Chapter 39

Hearing this made me even more surprised, and my attention snapped right back. "A mole?"

"Yes." Only then did Virio tell me that the reason he chose to take me to the nightclub today was because the nightclub's security system was being overhauled during this period.

"It's most chaotic during shift changes. When I brought you there, I originally planned to have you stay in the lounge—that's the safest place."

But right there in the main hall, just a few minutes after we entered, things went wrong.

"Only internal staff knew about our security system overhaul, including those customers who came to the nightclub today—they had no idea."

Hearing Virio say this, I immediately understood. "So someone must be secretly selling out your information and tipping off the Camorra."

"Exactly. So what I need to consider next isn't just when they'll strike again—I need to think about whether I should give them an opportunity." As he spoke, a cold gleam flashed in Virio's eyes.

That opportunity came soon enough.

I got the news the very next day.

At that moment, I was in my office talking with Sebastian.

Yesterday's events seemed to have no effect on me. Even when I recalled the moment I pulled the trigger, though my heart still raced, I acted like nothing had happened while at the family company.

At least I didn't run into Killian today.

When Freya saw me at the company, she glared at me hard but didn't dare come over to confront me.

I knew the news from yesterday must have reached her ears, and she didn't dare provoke me today.

I sneered inwardly.

At the end of the day, she was just a bully who picked on the weak and feared the strong.

Maybe before, she didn't realize how much I mattered to Virio.

But yesterday I shot and killed someone who threatened Virio.

No matter who heard about this, everyone would know that from today on, my status with Virio was definitely higher than before.

They could even call me his lifesaver without exaggeration.

So if Killian and Freya wanted to make a move against me now, they'd probably have to think twice.

Thinking back on it, a pleased smile curved at the corners of my mouth.

Seeing me smile, Sebastian brought up something else. "Several small families that have risen to prominence in recent years have been in contact with Alberto lately."

"Small families? What's Alberto planning?" I asked.

He shook his head. "We don't know exactly what they discussed, but knowing Alberto's personality, he's most likely gathering and buying off these small families."

Individual small families, taken one by one, wouldn't really affect the major families, including my own family.

The top of the food chain was always reserved for the powerful families—and we were constantly keeping each other in balance.

But if one family gathered up a bunch of small families, the result would be different.

Alberto actually had such tactics.

I didn't dare take it lightly. That evening, I reported this information directly to Virio.

After I finished, Virio nodded. "Actually, I already knew about this, though I only found out today myself."

"So you already knew..." I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed and pouted slightly.

Virio reached up and pinched my cheek. "What, were you hoping to be the first person to report this news to me?"

I nodded. "When I got this information, that's exactly what I was thinking. But as the boss, you have more channels and get information faster than me, so..."

I shrugged, showing that I didn't really mind.

With Virio's status and position, it would be strange if he got news slower than me.

Virio reached up again and ruffled my hair. "They'll definitely make a move in the next few days. You need to be careful."

Even at a time like this, he was still worried about my safety.

I said, "You need to protect yourself too. Strengthen security at all your businesses, no matter what."

The day after we discussed this, I learned a heartbreaking fact from Charles.

Someone had indeed made a move.

It was those small families Alberto had contacted.

I only just realized that those so-called up-and-coming families weren't really new at all—they had been under Virio's protection all along.

"All along, Mr. Soren has been giving benefits to some small families, which was basically an indirect way of controlling them. Alberto must have used some method to temporarily buy them off. Maybe these families had wanted to break free from us all along," Charles said.

So it was a betrayal from within the organization.

He added, "They directly attacked the casino, and it was a very large-scale attack."

"Was anyone hurt?" I licked my lips, my nerves involuntarily tensing up. "Was Mr. Soren there?"

Charles told me, "Don't worry, Mr. Soren is fine this time. But Luca..."

Hearing that name, I got even more agitated. "Luca was hurt?"

Charles nodded regretfully. "As Mr. Soren's right-hand man, he went with Mr. Soren to inspect the casino this time. Several bullets hit him. He's seriously injured."

Tears nearly spilled from my eyes.

That day when Luca and Vivian took me to Floridia, even though it was just a brief time together, I could tell Luca was a very reliable person.

He must have been trying to protect Virio, or investigating something, to get hurt so badly!

Thinking this, I immediately said to Charles, "Is anyone still at the casino?"

"Yes, they're cleaning up the scene and doing damage control now." Charles was halfway through when his eyes fixed on me. "You're not thinking of going over there, are you? No, Ms. Lacey, I have to warn you—this is very dangerous!"

"I'm not afraid of danger. I think this is the perfect opportunity. I need to go take a look."

Charles really couldn't talk me out of it, so he could only personally escort me there with his people.

What I was actually thinking about were the things Virio said to me last time.

He suspected there was a mole inside the family, which was why such a serious incident happened.

And this time it was the casino again.

These past few days, Virio's arrangements had all been internal.

Only a mole would get the information and spread it out at such a fast speed.

The casino was the place with the weakest security—this was also what Virio told me, because it was such a mixed crowd there that it wasn't easy to station too many people.

When I got to the casino entrance, I didn't rush inside. Instead, I went straight to the back door.

Charles followed close behind me the whole time, staying right on my heels, seemingly very worried something might happen to me.

But I was just waiting at the back door for my chance.

Before long, I heard some movement and looked inside again.