"Agreed," I said. "If he breaks the terms, he's yours."
The meeting ended. Sandro left first, followed by Luca. Matteo lingered.
"Julian's changing you," he said. Not accusatory. Just observational.
"Yes."
"Is that good?"
"I don't know yet. But I think so. I think maybe being more human makes me better at this. More strategic. Less reactive."
"Or maybe it makes you weak. Soft. Vulnerable." Matteo paused. "But I've been there. Stefan changed me too. Made me question things I always accepted. Made me want to be better. So I get it. Just—be careful. Mercy has its place. But so does violence. Don't forget that."
"I won't. Trust me. I know exactly when violence is appropriate."
Matteo left. I sat alone in my office and thought about what I'd done. The mercy I'd shown.
And the violence I was still capable of.
Because showing Jake mercy didn't mean I'd gone soft. It meant I could distinguish between different kinds of threats.
Jake was coerced. Forced. A victim who'd been weaponized against us.
But Dante? Dante was a predator. A monster who'd hurt Julian intentionally. Who'd tried to rape him. Who was still watching him. Still sending threatening messages.
If Dante ever came for Julian—if he ever touched him again—there would be no mercy.
***
I found Stefan in the financial office an hour later. He was staring at his computer screen but not actually working. Just sitting there. Processing.
"You heard," I said from the doorway.
"Sandro told me. Jake was the mole. You let him go." Stefan didn't look up. "He worked with me. I trusted him. Gave him access to systems he used to betray us."
"He was coerced—"
"I know. Sandro explained. I understand the logic." Stefan finally looked at me. "But it still hurts. Knowing someone I trusted was feeding information to the FBI. Using access I gave him to compromise our security. It feels personal."
I sat down across from him. "It is personal. He betrayed your trust specifically. You have a right to be angry."
"I'm not angry. I'm just—disappointed. Hurt. I thought I was better at reading people. Thought I'd know if someone was lying to me for months."
"He was good at hiding it. And he was scared for his wife. Fear makes people convincing liars."
"Do you regret letting him go? Matteo wanted him dead."
"No. I don't regret it. It was the right call strategically. And I think—I think Julian would've wanted me to show mercy. Would've wanted me to consider that Jake was coerced rather than corrupt."
Stefan smiled slightly. "Julian's good for you. Makes you think before acting. Makes you more human."
"That's what Matteo said. Though he would have preferred I kill Jake."
"It's true. That Julian’s good for you, I mean. You're different than you were before Julian. More thoughtful. More willing to question standard procedures. That's growth." Stefan paused. "But I know you well enough to know you're still capable of violence when necessary. Jake got mercy because he deserved it. But if someone threatens Julian directly—"
"I'll kill them. Slowly. Without hesitation."
"Good. Because being merciful doesn't mean being weak. It just means being selective about when you use violence." Stefan stood. "I need to find Jake's replacement. Someone I can actually trust. Someone who won't spend months betraying us."
