AUTHOR’S POV
The air inside the abandoned meatpacking plant smelled strongly of rust and rotting ice.
Don Antonio Romero stood in the center of the freezing room. His heavy black overcoat was buttoned tightly against the damp chill.
He despised mysteries. He hated secrets, especially when those hidden truths threatened his bloodline.
Footsteps echoed sharply across the cracked concrete floor. A short, nervous man emerged slowly from the deep shadows. This was Salvatore. He was a high-level underworld informant who bought and sold the dirtiest secrets in Rome.
Antonio tossed a thick manila envelope onto a rusted metal table. It landed with a heavy thud. The package contained fifty thousand euros in untraceable cash. Salvatore snatched it immediately. His greedy eyes darted nervously
