Static. Then Vincent's voice, panicked and stressed.
"We have a problem. Antonio is having second thoughts about the arrangement. Says he wants to call off the wedding. That Aria is too young. That she deserves better than being sold off like cattle."
My blood went cold. I sat up straighter, every nerve suddenly alert.
My father's voice came through. Calm. Too calm. "And what did you tell him?"
"That he can't back out now. That we have an agreement. But he'snot listening, Salvatore. He's talking about taking Aria and leaving the city."
Silence. I could picture my father's face. The calculating coldness that preceded violence.
"Then you need to handle it. Tonight. Before he has a chance to disappear with the girl."
"Handle it how? Antonio is my brother. I can't just..."
"Can't you? You wanted power, Vincent. You wanted control of the Romano family. Antonio stands in your way. The girl is the key to both our futures. You remove the obstacle. I'll make sure no one looks too closely at how it happened."
More silence. Then Vincent, voice shaking. "The car. He'll be driving alone. I could arrange something. An accident. Make it look like..."
"Not an accident. Send a message. A bomb. Quick. Clean. No survivors. Do it tonight and tomorrow you'll be head of the Romano family. Your niece will marry me as planned. Everyone gets what they want."
"And if someone investigates?"
"They won't. I'll make sure the right people look the other way. You handle your brother. I'll handle everything else."
The call ended. Another one started immediately. Vincent again, four hours later.
"It's done. The car... there was nothing left. Antonio is dead."
"Good. Mourn appropriately. Play the devastated brother. In a week, you'll approach the girl about honoring her father's commitment. Use whatever leverage you need. She's young and grieving. She'll agree."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then you remind her that accidents can happen to anyone. Staff. Friends. Anyone she cares about. She'll fall in line."
The recording clicked off.
I sat there, frozen. Unable to process what I'd just heard.
My father had ordered the hit on Antonio Romano. Had helped Vincent plan the murder. Had covered it up. All so he couldhave Aria.
Everything she'd suffered. Her grief. Her guilt for being at the club while her father died. The way Vincent had manipulated her with threats. Her entire nightmare existence.
All of it orchestrated by my father.
Marco was staring at me. "Kai? You okay? You look like you're about to murder someone."
"Play it back." My voice didn't sound like mine. Too flat. Too cold. "You need to hear this."
I rewound the recording. Let it play through both conversations. Watched Marco's expression shift from confused to horrified to furious.
When it finished, he sat back. Ran both hands through his hair.
"Holy shit. This is it. This is what we needed." He looked at me, eyes wide. "Murder of a respected Don who was within his rights to call off an arrangement. Conspiracy with another family member. Cover-up. The Council will have to act on this. They won't have a choice."
"He killed her father." I stood up so fast my chair crashed backward. Started pacing. Needed to move before the rage building in my chest exploded. "He fucking killed her father so he could have her. Helped her uncle murder his own brother. Then sat across from her at dinners pretending to be some benevolent savior taking in an orphan."
My hands were shaking. Actually shaking with the need to put a bullet in my father's head right now. To walk into his room and end this tonight.
