Page 51 of Niccolo

This was a man I could crushbeneath my heel.

“Alright,” I agreed. “I’m in.”

22

It was a four-hour drive from San Remo to Tuscany. I rode in the back of a chauffeured silver Rolls-Royce with Fausto. It was a custom vehicle with limo-style seats that faced each other and a privacy screen so the driver couldn’t hear a thing.

With our privacy ensured, we made good use of the time.

First came the terms of the deal.

I asked for a portion of the money upfront, but Fausto refused.

“I’m going to be investing a lot of time in this,” I pointed out.

“I don’t want you using the money to fund your lawsuit and then running out on me.” When he saw the surprise on my face, Fausto smiled. “Yes, I know all about your long-term plans, Sofia.”

“I wouldn’t stop working for you, even if I won the lawsuit,” I protested. “Iwantall 10 million.”

“You say that now – but what if you won 5 million euros in the lawsuit? You might decide that was enough, and that working for me was too dangerous. That it might jeopardize your newly restored reputation.”

“You think I’d cross a man who had his own brother killed?”

Fausto smiled. “You would be wisenotto.”

But the cheap old bastard wouldn’t budge. He was insistent that I would only get my 10 million euros after all the nephews were dead.

“Then I’m going to continue playing in poker tournaments,” I said. “I have to earn a living.”

“If you invest it wisely, ten million euros could set you up for life,” he pointed out.

“Not if I never get paid.”

“Then make sure we destroy them,” he snapped.

“I will. But in the meantime, pay me a deposit.”

Fausto said no, so I refused to budge on the poker tournaments.

It was an important negotiating point. If I caved to every one of his demands, then Fausto would have control over me.

This way, I at least retained a bit of independence.

Game theory.

Fausto sighed angrily but finally agreed.

Until I completed my assignment, I would live in Fausto’s mansion. Being on-site would make planning and last-minute decisions easier.

In the meantime, I would continue to pay rent on my apartment in Bologna.

Once I got my payout, I’d move to a penthouse somewhere… but I was too cautious to break my lease until I was sure things would work out.

I figured it would only take a couple of weeks – a month at most.

How wrong I was.

When we were done with the financial details, I said, “Alright, give me the lay of the land. I need to know the targets and who I’m dealing with.”

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