“Relax,” he replies, “I’m just teasing.” His focus comes back to me. “And what did you do before Warren hired you?”
“Waitressing. Part-time. Nothing special.”
“Hmm.” He sips his wine. “So you come from a simple life. Clean. No complications.”
Warren shifts, tension rippling through him.
I frown slightly, not really understanding his words. “I guess so?”
Toni sets his glass down, his fingers tapping lightly beside it. “And your family? They support your new position? Working for someone like Warren?”
I shrug, a little confused by the interest. “It’s just a job,” I say. “They don’t really show an interest.”
Warren’s hands tighten on the table.
Toni leans back and spreads his arms a little. “Then we have nothing to worry about. Family support is important. It shows trust.” He glances at Warren, warm but pointed. “And trust is everything in business. Everything.”
Warren doesn’t blink.
Toni shifts his gaze back to me. “Tell me, Leoni…” He tilts his head, eyes narrowing just a fraction, too subtle for most people to catch. “Has Warren ever spoken to you about his father?”
Warren’s hand closes into a fist.
I shake my head. “Not really. Why?”
Toni holds my gaze for a long moment. A soft smile spreads. Almost harmless. “Curiosity,” he says. “I simply wonder how much he shares, and with whom.”
Warren’s voice cuts in, quiet but razor sharp. “Toni.”
Toni lifts his hands as though to surrender. “Relax, nipote. I’m only making conversation.” The tension is thick as he pops an olive into his mouth. “You want us to do business, I need to know all about your life, and who you share it with.”
“Leoni doesn’t know anything about this deal,” he says sharply, his fist still balled tightly. “It’s best it stays that way, don’t you think?”
Toni chuckles, “What I think is you came here to get my help and you’ll endure my questions.”
Warren’s jaw clenches tighter, and his eyes fix on me. “Ask Anthony to show you the bar,” he tells me firmly.
WARREN
I wait for Leoni to disappear back through the crowd before turning to Toni. “She’s innocent in all this,” I spit. “She doesn’t know anything.”
“But you’re fucking her,” he says casually, dropping an olive pip onto a napkin.
“She’s my secretary, of course I’m fucking her. And I thought a few days in the sun would score me some points. But she’s nothing to do with the business.”
“Does your father know you’re screwing her?” When I don’t reply, he smirks. “She’s your father’s type, that's why I ask.”
“How much can I trust you, Toni?”
He leans back in his chair and stares out to the mountains. “When you tell me everything, I’ll trust you. Let’s work on that first.”
I lean closer. “Was my mother having an affair?” His eyes snap to mine, and he sits straighter. “You knew,” I say smugly, satisfied his reaction gave me the right answer.
“What do you know about it?”
“Not much,” I admit, “but probably more than my father would like.”
He scoffs, “He never did like people knowing his business.”
