"I am the boss—the mafia boss who called you—and this is one of my right-hand men," Matteo said.
Lorenzo nodded. "Yeah. Nice to meet you."
"Same," Jerry replied.
Matteo's disguise was really good. He wore glasses, a cap, and a scarf around his neck. He had said he was going to wear a disguise, but he also looked really cool.
Why would he need a disguise? Luna thought to herself. He's actually my husband.
"Do you have what we need? I did my research on you, and you told me you have a few thousand men—around a thousand, right?" Lorenzo said, pretending to be the mafia boss.
"Yes, I have them," Jerry answered. "I'm really glad you gave me this opportunity to meet you. I've been trying to get into the mafia because some things I've been doing have been difficult. The cops, the military, and other government officials are a problem for me. So I need to be under you guys."
Jerry leaned forward slightly. "I know you have power. You have everything. The police are on your side. Every law enforcement agency is by your side—they don't bother you. That's what I need. I want to be under your protection so I can handle my business without stress. I'm also involved in drug smuggling, and I know you guys are too. I have other operations as well. That's why I want to join the mafia. I need authority."
"Okay, we can give you that," Lorenzo said. "But we just met. I don't know if you're trustworthy. What about your men? Where are they? I have no idea if you're a spy or something. We've talked on the phone a few times, but trust isn't built that easily. You need to earn it. You have to show me your men—prove they're useful. Prove you're useful. Because if you're not, then you're useless to us. And once you're useless… we dispose of you."
Lorenzo spoke with a calm but deadly tone, still playing the role of the mafia boss.
"You understand what he just said, right?" Matteo added. "We just met you, so you have to prove yourself. I see what you're really after. You don't need us for money—you need power. That's what you're looking for, and that's what we can give you. So… where are your men?"
"I understand what you're saying. My men—you can have them. They're not around right now; they have jobs to do, and some of them are off duty. But if you want, I can call them, and in the next 30 minutes, they'll all be here. They won't all fit in this building, but they'll come at my command.
"And it doesn't matter how you use me—I'll be useful to you. If I'm not, you can dispose of me, just as you said. But I assure you, I am useful. You have my word, my loyalty. I'm very loyal, and I'll prove it. Just tell me what you want. What do I need to do to earn your trust? Should I bring my men here now so you can meet them? Or is there something else I need to do? Whatever it takes, I want to prove myself," Jerry said.
"Where are your men?" Lorenzo asked. "There's no need for them right now. We didn't come here for them. We just came to have a little chat with you. Even if they were here, we wouldn't need them yet. I'll contact you later and tell you what you need to do to prove yourself. I'm a very busy person, and I took time out of my schedule to meet you. You should be grateful for that."
"Yes, sir. I'm grateful for you coming to meet me. Thank you," Jerry said, bowing his head slightly.
Luna kept listening. She took out her phone, switched it to silent in case someone called her, and decided to take a quick picture. Carefully, she cracked the door open just enough and snapped a photo.
"Alright, I just wanted to talk with you," Lorenzo continued. "For now, we're done. The next time I call you, I'll give you something to prove yourself. It won't be hard because, to me, you're just a pawn. And I use pawns however I like."
"Yes, sir. No problem with that. Even if I'm just a pawn, I'm still grateful to serve you," Jerry replied. "I know you guys run everything. The person who helped me connect with you—someone from higher up—made this meeting possible. I've been trying for almost two years to get in touch with the mafia, with the boss. I tried everything, pulled every connection, but nothing worked… until now. Finally, it's paid off. Thank you, sirs."
"You're welcome," Matteo said, glancing at his wristwatch. "We should get going."
Luna's heart pounded as she realized they were coming out. I have to leave—now! She hurried down the staircase as quietly as possible, grabbed the shoes she had tossed earlier, and ran.
"Did you hear that?" Lorenzo suddenly asked, his sharp gaze shifting toward the stairs. "Someone was here."
"Yeah, I heard it. Let's check it out," Matteo said.
They rushed toward the staircase. Luna's adrenaline kicked in. She sprinted toward the taxi, waving frantically. "Start the car! Open the door—drive! Now!"
The taxi driver obeyed instantly, stepping on the gas just as Matteo and Lorenzo burst out of the abandoned building.
They saw the taxi speeding away. Matteo reached for his gun, aiming at the tires.
"Should I shoot?" Lorenzo asked, already drawing his weapon.
Matteo hesitated for a split second. It was too late. The taxi was already too far. With a frustrated sigh, he lowered his gun. "Damn it," he muttered.
Luna, now safely inside the taxi, exhaled sharply. That was close.
Luna was breathing fast, inhaling and exhaling heavily in the taxi. She was so scared. She could not let Matteo find out. She had been listening in, and she had gotten what she needed. That made her happy—but also terrified.
She told the taxi driver to take her home, and he drove off immediately.
Meanwhile, Matteo and Lorenzo were still unsettled.
"Who could that have been? Who was tailing us?" Matteo muttered, his expression dark. "I don't know who the hell it is, but we have to be careful. Someone has been following us all day. Back at the restaurant, when we stepped outside—I felt someone watching us. I looked around, but I didn't see anyone suspicious."
Lorenzo crossed his arms. "Could it be from another group? We are the biggest mafia in the country. No one would dare move against us lightly. But if someone is watching, there's going to be war once we find out who."
Matteo's eyes narrowed. "It might be the Yakuza. They're not as powerful as we are, but they are troublesome. They don't have as many men as we do, but their fighters are highly skilled. We've clashed before. We lost a lot of good men. But every time, we won. Every single fight against them—we came out on top."
Lorenzo nodded. "Yeah… the underworld is full of people looking for trouble. But this—this might not just be about power. What if it's about money?"
Matteo's jaw clenched. "The money the former head of all mafias left behind… We still haven't gotten our hands on it. Only a few people know my real identity. Only my most trusted men have seen my face. So who could it be?"
"I wish I knew," Lorenzo said.
Matteo exhaled sharply. "Enough thinking for now. Let's go. It's getting late, and I need to see my wife."
With that, they got into the Mercedes. The driver started the car, and they drove off. After some time, Lorenzo stepped out at a stop while the car continued toward Matteo's home.
Luna finally arrived home.
She was still shaken, breathing heavily as she stared at the house. Getting back in wouldn't be easy. Security guards were stationed outside, and if they noticed her absence, she'd be in serious trouble.
She waited patiently, hiding in the shadows until they let their guard down. Then, she snuck in.
Just as she thought she was in the clear, her maid spotted her.
"Ma'am? Where are you coming from?" the maid asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Luna quickly shushed her. "Shh! Don't tell anyone I left. I just went out to buy something. That's all."
The maid frowned. "Buy something? But you're not carrying anything."
Luna rolled her eyes. "I didn't find what I wanted, okay? Is that enough for you? Now get back to work."
The maid hesitated but eventually nodded and walked away.
Luna let out a slow breath. That was too close.