Athena started sketching intricate, disturbingly creative explosive trigger mechanisms on a notepad. Kon and Frederica gave her feedback and found ways to use the landmines already buried around the property. Dario played around on his phone, and Leo muttered under his breath as he monitored data streams with Dante.
Rodrigo disappeared for a moment, then returned with a blanket, which he draped over her without a word. How did he know she was getting cold?
"Do you need more painkillers? Food?" he asked, crouching down beside her.
Giana shook her head. "I'm fine. Just tired. I'm sorry that I have become your problem again…"
"Don't," he said, standing once more. "Don't you dare apologize for this."
Giana didn't know what to say, but she knew they would need to talk about it eventually. She wanted to know how he knew she had been kidnapped and why he had come for her at all. In front of everyone wasn't the best place, so she nodded, but she would make a point of getting it out of him eventually.
Minutes ticked by, and Giana was dozing when a soft chime sounded, a discreet alert from the villa's main gate security.
"Delivery," came the clipped voice of the gate guard over the comm speaker. "Marked as a congratulatory gift. Addressed to Signorina Sorrentino and Signore Colleoni. No courier ID. It just appeared between guard shifts."
Rodrigo's expression hardened. "Scan it thoroughly and then bring it to the main entrance hall."
"Scanning it now, sir," the guard confirmed.
"No explosives. No bio-agents. No electronic signatures beyond basic passive RFID. Appears to be some kind of antique. Wrapped in paper."
"Bring it to me," Rodrigo ordered, his voice dangerously soft.
He strode out, not waiting for anyone. Kon and Athena exchanged a glance and followed, their relaxed postures replaced by alert readiness with Dario right behind them.
Frederica fell into step beside Giana as she pushed herself up, Dante and Leo waiting to take up positions behind her. The procession moved down the grand hallway toward the villa's cavernous entrance hall, footsteps echoing ominously on the marble floor.
The package sat on a polished ebony table in the center of the hall, flanked by two guards. It was large, roughly two feet tall, wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with rough twine.
Rodrigo stopped a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the package like it was a coiled viper.
"Open it," he commanded one of the guards and subtly moved in front of Giana.
She poked her head around his side so she could still see.
The guard stepped forward, drew a knife, and sliced through the twine. He peeled back the brown paper, lifted the object free, and set it gently on the table.
It was an antique birdcage, exquisitely crafted from delicate gilded brass bars twisted into intricate floral patterns. It was beautiful, in a fragile, macabre way. There was no bird or perch. Tucked between the bars was a single thick card of expensive cream stock.
"Let me check it," Kon said, picking up the cage and turning it slowly in his hands. His eyes half closed as he whispered something under his breath. He put the cage down and announced a few seconds later. "It's free of curses. No unusual marks. Whoever sent this either doesn't have access to real power, or they are smart enough not to waste it on mind games."
Rodrigo snatched the card from between the bars up before anyone else could move. His eyes scanned the elegant, looping script. His knuckles tightened, and he crumpled the card.
"What does it say?" Dario asked.
Rodrigo didn't answer. He simply held the card out, his hand trembling with barely suppressed rage.
Kon took it, his expression grim as he read aloud, "Felicitations on your impending nuptials. Please accept this small token to commemorate the occasion and remind Giana that even the prettiest cage cannot hold back a rightful owner from claiming what was promised to him long ago. We will be in touch soon to discuss the return of what is mine."
"We were right. It is Vincenzo after all," Giana said, staring at the empty cage, the delicate bars suddenly seeming monstrous.It could only be him claiming what her father had 'promised' him. Not just the fortune, buther. The cage wasn't only a reference to the Colleoni villa. It was a direct callback to the dog crate in Izmir.
"Fucking asshole," she whispered under her breath. "He ordered me to be put in that cage."
"So much for that sweet boy you once met at parties," Athena murmured.
Rodrigo turned on his heel and walked toward the nearest wall. He drew back his fist, knuckles already scraped raw from Izmir, and slammed into it with a sickening, meaty crunch.
"Rodrigo!" Leo shouted, lunging forward only to be stopped by Dante.
