Adrian started to protest, opening his mouth to argue. But he knew her too well. Lucia wasn’t someone who could be easily persuaded otherwise, not when her mind was set on something.

He gave a faint motion, gesturing for her to get in. She didn’t hesitate. She slid into the back seat beside him, buckling in quickly, with a straight posture. 

“Move now,” Adrian said to the driver. “Follow him.”

The car pulled smoothly onto the street, and they merged into traffic, keeping a careful distance behind Rico. Adrian leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the vehicle ahead.

Matteo sat alert in the passenger seat, scanning every car, every pedestrian, and every alley they passed. He shifted occasionally, his hands resting lightly on his knees, ready to relay any changes to Adrian.

Lucia’s presence beside Adrian was silent but noticeable. She didn’t speak, only kept her eyes on the road ahead, as though she could sense the weight of what was unfolding.

Adrian’s hands rested lightly on his knees, though his mind was working at full speed. Every turn Rico made, every stop, every slight change in speed was logged in his mind. He noted patterns, possible destinations, and contingencies — everything that might matter.

The city passed by in a blur of buildings, traffic, and streetlights. The hum of the engine was the only sound inside the car besides the occasional soft click of Matteo’s watch as he shifted.

Adrian didn’t break the silence. He didn’t need to. His presence, the quiet focus in the back seat, communicated everything to those in the car with him.

Matteo shifted slightly, keeping a careful eye on the rearview mirror. “Distance is good,” he said softly, his voice almost a whisper as if Rico could hear him if he raised it any higher. “He hasn’t noticed us yet.”

Adrian inclined his head slightly. “Good. Keep it that way.”

Lucia returned her gaze to the road,her hands clasped tightly together in her lap. She was calm, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed her. She had never been one to back down from a situation that demanded courage, and she wasn’t about to start now.

The car moved through the city, following Rico without incident. Every turn, every stoplight, every parked car ahead was a potential threat — and Adrian knew it. He leaned slightly forward,

“Rico is careful,” he murmured. “But he’s predictable if you know him well enough. I hate to feel this way about him but I have to follow my instincts. They are never wrong.”

Matteo didn’t respond, only nodded, his eyes flicking to Adrian briefly, then back to the road.

Minutes passed. The tail continued smoothly. Rico’s car moved with the precision of someone who thought they were alone, but Adrian knew otherwise.