The safe house was same as always. Matteo was already there, with his laptop open, looking like he hadn't slept in days.
"Show me." He said the moment I walked in.
I set my bag on the table, took out the stolen documents, and spread them on the table like playing cards.
There was Uncle Tom's death certificate, crime scene photos, the contract with Enzo Vitale's signature and payments records signed by Lorenzo.
"This is everything. Giovanni can use this to prove everything."
"I know."
He started photographing each document, creating digital backups.
"How are you holding up?" He asked, not looking at me.
"I'm fine."
"Alright." He gathered the documents, tucked them into a folder. "I'll call Giovanni and tell him we're coming. He'll want to see these immediately."
"Wait." I grabbed his arm. "What happens next? After he sees them?"
"War. Giovanni will use these documents to rally the other families. He will prove the Vitales have been breaking codes, murdering rivals without sanction. He'll push for a vote to strip them of their territories."
"And Lorenzo?"
"Will probably die." He said it casually. "Men who sign off on unauthorized hits don't survive the reckoning especially not when their own signatures are on the payment records."
Lorenzo would die because of me.
"Call my father. Let's finish this."
I went to my father's mansion. He was in his study like always. He was sitting no behind his desk when Matteo and I entered.
"You said it was urgent." He said, not bothering with greetings.
"It is." Matteo put the folder on the desk. "Serafina recovered documentation from Lorenzo Vitale's office. There's proof of Vitale involvement in Tom Rossi's death."
My father's expression didn't change. He opened the folder and began reading.
I watched his face, looking for the reaction. I expected rage, satisfaction but I saw nothing.
He read each document carefully. Then closed the folder.
"Well done, Serafina. This is useful."
Just useful?
"Dad, these documents prove…"
"I know what they prove." He set the folder aside. "Vitale involvement in Tom's death."
Something was wrong. This wasn't the reaction of a man who'd just received proof of his brother's murder.
"You don't seem surprised." I said.
"Surprised?" He looked at me. "Why would I be surprised by confirmation of what I've always known? I just have proof now." He stood up and walked towards the window. "The question is what we do with this proof? How we leverage it?"
"I don't understand."
He turned back to face me.
"The Vitales and Rossis have been at war for thirty years, Serafina. My brother's death was one casualty among many. These documents are valuable because they give us legal justification for our next moves."
"But Uncle Tom…"
"Was weak. He got himself ki*led by being careless. I loved my brother but his death serves us better now as ammunition than it ever did as motivation for revenge."
I stared at my father. He didn't care about Uncle Tom at all. He only cared about our war with Vitales.
He walked towards me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, daughter. You've done well."
"What happens now?" I asked.
"I'll deal with it myself."
"Sir, what do you want us to do next?" Mattel asked.
"Continue monitoring the Vitales. I'll use these documents when the time is right. When I can extract maximum value." He took out another folder. "In the meantime, I have a new assignment for Serafina."
"What kind of assignment?"
He opened the folder, and turned to face me. Yuki Tanaka's picture was inside.
"Elimination." Father said. "This woman has been interfering with our operations for years. Providing intelligence to the Vitales, protecting Lorenzo specifically. With her gone, the Vitales will lose their best intelligence asset and Lorenzo loses his protection."
"You want me to k*ll her?"
"Yes. Make it look like an accident or a random attack." He closed the folder. "Can you do this?"
Could I?
"She's a high ranking Yakuza. Her death will cause problems with…"
"I'll handle the political fallout. You just handle the execution." His eyes were cold. "This is your last test, Serafina. Prove you can do what needs to be done or prove you're too weak for this life."
The ultimatum was clear.
"I'll do it." I said.
"Good. Strike when the opportunity presents itself." He dismissed us with a wave. "You're both excused."
Matteo and I left in silence. Outside the study, I leaned against the wall, trying to breathe.
"Are you okay?" Matteo asked.
"My father just ordered me to assassinate Lorenzo's first love."
"I know."
"And he didn't even care about Uncle Tom. He just wants leverage."
"That's Giovanni. That's who he's always been."
I wasn't surprised. Just disappointed.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Lorenzo.
We need to talk. Come to my house tonight at 9.
I typed back:
Why?
Because I need to explain, and I can't let it end like this.
Fine.
I looked at Matteo.
"Lorenzo wants to meet tonight."
"Absolutely not. It's too dangerous. He might know you stole the documents…"
"He doesn't know. And if he did, I'd already be dead." I put the phone in my pocket. "I'm going. Maybe I can get more intelligence or even an opportunity to complete the new mission."
"You're going to k*ll Yuki at Lorenzo's house?"
"If the opportunity presents itself. That's what dad wants, isn't it? Results?"
"Sera…"
"I'll be careful. I promise."
But we both knew I was lying.
I arrived at Lorenzo's penthouse at exactly 9. The elevator opened directly into his apartment. He was waiting, looking exhausted. His shirt was wrinkled, hair messed up.
"You came." He said.
"I said I would."
We stood there for a moment.
"About Yuki…"
"Where is Yuki?" I asked. "Is she here with you again?"
"Guest room. She got drunk after you left, started crying about…" He stopped himself. "It doesn't matter. She passed out. She'll sleep for hours."
Wow!! What a coincidence. Yuki was in the guest room. An opportunity.
"You wanted to explain. So explain." I focused on him again.
He gestured to the couch.
"Sit."
I sat and Lorenzo sat across from me.
"Today, when I ended the commission…it wasn't because of Yuki. It wasn't because I don't want you here." He looked at me. "It was because there are some dangerous things happening and I can't risk you getting caught in the crossfire."
"What things?"
"Family business. Violence that's coming whether I want it or not." He ran a hand through his hair. "Sera, there's going to be a war, and when it happens…I can't have you here…can't risk you getting hurt because of your connection to me."
"So you threw me away to protect me?"
"I pushed you away to save you. There's a difference."
"Is there? Because from where I'm sitting, it feels the same."
He moved to sit beside me.
"I know you don't believe me. I know you think Yuki showing up changed everything but it didn't. She's my past. You're…" He stopped.
"I'm what?"
"My present. I chose you Sera." The vulnerability in his voice cracked something in my chest.
"Lorenzo…she kissed you on stage in front of everyone."
"She kissed me without my permission to make a statement to people who were watching, to make them think we're together so they'll back off certain plans." He squeezed my hands. "I should have pushed her away immediately and stopped her but I froze."
I wanted to believe him.
"I don't know if I can trust you." I said.
"I know. I haven't given you much reason to." He lifted my hand, and kissed my palm. "But I'm asking you to try."
"How?"
"By being honest. No more secrets. No more games."
I wanted to ask a lot of things but that would expose me. I remembered my mission. Yuki was here, and I knew I won't get a better opportunity than this one again.
This all was getting too much for me to take. I wanted to end everything related to this mission amd Lorenzo before things got more complicated.
So, I decided to focus on my mission.
I kissed him.
Lorenzo responded immediately, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss with desperate intensity.
"Sera," Lorenzo breathed against my lips. "Are you sure…"
"Stop talking."
I pulled him down, kissing him harder.
He responded with matching intensity, his hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer until there was no space between us.
"Bedroom."
"No. Here."
We fell onto the couch. This wasn't like our first time slow and exploratory. This was more intense and passionate.
His hands found the zipper of my dress. I tugged at his shirt buttons. Our clothes fell away in a trail across his living room.
"I missed you." He said against my neck. "These past few days without you…"
"Don't talk about it." I pulled him more closer.
Lorenzo's touch was careful at first, searching my face for permission. But I didn't want him to be careful. I wanted to forget, to lose myself in him.
The world outside blurred into city light. All I could feel was the steady beat of his heart against mine, the heat of his breath.
It wasn't about passion alone, it was about everything we couldn't say aloud.
When it was over, we stayed like that, breathless and quiet with his hand in my hair, mine tracing the curve of his chest. For a rare moment, there were no sides, no secrets but just us.