“Oh, don’t sound so concerned, Alessandro. I’m sure your little—well, whatever she is to you—will figure it out eventually. Though I must say, watching her struggle without daddy’s guidance has been quite…educational.” He pauses. “Although which daddy is the real question, right?”
“Understood.” My voice could freeze hell. If Dominic were in front of me, his brains would be splattered across the walls.
“Wonderful. I do hope Bianca rises to the occasion. It would be such a shame if she…disappointed expectations.”
The condescension drips from every word, and I can practically hear his smug smile through the phone.
He’s savoring this—the power play, the isolation, the opportunity to watch both Bianca struggle and me seethe with helpless fury.
The line goes dead, and I stare at the phone for exactly three seconds before the facade of control shatters completely.
I slam the receiver down with enough force to crack the plastic then sweep everything off my desk in one violent motion.
Papers scatter, coffee spills across expensive wood, and my laptop crashes to the floor.
“That fucking piece of shit,” I snarl to the empty office.
Dominic wants me to lose control.
He wants me to storm over there, make demands, show weakness through emotional reaction.
That’s why he called me.
The smart play is to wait, to let Bianca handle whatever test they’ve designed, to trust in her capabilities.
But the thought of her alone in a room with Dominic’s people, facing unknown challenges without backup, drives me fucking insane.
It fucking pisses me off.
I grab my secure phone and start dialing.
“Tony, it’s Alessandro. I need you to drop everything and locate Bianca DeLuca. Right now.”
Tony pauses. “Boss, what’s the situation?” His lightly accented voice sounds confused.
I grip my hair with one hand as I stare out the window to the New York skyline, my heart racing a million miles a minute. “The Calabreses are playing games. Find her but don’t engage. I just need to know where she is and that she’s safe.”
“On it. Give me fifteen minutes.”
I pace the office while Tony mobilizes our resources.
Fifteen minutes feels like hours when someone you care about is in potential danger.
The rational part of my mind knows Bianca is capable.
She’s proven herself in previous trials.
The warehouse trial did end successfully, even if it didn’t go according to plan.
But the part that’s falling in love with her doesn’t give a damn about rational assessment.
My phone buzzes with updates as my people move through the city.
Warehouse district. Queens. Multiple vehicles with Calabrese plates. No visual confirmation yet.
Then, just as I’m about to grab my coat and head out myself, my phone rings.
“Alessandro?”
