TWENTY EIGHT

Back in Lucas's mansion, Lucas had left James and Olivia to take a tour round the house.

Lucas headed to his study, wearing a black cashmere sweater that fit snugly over his mascular frame. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbow, revealing strong, tanned forearms. Paired with a sweater well tailed dark jeans, he sat at behind his massive oak desk.

Vincent walked in almost immadietly , his face mask of professional detachment.

“Any news on the driver that hit Olivia?” Lucas asked, looking up at Vincent with an intense gaze.

“I had some of our contacts look into it.” Vincent replied his voice calm, “The driver who hit Olga , it's been confirmed. He was hired.”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed , “By whom?”

Vincent shifted uneasily , a shadow of hesitation crossing against his face, “There's a problem boss”.

Lucas' eyes pierced in to Vincent, a flicker of irritation in flashing in them, “What’s the problem Vincent?”

“The driver is dead”, Vincent said bluntly, his tone edged with frustration. “Found his body in a back alley. Whoever hired him, didn't want any loose ends.”

Lucas’s grip tightened on the edge of his desk, knuckles whitening, “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. He stood up abruptly , pacing the room with a controlled fury. “Someone's playing this game crefully”.

Vincent nodded, “It looks like they knew we’d be looking. This is a deliberate move boss.”

“Have we identified the body?” Lucas demanded stopping in his track to face Vincent.

“Yes, but it's a dead end,” Vincent replied. “ But no known affiliations could give us a lead.”

Lucas let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair, “So we’re back to square zero? No trail to follow.”

Vincent took a step closer, his voice dropping to a conspirational whisper, “Boss, I have a hunch . This feels looks like something Marco would orchestrate.

Lucas' eyes darkened, the name striking a chord. “Marco”, he repeated, the word dripping with venom.

Vincent nodded, “It makes sense. If he can't get to you directly, he’s trying to get your enemies against you.”

Lucas slammed his fist on the desk, the sound reverberating through the room, “Damn him. Marco is playing with fire, and it would hurt him so bad.”

A heavy silence hung between them, filled with weight of unspoken threats and unresolved tensions. Lucas mind raced, calculating his next move.

“We can't let him get away with this” Lucas finally said, his voice cold and resolute. “Find out everything you can, about Marco’s recent activities. I want to know what deals he’s been making. Who he’s been talking to. I……also want to know if he was at Velvet Noir club that night.”

Vincent nodded, his determination mirroring Lucas’s “Consider it done, boss. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

As Vincent left the room, Lucas stood alone staring out the window into the sprawling grounds of his mansion. The game has escalated, and the stakes were higher than ever.

But Lucas Moretti was not a man who backed down. He thrived in the face of adversity, and whoever was behind this would soon learn the cost of crossing him.

Meanwhile Olivia roamed the expansive corridors of Lucas's mansion, her mind still spinning from the morning’s event. Her tour with James had been unexpectedly enlightening , revealing layers to Lucas’s life she hadn't known existed.

As she passed by a half - open door, she heard hushed voices. Curious, she slowed her pace and peeked inside. It was one of the smaller offices, a room she hadn't visited before. Inside, she saw two men conversing in low tones.

One of them was Maeto , a high ranking member of Lucas's security team. The other, was a man she didn't recognize , his demeanor more polished and reserved.

Her curiosity piqued, Olivia leaned closer to catch snippets of their conversation.

“Are you sure Lucas dosen't suspect anything?” a voice asked, Olivia recognized it as belonging to Mateo. Mateo was one of the men that had captured her into Lucas's mansion.

“Not yet”, another voice replied. Olivia's heart skipped a bit as she recognized their voices. "But we have to be careful. One wrong move and anything could fall apart.” The other man said.

Olivia's mind raced. Mateo was supposed to be on Lucas' side, working to protect Lucas. But here he was, doing the opposite. She had to get closer, to hear more.

She edged more closer, careful not to make a sound.

“Marco’s plan is in motion,” The other man said, “We just need to feed him more information, and Lucas will fall.”

Mateo nodded, “I know, but we need to be smart. Lucas is no fool. If he catches wind of this, we’re all dead.”

Olivia felt a surge of anger and fear. Mateo and the other man, she dosen't know his name, but she had seen him in the mansion , to be part of Lucas security team. Mateo and the man have been working together feeding Marco information to bring Lucas down. She had to tell Lucas, but she needed proof.

Carefully, she pulled out her phone and started recording the conversation.

“Just remember”, the other man continued, “we’re doing this for a reason. Lucas has become too powerful. It's time for a change.”

Mateo agreed. “And Marco will be a better leader. Once Lucas is out of the way, things would be different.”

Olivia's heart pounded in her chest, “She had enough. She slipped out carefully not to make a sound, and hurried to find Lucas.

She got to the entrance of the study, she placed a soft knock on the door, “Come in”, She heard Lucas' voice from inside the study.

Olivia pushed the door open, letting her self inside the study, she met Lucas standing by the window , his two hands in his pockets, his cashmere sweater fit snugly over his mascular frame, his back back facing Olivia.

“Lucas, I need to talk to you.” Olivia said urgently.

Lucas turned to her in surprise, noting the urgency in her voice, “Olivia, what is it?”

She took a deep breath , holding up her phone, “I have proof. Mateo and one of your men are working with Marco. They’re the moles in your circle Lucas.”

Lucas eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I over heard them, they’re feeding Marco information. They’re planning to bring you down Lucas” Olivia explained.

Lucas glanced at her with a raised brow, before taking the phone from her, listening the recordings.