The Calm Before The Fire
The soft hum of Adriano’s black Maserati filled the evening air as it sliced through the New York streets like a predator stalking its prey. The dashboard clock read 6:52 PM. Adriano spared a quick glance and muttered under his breath.
"Still on time."
The city buzzed outside his windows, bathed in the orange-pink afterglow of sunset. His hands drummed lightly on the steering wheel. He wasn’t nervous—Adriano Greco didn’t do nervous—but there was a tension in his jaw he couldn’t quite shake. His gut wasn’t screaming, but it was whispering.
Then, the car screen lit up with an incoming call.
Diamond.
He hit accept and leaned back casually.
“Miss me already?” Adriano teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Diamond's voice came through, sweet but… tight. “What if I say yes? Would you turn around and come right back?”
Adriano chuckled. “Why would you want me to do that? Didn't you say this whole family dinner thing was a brilliant idea?”
There was a pause. “Yeah… I know. I just—” Her voice faltered slightly. “I thought it out more and… I imagined all these things that could go wrong. I mean, Alessandro is gonna be there.”
Adriano rolled his eyes, still amused. “And?”
“And he’s dangerous, Adriano,” she said, more urgently this time. “… I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be there. Not right now. Not with how things are and with everything he’s done to you.”
He snorted. “Alessandro doesn’t scare me. It’s just dinner. If he’s planning to throw anything at me, I’ll throw it back—twice as hard.”
Diamond’s voice dropped an octave, trembling ever so slightly. “Adriano, please… Just come back home. We could, I don’t know… watch a movie. Play that stupid card game you like. Crawl in bed and have sex all night.”
Tempting. God, it was tempting. He could already picture her sprawled out on his bed completely naked with her legs up in the air and her wet pussy waiting for him. The mere thought of it made his cock twitch in his pants.
But…
“I’m already halfway there, bella.” His voice softened, but it was firm. “Too late to turn back now.”
Silence.
A tense, heavy silence that said more than words ever could.
“Dee?” he said, brows knitting as he shifted lanes. “Is something wrong? You’re not telling me something.”
“No—nothing’s wrong,” she stammered, too quickly. “I just… I just don’t want you to go.”
Adriano’s lips pressed into a line. His gut was whispering louder now. Something about her tone… it wasn’t just nerves. It was something else.
But before he could press further, the restaurant’s illuminated sign came into view. He pulled up to the entrance.
“I’m here,” he said. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Sure,” she said, barely above a whisper.
He ended the call and sat for a second, staring at the steering wheel, exhaling slowly.
—
“Shit,” Diamond whispered the moment the call disconnected. Her phone slipped from her fingers, landing on the couch beside her with a muted thud.
Her hands were shaking.
Her heart was thudding so hard she felt sick.
She told herself she was doing the right thing. That she was doing her job. That she was undercover, and this—all of this—was temporary.
But the tremble in her hands said otherwise. The hollow ache in her chest screamed it.
She’d just sent Adriano Greco into a dinner she suspected could be a setup. Possibly a death sentence. And all she could do was sit there and pretend she wasn’t falling apart inside.
—
The valet took his keys without a word, bowing slightly. “Mr. Greco.”
Adriano nodded, stepped out, adjusted his blazer, and took in the grand glass doors in front of him.
The entrance to Echelon was lined with gold-trimmed columns and backlit panels that glowed like molten marble. He was immediately greeted by a sharply dressed man in a tailored black suit.
“Good evening, Mr. Greco,” the man said with a practiced smile.
“Evening.”
The man gestured toward the elevator. “We’ve been expecting you. Right this way sir.”
Adriano followed in silence. The elevator rose with a whisper, climbing floor after floor until a soft ding announced their arrival.
The rooftop restaurant unfolded before him in a stunning panorama—floor-to-ceiling windows, flickering candlelight on each table, a glass dome above revealing a sky painted in twilight colors.
But it was empty. Not a single patron. Just silent waitstaff in black, waiting in the background.
Then—
“Adriano.”
He turned.
Gabriele was sitting at a table by the edge, where the view of the skyline stretched endlessly. The Hudson glimmered in the distance, cradling Manhattan in its steel embrace.
“You seriously rented out the whole place?” Adriano asked as he approached.
Gabriele grinned. “It’s just us tonight. And the staff.”
Adriano slid into the seat across from him, gaze still drifting across the city lights. “Can’t say I hate it. Places like this…” He let his voice trail as he glanced out again. “I like feeling like a god. Looking down on the whole city like it belongs to me.”
Gabriele laughed. “That’s the most Adriano thing I’ve ever heard.”
He chuckled too. “Took my girlfriend to a place like this on our first date.”
Gabriele tilted his head. “That girlfriend of yours… what’s her name again?”
“Diamond.”
“Diamond.” Gabriele repeated the name slowly, intrigued. “When were you planning on telling me about her?”
Adriano shrugged. “When I felt like it. It’s not like I owe you details about my private life. I don’t know jack shit about yours.”
“Calm down,” Gabriele said with a soft chuckle. “You’re always so feisty.”
Adriano checked his watch. 7:20. He clenched his jaw.
Still no Alessandro.
A waitress approached, her posture perfect. “Would you like to place your order, sirs?”
“Not yet,” Gabriele said. “But bring us your best, most expensive champagne.”
Moments later, a bottle arrived, uncorked with flair. The crystal glasses shimmered as golden bubbles poured.
“To family,” Gabriele said, raising his glass.
“Sure,” Adriano replied flatly, and they clinked.
“So,” Gabriele said, setting his glass down, “where’d you meet Diamond?”
“One of my strip clubs.”
Gabriele’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Oh? What was she doing there?”
“She was working.”
“Working? As… a stripper?”
Adriano gave him a look. “Yeah. One night. No big deal. Why are you even asking me these questions, I thought you knew all this already.”
Gabriele blinked. “Why would I?”
“Alessandro found out when he first arrived to the states. Was really pissed about it. I assumed he ran and tattled to you and Dad.”
“Well, he didn’t.”
Adriano frowned. “Weird. He never passes up a chance to make me look like the disappointment.”
Gabriele gave him a long look. “Do you trust her?”
Adriano didn’t hesitate. “She’s the only one I trust not to stab me in the back right now.”
“And long have you been seeing her?” Gabriele asked, taking a sip of his champagne.
“Three months.”
Gabriele swirled the champagne in his glass. “Hmm. She’s gorgeous, I’ll give you that. But when Dad finds out, he’s going to lose his mind.”
Adriano smirked. “Honestly? I’d love to see it.”
Gabriele leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “You need to stop playing with fire, Adri. One day, you’re gonna get burned.”
Adriano didn’t reply. He just stared out over the city again, his silence loud.
Gabriele checked his phone for the time. 7:45 PM.
“I thought I made it clear this dinner was at seven sharp. Where the hell is Sandro.”
“If he doesn't show up in the next ten minutes, I'm leaving.” Adriano said, pouring himself another glass of champagne.
As if summoned by sheer contempt, the elevator behind them pinged.
Both brothers turned toward the sound.
The doors slid open.
And there he was.
Alessandro Greco.
Immaculate suit. Those cold blue-green eyes locking with Adriano’s from across the glowing rooftop.
And in that very moment, the temperature of the room dropped ten degrees.