Revenge Is Mine

6: The Trap is Set

Chiara Moretti

The restaurant Alessandro chose for dinner was called L'Aura. It was the most expensive and private dining spot in the entire city. It was the kind of place where billionaires made deals behind velvet curtains and doors.

I sat in the back of the car, looking out the window as the driver pulled up to the entrance. My heart beat a little faster. I looked down at my hands. They were trembling just a little bit. I took a deep breath to steady myself, pulling the cold, calculated persona of Viviana Marino around me. I was wearing a dark emerald green dress. It was silk, elegant, and it screamed quiet wealth. Alessandro had chosen it for me. He told me green was the color of money and envy, and tonight, I was going to make Marco feel both.

The driver opened the door, and I stepped out into the cool night air. I held my head high and walked inside. The hostess smiled at me immediately. "Good evening. Do you have a reservation?" she asked politely.

"I am meeting someone," I said smoothly. "Marco Mancini."

"Ah, yes. Right this way, Ms. Marino."

I followed her through the dimly lit room. The tables were spaced far apart so no one could hear anyone else's conversations. Soft jazz music played in the background, creating an atmosphere of forced intimacy. As we walked toward a private booth in the back, I saw him.

Marco was already there. He was wearing a sharp, expensive suit. The kind of suit he bought with my money. He was checking his gold watch, looking impatient. But the moment he looked up and saw me, his entire face changed.

He stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor. His eyes went wide, sweeping over my body from my head to my heels. It was a look of pure, raw hunger.

"Viviana," he said, his voice thick with fake charm. "You look absolutely stunning."

"Marco," I replied, keeping my voice cool. I let him pull the chair out for me, and I sat down gracefully.

He sat across from me and leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. "I have to admit, I was holding my breath all day. I was worried you might cancel on me."

"I am a woman of my word," I said, picking up the menu and barely glancing at it. "If I say I will be somewhere, I will be there."

"I like that in a woman," he said, giving me that same crooked smile he used to give me years ago. The smile that made me fall in love with him when I was young and stupid.

Looking at it now, it only made my stomach turn. The waiter came and poured us both a glass of very expensive red wine. We ordered our food quickly, and the moment the waiter stepped away, Marco raised his glass toward me.

"To new beginnings," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "And to beautiful partnerships."

I tapped my glass against his lightly. "To partnerships," I echoed, and took a small sip.

"So," Marco started, setting his glass down and looking at me intently. "I want to know everything about you, Viviana. A beautiful woman who owns a tech firm and a vineyard. You are quite a mystery in Italy. Where have you been hiding?"

"I don't hide, Marco," I said, looking right into his eyes without blinking. "I just prefer to build my wealth quietly. I spent years in Southern Europe perfecting my wine. Then I expanded into technology. Now, I have more capital than I know what to do with. I came back to Italy because I want to expand my portfolio. I am looking for the right investment."

Marco's eyes lit up, his greed was so loud it was almost funny." Investment?" he asked, trying to sound casual. "What kind of sector are you looking into? Tech? More wine? Hospitality?"

"Actually, no," I said. I leaned back in my chair, playing with the stem of my wine glass. "I want something different. Something stable but with high returns. I am very interested in real estate and architecture. I want to build things. I want to own the skyline."

Marco leaned closer."That is incredible. You know, Viviana, that is exactly what my company does. We are the top architectural and real estate firm in the city."

My company. He was talking about my company. The company my father built, the one I grew to the top before Marco stole it from me. It took every ounce of my self-control not to slap him across the face right then and there.

"Is that so?" I asked, pretending to be mildly surprised. "I heard of your company, yes. But I also heard it went through a rough patch a few years ago. A change in leadership, wasn't it?"

Marco's smile faltered for just a second. "Yes. A tragedy, actually. My late wife... she was the CEO. She passed away in a terrible accident. It broke my heart."

He looked down, playing with his napkin, acting like a broken man. He was such a good liar. If I didn't know the truth, if I hadn't been the one burning in that car, I would have believed he was a grieving husband. It sickened me how easily the lies spilled from his lips.

"I had to step up and take over," he continued, "It was hard, but I grew the company. I made it stronger for her memory."

"How touching," I said, my voice completely flat.

Before he could say anything else, his phone lit up on the table. It buzzed loudly, vibrating against the wood. I glanced down at the screen, and the name Alesia flashed brightly.

Marco looked at the phone, and a flash of deep annoyance crossed his face. Without a second thought, he quickly pressed a button to reject the call and flipped the phone face down. "Sorry about that," he said, offering a smooth apology. "Work never stops."

"You don't need to answer?" I asked innocently, tilting my head. "It could be important."

"It's not important at all," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Nothing is more important than the woman sitting in front of me right now."

He reached across the table and tried to put his hand over mine.

The moment his skin almost touched mine, my whole body went rigid. I gently but firmly pulled my hand back before he could make full contact and picked up my wine glass instead.

"Let's focus on business, Marco," I said coldly.

He cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed that I had rejected his touch."Right. Business. As I was saying, my company is ready for a massive expansion. If you are looking to invest your capital, there is no better place. We could do amazing things together."

"I have fifty million euros ready to move," I said casually, taking another sip of wine.

Marco actually choked. He coughed, grabbing his water glass to clear his throat. His eyes were wide with shock, staring at me as if I had just told him I could turn water into gold. "Fifty... fifty million?"

"Yes," I said, enjoying his reaction entirely too much. "But I am very strict with my money, Marco. I don't just hand it over because a man buys me a nice dinner."

"Of course not!" he agreed quickly, leaning so far forward he was almost out of his seat. "I can show you our public records, our upcoming projects, our growth charts..."

"I don't care about public records," I cut him off. "Anyone can fake a public record. Anyone can draw up a nice chart. If I am going to invest fifty million euros into your firm, I need complete transparency."

Marco swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I want full, unrestricted access to your internal financial books," I said, staring right into his soul. "I want to see every single account, every transaction, every hidden debt. I want my personal auditors to look through your entire system for the last three years. If the books are clean, you get the fifty million. If you say no, I walk out of here right now and invest in your biggest competitor."

Marco looked panicked. The blood drained from his face, and for a moment, he hesitated. "Okay," Marco said finally, his voice a little breathless. "Okay, Viviana. You have a deal. I will give you full access to the internal books."

I smiled. "Perfect," I said softly.

I picked up my purse. "I think we have talked enough for one night, Marco," I said, standing up smoothly.

He stood up quickly, looking disappointed. "Are you leaving already? The night is still young."

"I have early meetings tomorrow," I said. "Have your lawyers send the financial access codes to my office. Once my team looks at the books, we will talk again."

"I will send them first thing in the morning," Marco promised eagerly, walking me toward the front of the restaurant. "I promise you, Viviana, this is the best decision you will ever make."

"I know it is," I murmured.