☕ Chapter 10 —THE SPY IN THE SHADOWS
351 Words
Elias had begun to settle into the rhythm of his new life — daily deliveries to Luciano’s office, quiet moments of tension and trust, and the slow unraveling of everything he thought he knew about control.
But the peace was fragile.
One evening, as Elias closed up his rebuilt stand — now gleaming with polished wood and Rossi-grade equipment — he noticed something strange. His assistant, Tunde, was lingering near the back, speaking into a phone in hushed tones.
Elias stepped closer, unnoticed.
“…yes, he’s still going to the tower. Every morning. No, I haven’t seen the collar yet.”
Elias froze.
Tunde turned, startled. “Boss! I didn’t see you—”
“Who were you talking to?” Elias asked, voice low.
Tunde stammered. “Just… my cousin. He’s in logistics.”
Elias didn’t buy it. He reached for the phone, but Tunde pulled away. “It’s nothing I swear!”
Luciano’s voice echoed in Elias’s memory: “Your stand is under my protection. But protection invites enemies.”
Elias grabbed the phone and scrolled through the call log. The number wasn’t local. It was tagged with a name: Mancini Holdings.
His blood ran cold.
Mancini — the rival mafia family. The one Luciano had warned him about. The one that had tried to sabotage Rossi’s operations for years.
“You’ve been spying,” Elias whispered. “Using my stand to watch him.”
Tunde’s face crumpled. “They said if I didn’t help, they’d hurt my sister. I didn’t want to—”
Elias stepped back, heart pounding. “You need to leave. Now.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Tunde fled into the night.
Elias locked the stand and leaned against the wall, breath shallow. His sanctuary had been compromised. His trust violated.
He pulled out his phone and texted Luciano:
“We need to talk. It’s about Mancini.”
The reply came instantly:
“Come. Now.”
And as Elias walked toward Rossi Tower, he realized something terrifying — and exhilarating.
He wasn’t just part of Luciano’s world anymore.
He was a target!!!
- Writer
