Chapter 43
Vitale didn't answer the phone right away. Isabella thought he might be busy - otherwise he wouldn't ignore her call.
But what worried Isabella even more was whether he was avoiding her on purpose.
Because he knew she hated being lied to, and she would get angry.
Seeing her pale face, Henley poured a glass of hot water and placed it in front of her, "Ms. Martinez, I think you should calm down. Look through these documents first before calling Mr. Luca. Of course, this is just my suggestion - you can ignore it, or you can take it."
Isabella snapped back to reality and took a deep breath. She gripped her phone, her fingertips ice cold.
"I think you're right. I should look at these documents first."
The numbers in the ledger danced before Isabella's eyes.
Those transaction records involving arms deals and underground casinos were clearly the Luca family's shadiest operations.
This completely went against her principle of refusing to participate in mafia business.
"Vitale, you lied to me," Isabella muttered, her voice carrying suppressed anger.
Henley leaned against the desk, keenly aware of her emotional shift, "What did Mr. Luca say? I mean, on your way here, he should have called you and told you something."
"He said Costa was a family traitor, but protected by his father's old associates, and needed me to deal with him through legal means." Isabella looked up, her eyes sharp, "But I remember very clearly - I would never get involved in your family business."
Henley sighed and walked to the window, looking out at the gradually subsiding commotion, "Miss, this isn't just family business. Costa embezzled workers' hard-earned money, even their pensions. Does punishing someone like that require distinguishing between Underworld and Authorities?"
"But your very presence proves the nature of these operations," Isabella insisted.
Henley turned around, his expression more serious than ever, "There are things I can't tell you right now, but Vitale ordered me to protect you. I'll ensure your safety with my life. Wherever you go, I'll be there."
"Vitale isn't coming himself?"
"The boss's whereabouts aren't for me to question," Henley answered carefully, "My job is just to protect you, nothing more."
Isabella rubbed her throbbing temples, "So what should I do now? The original plan was to confront Costa directly, but now..."
"Your plan stays the same," Henley interrupted, "I'll give you full support. Starting today, I'm your personal bodyguard, including when you sleep at night."
"That's too much. I don't need that."
Henley shook his head, "No, it's not too much. It's an order. We need to be responsible, or my head will roll, Ms. Martinez."
Isabella finally showed a slight smile, "I'm planning to stay at a friend's place. Will you still stand guard outside? I can take care of myself. Vitale knows that, so you don't need to be so strict about it."
"Then please explain that to Mr. Luca yourself," Henley chuckled, "He's definitely looking forward to your call. After all, you're special to him. I've never seen such a beautiful and brave woman by his side."
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge at Lumaria airport, after his third unanswered call to Isabella, Vitale irritably loosened his tie.
He quickly sent a message to Henley:[What's wrong with her?]
[She's angry, Mr. Luca. Probably because certain truths were hidden from her.]
Amboni approached at the right moment, saying quietly, "Blake Rossi is here. Wants to talk about that land in the development zone."
Vitale sighed and replied to Henley:[Keep Isabella safe.]
Then he straightened his suit and walked toward the meeting area.
Blake, the real estate mogul who had built his fortune in property development, was leisurely sipping whiskey.
Seeing Vitale, he flashed a shrewd smile.
"Vitale, you're so hard to reach these days - we can only meet at the airport. I heard you're going after Costa over some woman?"
Vitale sat down across from him and lit a cigar.
His red hair glowed like flames under the lights, "After my father died, my mother ran off with her lover. Now, besides protecting the family business, I just want to keep that stubborn woman."
Vitale blew out a smoke ring, "She clearly has feelings for me but refuses to admit it."
Everyone present laughed.
Blake swirled his glass, his eyes deep, "I understand. When I was pursuing my wife, she kept saying she didn't love me. I thought the sky was falling."
Amboni teased, "So now you don't even go to the casino anymore?"
"Exactly." Blake leaned forward, lowering his voice, "If I make her angry, she won't let me in bed. That's more effective than any threat."
Vitale laughed heartily, then turned serious, "Let's talk business. That land in the development zone - your asking price is too high."
"You know the location of that land, Vitale." Blake returned to his businessman persona, "The subway line will go through there next year. The value will at least triple. My price is very fair."
"But what if I told you the planning bureau recently discovered ancient ruins there?" Vitale casually flicked his ash, "Once it's designated as a protected area, your land will be worthless."
Blake's expression changed, "Is this information reliable?"
"When have I ever given you unreliable information?" Vitale smiled, "Accept my offer now and you can still make some money. Wait until the news breaks, and you'll just be stuck with that wasteland."
"You're taking advantage of the situation, Vitale."
"No, I'm helping you cut your losses." Vitale passed over a document, "Sign this and you can still exit gracefully."
Blake carefully read the contract and finally gave a bitter smile, "Looks like I have no choice."
He signed his name and looked up at Vitale, "Seriously, what's so special about this girl that you care so much?"
Vitale put away the contract, his eyes softening for a moment, "She reminds me of my mother before she left - clearly needing help but too stubborn to ask."
He stood up and straightened his suit, "But I'll never let her end up like my mother did."
While Vitale was dealing with Blake, Isabella was heading to her friend's place under Henley's escort.
On the way, she finally called Vitale back.
"Explain yourself clearly, Vitale. Otherwise I'm going back to Lumaria tomorrow."
Standing by the airport's floor-to-ceiling windows, watching planes take off and land, Vitale's voice was low, "Give me a chance to explain in person, Isabella. I promise I won't disappoint you."
After a long silence on the other end, came a soft response, "Okay, I'll wait for you."
Vitale put away his phone and gave Amboni a genuine smile, "Prepare the helicopter. I need to see her."
Amboni shook his head with a smile, "You're really serious about this, Mr. Luca. The helicopter's ready - aren't you going to handle the factory situation?"
Vitale touched his forehead, "Of course I'll handle it. It's just that when a woman's angry, you need to smooth things over. So I need to make her feel better first. Why am I even telling you this? What would a single guy like you know?"
Amboni's face darkened. He was really sick of Vitale's teasing and showing off.