TWENTY SEVEN

Marco got into his car, his mind clouded with frustration and anger. He slammed the door shut, and sped off to his mansion. The conversation with Mia replayed in his head, her rejection stinging more than he cared to admit. As he drove, his grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Upon arrival at his mansion, Marco parked the car and sat there for a moment trying to calm the storm raging inside him. He couldn't let Mia’s words get to him. The idea that she would choose Lucas over him, despite Lucas' treatment towards her, gnawed at him relentlessly.

Marco entered the mansion, his footsteps echoing , he ignored the greetings of his staff and headed straight to his study, slamming the body behind him.

He poured himself a drink, downing it in one go, trying to drown the bitterness of rejection.

As he sat down, his thoughts drifted to years ago, when they were teenagers ,he had started having feelings for Mia


FLASHBACK TO YEARS AGO

Years ago, Marco sat in the opulent library of the Moretti's mansion, the Moretti's mansion was different from Lucas' present mansion. The scents of old books and polished woods filled the air, he was reading a novel trying to distract turmoil in his heart .

Lucas and Mia, their childhood friend , had just returned from a trip in the countryside , looking closer than ever.

Marco’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter echoing through the hallway. He looked up to see Lucas and Mia walking,holding hands.

Marco's heart sank, he had loved Mia, as long as he could remember . As they approached, Mia noticed Marco sitting alone. “Marco! We’ve missed you” she called out, her voice filled with genuine warmth. She let go of Lucas' hand and ran over to Marco, giving him a quick hug.

“Hey Mia,” Marco replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “How was the trip?”

“It was amazing” she said, her eyes glowing, “Lucas showed me this beautiful lake, we even went boating.”

Lucas came up behind her, resting a possessive hand on her shoulder . “You should have come with us, Marco , it was fun.”

Marco forced a smile, “Maybe next time.”

As they continued to chat Marco couldn't help but feel like an outsider. He watched the way she leaned into him , and he knew he could never compete. But that didn't stop his heart from aching every time he saw them together.
……..

As Marco sat in his study, the memories of the past weighed heavily in his mind, his love for Mia added to the burning desire for revenge against Lucas. He knew that Lucas didn't truly love Mia, yet he had taken her, the one person Marco had ever loved.

Marco was determined to take everything from Lucas.

Marco's mind drifted to the day Olga died ,he had planned it all. Marco had orchestrated the death of Olga. He knew Massimo would blame Lucas for Olga’s death.

He remembered how it all unfolded. His mind was a whirl of thoughts, all centered on one goal: bringing Lucas down.

FLASHBACK TO THE DAY OLGA DIED

It had been a typical night at Velvet Noir club, where Olga worked as a stripper. She was on stage captivating the crowd with her performance. Marco has been keeping an eye on her from a distance.

“That's Massimo's sister, I want her” Marco told Salvatore, who stood beside him, but before the man could move to where Olga was, Marco saw Vincent talking^ to Olga on the stage. Marco stopped his man from going further, and kept an eyes on Vincent's movement instead.

He has stayed with Lucas for a long time, and he knows how Lucas operates. He also has an informant giving him information about Lucas. Lucas was not the type to come clubbing. It dawned on him that Lucas was trying to get to Massimo through Olga.

That night Marco orchestrated a plan. He had called one of his men instructing him to stage an accident. “Make it look real. Get someone to hit her hard enough to kill her, but make it seem like an accident,” Marco ordered, his voice tinged with determination.

His man had done exactly as he instructed, Olga had been leaving the club,and just as she was trying to call Massimo , a car had come out from the dark hitting her with brutal force. Marco had watched from a distance, with a mischievous smile on his face, he knew this would trigger Massimo and it would bring war between Massimo and Lucas.


PRESENT DAY

Marco clenched his jaw, he was expecting chaos already between Massimo and Lucas. He poured himself another drink , the liquid burning down his throat. The tension in the room was palpable.

Marco’s anger simmered just beneath the surface , his rejection by Mia still fresh in his mind. Her words echoed in his head, a constant reminder of his place in the shadow of his cousin.

Salvatore knocked and entered the study , sensing Marco’s dark mood, “Marco , everything alright?”

Marco looked up , his eyes cold and calculating . “No ,Salvatore, nothing is alright”.

Salvatore nodded, “What's wrong, what's the plan”, he asked, his voice thick.

There was silence in the air for some moments broken only by Marco’s occasional clink of Marco's glass against the table.

“We need to reach out to Massimo,” Marco said suddenly , his voice low and resolute . “It's time we join forces to bring Lucas down.”

Salvatore nodded, his expression serious, “Are you sure about this ?Massimo is unpredictable, he might not trust us.”

Marco leaned back on his chair, a calculating look in his eyes. “Massimo is consumed by rage over Olga's death. He already thinks Lucas killed her. We can use that to our advantage. We offer him an alliance , and together, we can dismantle Lucas' empire piece by piece.”

Salvatore hesitated, “And what if Massimo turns us down?”

Marco's eyes hardened. “Then we make sure we strike first. But for now, we need him. His resources, his men. Together we can be unstoppable.”