Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Rico’s car finally pulled up at a fine duplex in the heart of the city. The kind of place that stood out in the middle of everything else, polished, modern, with balconies that looked over the busy streets. The engine cut off, and for a moment, the quietness was broken only by the distant sound of traffic.
A woman appeared at the doorway, stepping out with a lightness in her movements, and without hesitation, she greeted Rico with a kiss. Matteo’s eyes went wide, his jaw dropping. He leaned slightly toward Adrian, voice low but tinged with curiosity.
“That’s not Vee,” Matteo whispered, disbelief in his tone. “His wife… the bastard’s cheating!”
Adrian didn’t flinch. He merely shook his head slightly, his eyes still fixed on the scene before them. “None of our business,” he said quietly. “Whatever he chooses to do with his marital life, that’s on him.”
They waited, quiet and motionless, until Rico had stepped fully inside the house, closing the door behind him. Only then did they move. Adrian led, keeping low, scanning the edges of the property for shadows, corners, anything that could hide them while they listened. Matteo followed closely, and Lucia trailed behind, silently.
The three of them found positions that gave them a partial view of the living room through a window slightly ajar. They crouched carefully, breathing slowly to avoid detection. Inside, Rico had removed his jacket, and the woman was fussing over him, her tone light and teasing.
“Where have you been all this time?” she asked, with a voice melodic and playful.
Rico leaned in close, brushing her hair back from her face, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sorry,” he said smoothly. “Had some things to deal with.”
The woman laughed softly, tilting her head, clearly amused but curious. “Oh really? What kind of things?”
Rico’s smirk widened faintly, and he shrugged, almost casual. “Nothing too serious,” he said. “Just… taking out some people.”
Adrian froze where he crouched. Matteo leaned in slightly with his eyebrows raised, but he didn’t speak. Lucia’s eyes met Adrian’s briefly, the weight of his glare telling her everything — this was far more serious than they had suspected. They remained silent, straining to catch every word.
The woman walked toward the kitchen, returning a moment later with a cold drink. It looked like apple juice, perfectly chilled. She handed it to Rico, who accepted it with a faint smile, taking a careful sip before setting it down.
Then she moved closer, sitting beside him, slipping his jacket from his shoulders with a casual touch. Rico removed it entirely, revealing his inner shirt. Adrian’s gaze narrowed, and he felt a sharp jolt through his chest. The shirt was spotted, streaked with dark red — blood.
Adrian’s mind raced. Could it be…? Did Rico truly kill Daniel?
He stayed perfectly still, heart pounding, while Matteo shifted slightly beside him, tension radiating off his every movement. Lucia’s hand was slightly raised to cover her mouth, but she didn’t break their focus.
Rico, still seated, reached into his pocket. Adrian’s eyes tracked every movement, every flicker of light on the metal and gold he pulled out. He held up a bracelet — not just any bracelet. His own Di Santi bracelet, the one that had gone missing months ago, part of a shipment that had disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Adrian’s throat tightened as the implications hit him. This was the same bracelet that had been among the clearance papers — the one Daniel had probably handled.
The woman’s eyes lit up. She cooed softly, pouted with delight, and quickly slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. Her happiness was almost tangible, a stark contrast to the cold, calculated way Rico handed it to her. She leaned in, kissing him lightly, and Adrian felt a tight knot form in his stomach.
Rico smirked faintly, brushing her hair back, seemingly at ease, as though nothing he did had consequences beyond this room. The three of them remained silent outside, hidden in the shadows, absorbing the scene.
Then, as Rico moved closer to her, the energy in the room shifted. Adrian felt the moment slipping into intimacy, a private world he had no business intruding on — and yet, the evidence, the bracelet, the blood-stained shirt, all pointed to truths he needed to confront.
He leaned slightly toward Lucia and Matteo, his voice low, and controlled. “We leave. Now.”
They nodded without hesitation, rising carefully and backing away from the house. Their movements were deliberate, cautious, aware of every potential witness or surveillance. The shadows concealed them as they made their way back to the car, their hearts still racing from what they had just witnessed.
Once inside the vehicle, Matteo exhaled sharply, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief. “Goddamn Rico… he’s such a liar,” he said, eyes fixed on the street ahead.
Matteo shifted in his seat. “You think he really…” His voice trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
Adrian’s eyes remained fixed straight ahead. He didn’t answer. Words weren’t necessary. The evidence they had just witnessed spoke louder than anything anyone could say.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately. He just stared ahead, the weight of the discovery settling over him like a cold, hard stone. Finally, he spoke, with a voice low and commanding.
“Drive me to Rico’s house. Now.”