Chapter 80 YOU ARE A TRAITOR!
••Luciana••
Theo suggested a restaurant in between Sicily and Moscow, a place that sat comfortably between both cities' territories. He had been there a few times and spoke highly of it, especially the private area in the back that would provide us with the quiet we needed to discuss such matters. The place was meant for high-stakes meetings, and this evening, it would serve as the battleground for our family's future.
I texted Matteo the location, and he somehow managed to convince Antonio. Matteo, ever the smooth talker, assured me that Antonio would show up, though he warned that if anything funny happened with the Orlovs, I’d be the one to take responsibility. I gave him my word, but I could already feel the tension building.
Roman, Theo, and I were seated in the back corner when Antonio and Matteo entered. The atmosphere shifted immediately. Antonio’s expression was one I hadn’t seen before, scary and tight. He didn't even smile when he saw me. Matteo, on the other hand, remained his usual self, smiling when his eyes met mine.
I stood up, trying to keep things cordial despite the undercurrent of tension. I hugged Matteo first, and he was gracious enough to return the gesture, holding me for just a moment. Then, I turned to Antonio. His embrace was stiff, but I felt him relax slightly as our hug lingered. He was trying, but I knew that he wasn’t okay with this arrangement.
"Please, sit," I gestured to the empty chairs around the table.
Theo took the lead, always the one to break the ice. "I received a report a few days ago that Marco is planning to destroy the alliance. I don’t have the full details yet, but we’re here to make plans and figure out how we’ll deal with this."
I glanced at Roman before speaking. He gave me a subtle nod, signaling for me to go ahead. I took a deep breath before continuing. "Shortly after our wedding, I was attacked in a restroom during an event with Roman. Thankfully, Roman got there in time to prevent anything from happening, but this incident was traced back to Marco."
Before I could finish, Antonio interjected. "You didn’t tell us about this." His voice was hard, a mix of anger and disappointment.
I paused, unsure how to respond. Roman, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, his voice sharp. "You just heard that no harm was done."
Antonio didn’t back down. "And you made her go to an event without looking after her properly?" He shot a glare at Roman.
I signalled to Roman not to respond further. It's too early to start an argument.
"Fuck Marco for trying to hurt you," Matteo suddenly said, his tone vicious. "Let’s take him out once and for all."
"Guys, okay." I intervened, my voice louder now, trying to restore some semblance of order. "All I’m saying is that we need to strike first. We can’t wait until Marco attacks us. If we act together, we’ll have a better chance of taking him down."
Just then, an attendant arrived to take our orders. There was a moment of silence, the weight of the conversation pressing on us. Everyone was still tense, but they each placed their orders without saying much else. It was as if the food would provide some sort of temporary relief from the heaviness in the air.
The conversation continued, each of them offering their ideas on how to handle Marco. If an idea wasn’t solid enough, someone would point out the flaws and suggest a better approach. The arguments flew back and forth, but progress was being made. Slowly, but surely, we were finding common ground.
"The four of us can decide on another time to finalize the plans, but for now, let’s take these actions first," Matteo said after a long pause.
"Five, not four," I corrected him, raising an eyebrow.
Matteo blinked, a slight grin crossing his face. "Sorry, yes. Five."
Roman finally spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "Agreed. But if anyone rats us out—"
"We should be the ones saying that to you," Antonio shot back, clearly not willing to back down.
The tension flared again, but I quickly stepped in to stop them before things escalated. "Okay, okay, that’s enough. Let’s keep this civil, please."
After a while, the food was served, and the atmosphere lightened a little. Everyone settled into a sort of uneasy calm as they ate. I could tell they were all on edge, but for the moment, at least, they were eating in peace. It was a rare moment of tranquility, and I was grateful for it. Before I knew it, the guys begin to chat about the mafia affairs.
"So, you slept with Serena Diaz, the almighty last daughter of the Diaz family who her father protects so much," Theo said, breaking the silence. He directed that to Matteo.
"And her sister too," I added, unable to help myself.
"What?" Theo exclaimed, his face full of disbelief.
Roman laughed, shaking his head. "You really don’t value your head that much."
"Isn’t that why they’re after you?" Antonio added, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Those bitches can’t get me. I’m too smart for them," Matteo bragged, clearly enjoying the attention.
"I’d never hit on anyone in the Diaz family. Their father is full of shit," Theo said, his voice full of distaste.
"They hit on me first, though, and I just couldn’t let a bitch pass me by," Matteo added with a wink.
The table erupted in laughter, and for a brief moment, the tension in the room faded away. Food had a way of bringing people together, and despite everything, we found ourselves joking and enjoying the conversation.
But just as things seemed to be settling into some normalcy, Matteo foolishly let something slip. "So, why does Marco want to break the alliance when you two love each other now?
The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. I hadn’t told Antonio about my feelings for Roman. The last time I saw him, the hatred in his eyes whenever Roman’s name came up was enough to make me rethink sharing that part of my life with him. I had only told Matteo, and even then, I kept it to myself for fear of Antonio’s reaction.
Antonio’s face hardened instantly, his eyes narrowing. "What? Luci, in love?"
I didn't mean for him to find out this way, I don't know why Matteo just couldn't control his mouth. I didn't end know what to say in defense.
Antonio getting angry said, "You’re in love with this son of a bitch who took you away from us?"
I could feel my heart drop in my chest as I turned to face him. Roman remained quiet, his expression unreadable.
"Watch your tone, Antonio," I said. "I wanted to tell you, but you..."
"But what?" He shouted. "There are no 'buts' you would have said something if you really wanted me to know."
"And you," Antonio said, now facing Matteo, "You kept this from me. I don’t blame Luci, but you—"
Matteo, who had been silent until now, was staring into his glass of wine, avoiding the confrontation. The air between the three of us was thick with tension, and I could feel it building with each passing second.
Antonio stood up, his fists clenched. "You’ve been lying to me, Luci. You’ve been shutting me out ever since this marriage, and then you told Matteo and didn't deem it fit for me to know."
I suddenly felt guilt in my heart, "It's not exactly that way Antonio. I'm happy now, can't you see?"
"I thought the marriage was a prison to you and all of a sudden you became happy. You are a traitor!" His voice was now getting louder.
Roman stood up to him, "You can't talk to her like that."
"Oh now you want to be the man of the family," he said. "After forcing her to get into a marriage, you somehow manipulated your way into her bed."
"That's now what happened, he didn't manipulate me." I defended myself.
"So what about when you have to choose between us and your husband. What side will you be on Luci?"
"I don't have to choose." I frowned.
He didn't care to listen, "Do you really think he loves you? He’s going to replace you, over and over again, because men like him are never satisfied with one woman."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "Antonio, that’s enough."
He pushed the table forward and stood up, "You gave yourself to him like a fucking whore Luci. You are a disappointment."
Roman stood up, the chair scraping harshly against the floor. "Watch your fucking mouth, Antonio. You don't exactly know how I feel about her."
Antonio turned on him, his voice a low growl. "Or what, Roman?"
I could see it in Roman’s eyes, the heat rising in his chest. But before anything could escalate further, Matteo stepped in. He put his hands on Antonio’s chest, trying to calm him down. "Antonio, calm down. This isn’t helping."
Antonio shoved Matteo away, his anger reaching its peak. "Get your hands off me."
Then he turned to me, "You’re no longer my sister, Luci. Not anymore."
With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving a trail of broken silence in his wake. Roman went after him immediately.
The tension in the air was unbearable. I felt like I was suffocating, and my breathe seized. I just stood in that spot and the world seem like it is spinning.