#38 - The Plan

#38 - The Plan
Caterina Bellini

Being back was like stepping into the lions' den. I was alone.

It nauseated me.

I knew Adrian was waiting for me. He wanted me to come to him, and that was confirmed when I saw him seated like a king in the living room, holding a glass of champagne as if celebrating his victory.

“Where is she?” I asked. My voice sounded rough, and that was what frightened him.

He laughed, a sick smile. I barely recognized the man I had once loved.

“You stay away so long and you don’t even give your husband a kiss?” Adrian said, ironic.

So I answered in kind.

“I think it would be better for you if I kept my distance. Believe me.” He raised an eyebrow, seeming frightened for the first time.

“Are you alone?”

“Afraid Vincenzo is out there with an army ready to kill you?” I smiled.

He stepped closer, his gaze growing more intense as he approached.

“I think he’s too smart to start a war by attacking allied territory without cause.”

He felt so clever saying that that I wanted to tell him that, for all I cared, Vincenzo could start as many wars as necessary.

But it wouldn’t be smart to push him further into madness right now. I needed to focus on Victoria.

“Are you going to take me to the basement or are we going to play games?” I said, catching him off guard.

He smiled and reached for my hand. I ignored him and walked ahead until I saw the steps. The light dimmed with every step I took; the smell of fresh paint always made me sick.

They were always painting this place. There was no choice while the walls remained stained with blood.

I had never supported using the house itself as a place of torture, but they insisted it was better for discretion.

I didn’t wait for Adrian to clear the way; I pushed the iron gate myself with a force I didn’t know I had.

The sound echoed through the room, giving the scene a macabre tone. I saw Nathalia and a man turn toward me.

The interrogator. I remembered him from my past life: Fabrizio Giani.

I had seen him a few times, but I never got used to the deep scar on his cheek. The damaged skin and his bulging eyes gave me chills.

And for good reason. He could make anyone talk.

As they stepped away from where they stood, I saw Victoria. She was handcuffed, sitting in a filthy chair, her clothes torn.

My heart broke in that instant, but at the same time a relief at seeing her alive washed over me.

I ran to her, but the interrogator stopped me in the middle of the way.

I stared at him, then at Nathalia, who somehow read my expression as if it were a book.

I wanted to kill her. I wanted her to see in my eyes how much I wanted her to suffer.

“Take those filthy hands off me, you butcher!” I shouted. Irritated, he raised his hand toward my face. Nathalia watched with anticipation, but Adrian interrupted.

“Don’t touch her, Fabrizio.” That was enough for the damned dog to take his dirty hands off me.

“What the hell is going on here, Adrian?” I demanded, incredulous.

He looked at me, and this time I did not see the pride I had witnessed upstairs. I saw him falter, but Adrian tried to recover, putting on his mask of the authoritarian Don. “Your friend was being questioned about your absence and some suspicious movements, Caterina. She will be accused of betrayal and sent to the border. We have proof of everything.”

“No,” I cut him off, stepping forward. “You are not sending her anywhere. I know you set this up, Adrian. You and your bitch substitute.”

The interrogator tried to intervene, but I cut him off completely. All my attention was on Adrian. I needed to confront him before he could regain control.

“You need a witness to prove the betrayal, Adrian. And that witness is your soldier Victor, isn’t it?”

Nathalia and he exchanged glances before looking back at me. “He will claim he heard Victoria talking about ‘documents’ and ‘maps’ to be delivered to the Leones, right? He will say she was in the office investigating. And the main accusation is that she was leaking Monti-Bellini secrets.”

I listed the accusations, one by one, before he could even breathe. The shock on Adrian’s, the interrogator’s, and Nathalia’s faces was the indication that I was right. My memories had not failed me and had given me what I needed to do my part.

It left them frozen.

“How do you know that, damn it? Is this some trick?” Adrian roared. Once so brave, now a frightened, insecure little dog.

“It’s not a trick, Adrian. It’s the truth. You were too busy getting your sheets dirty with Nathalia to notice my potential. But Vincenzo Leone has the best security and intelligence system in the whole mafia, and you know what? He trusts me.”

My voice was firm. I managed to stay calm though inside it was chaos. It was the only chance and I had to save Victoria, so I continued.

“I used the resources available to me. My partner is not like you. He cares about details. And my detectives — or rather, Vincenzo’s eyes — discovered that your Victor, the ‘key witness’, was seen with Nathalia Ferrari in the past. Victor was bought to lie, Adrian. And your interrogator has a history of forging evidence, with clear ties to the old Famiglia Ferrari. Now tell me: is this all a coincidence or are you fabricating a serious accusation?”

He staggered, his face contorting with fury. The credibility of his plan and Nathalia’s was being destroyed publicly. The interrogator no longer hid his disgust.

“You can’t do this! You have no authority!” Nathalia shouted, advancing toward me.

“I am a Bellini, you bitch! And I will not allow you to kill Victoria to hurt me!” I shouted back.

One of the guards grabbed her, leaving the exit unprotected. All eyes were on us now.

Victoria, seeing her chance, stood up.

But she did not try to run. Brave, she went straight to Adrian, looking him in the eyes as she said, “You are the one betraying the Famiglia, Adrian Monti, when you neglect your wife and the one who gave you this title you do not honor and do not deserve!”

Victoria spat in Adrian’s face, and everything fell silent. Without thinking, he slapped her on the left side of her face.

She, still handcuffed, wrapped her arms around his neck, suffocating him.

The men, unsure whether to help him or restrain Nathalia, still out of control, chose the Don, obviously.

I grabbed the gun from my bag and pointed it at Nathalia, leaving the others perplexed while they held Victoria, who wore a satisfied smile.

It was at that exact moment that the basement door opened again.

“Where is Victoria?” The voice was familiar.

Luca Bendetti, Vincenzo’s right-hand man, and he did not look friendly.