Different
1038 Words
Theo stared at the anonymous message glowing on his phone.
You should have declined their invitation.
Now you're part of the game.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Unknown number.
No caller ID.
No location.
Professional.
Whoever sent it had gone through great lengths to hide their identity.
Alex glanced at him from the passenger seat.
"Everything alright, sir?"
Theo locked the screen.
"Someone doesn't like the fact that I had coffee with the Moretti twins."
Alex frowned.
"The meeting wasn't even public."
"Exactly."
Silence settled inside the Rolls-Royce.
Someone had been watching.
That meant one thing.
This wasn't simply a rivalry between two mafia families anymore.
Someone else had entered the board.
Moretti Estate
Victoria stood before the enormous fireplace inside her private study.
A crystal glass of whiskey rested untouched on the table beside her.
She wasn't drinking.
She was thinking.
Bella lay upside down across a leather sofa, lazily scrolling through Theo's profile on her tablet.
"You've read that file twelve times."
Bella shrugged.
"So?"
"You've memorized it."
"I know."
"Then why keep reading?"
Bella smiled dreamily.
"I like his face."
Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You've known him for less than twenty-four hours."
"So?"
"So stop acting like a teenager."
Bella sat upright.
"I am twenty-four."
"Exactly."
"You sound jealous."
Victoria shot her sister a look.
"I don't get jealous."
Bella burst into laughter.
"That's exactly what a jealous person says."
Before Victoria could respond, Marco entered the room.
"Boss."
"What is it?"
"We've finished investigating Theo Blackwood."
Bella's eyes lit up.
"More information?"
Marco nodded.
"There isn't much."
Victoria frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"We searched his financial records."
"Nothing."
"We checked his travel history."
"Nothing suspicious."
"We even questioned people who worked with him in New York."
"And?"
Marco hesitated.
"They all described him using the same words."
Bella leaned forward.
"What words?"
Marco looked at the report.
"Kind."
"Patient."
"Honest."
"Calm."
Bella blinked.
"That's it?"
Marco nodded.
"One employee even said he paid for her daughter's surgery without telling anyone."
Victoria remained silent.
Acts of kindness didn't exist in their world.
Everything came with a price.
Everything.
"Did anyone have anything bad to say?"
Marco shook his head.
"No."
Bella smiled.
"I told you."
Victoria ignored her.
"What about relationships?"
Marco flipped another page.
"He has never publicly dated anyone."
Bella nearly dropped the tablet.
"What?"
"No girlfriends."
"No scandals."
"No affairs."
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
"Impossible."
Marco simply handed her the report.
"You can verify it yourself."
Bella whistled.
"So..."
"He's handsome."
"Rich."
"Smart."
"And single."
Victoria slowly looked at her.
"You sound interested."
Bella grinned shamelessly.
"I am."
Blackwood Tower
Theo spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on reports.
Unlike the New York branch, Los Angeles was...
Chaotic.
Three departments were losing money.
Shipping delays had doubled.
Employee satisfaction was the lowest in company history.
Theo sighed.
"Alex."
"Yes, sir?"
"When was the last time this branch held a staff meeting?"
Alex looked embarrassed.
"About..."
"...eight months ago."
Theo blinked.
"Eight months?"
"The previous CEO believed communication was unnecessary."
Theo leaned back.
"That explains everything."
He grabbed a notepad.
"Schedule a company-wide meeting tomorrow morning."
Alex quickly typed it down.
"Anything else?"
"Increase employee benefits."
Alex looked up.
"Sir?"
"If people feel valued, they'll work better."
Alex smiled.
"You're definitely not a Blackwood."
Theo laughed softly.
"I hear that a lot."
Before he could continue, his phone vibrated.
Lucas.
Theo answered immediately.
"What happened?"
"You met the Moretti twins."
News traveled fast.
"You already know?"
"The entire family knows."
Theo sighed.
"I figured."
Lucas's voice grew serious.
"Father is furious."
"When isn't he?"
"I'm serious, Theo."
"So am I."
Lucas hesitated.
"Be careful."
"I always am."
"No."
Lucas corrected quietly.
"You think you are."
The line went dead.
Theo stared at the phone.
For the first time since returning to Los Angeles...
He had the unsettling feeling that events were slipping beyond his control.
Unknown Location
A dimly lit room.
Rows of computer monitors covered one wall.
Every screen displayed security footage.
Blackwood Tower.
The Moretti Estate.
The café where Theo had met the twins.
The mysterious figure slowly walked between the screens.
A chessboard rested on a wooden desk.
Three pieces had been moved.
A white king.
Two white queens.
Across from them...
Black pieces waited patiently.
The figure smiled.
"They're exactly as expected."
A second voice echoed from the shadows.
"Should we eliminate Theo now?"
"No."
"He isn't ready."
"And the twins?"
"They're becoming attached."
The first voice chuckled.
"Excellent."
"Love..."
"...is far easier to manipulate than hatred."
Evening
Theo arrived home just before sunset.
Unlike the Blackwood mansion, his home overlooked the Pacific Ocean.
It was peaceful.
Minimalist.
Exactly the kind of place he'd always wanted.
No armed guards.
No shouting.
No reminders of the family name.
He loosened his tie before stepping onto the balcony.
The ocean breeze carried the scent of salt and rain.
For the first time all day...
He could breathe.
His peace lasted exactly thirty seconds.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Theo answered cautiously.
"This is Theo."
Silence.
Then...
A woman's soft laugh.
"You looked handsome today."
Theo's expression hardened.
"Who is this?"
"You already know."
He sighed.
"Bella."
Another laugh.
"I knew you'd recognize my voice."
"How did you get my number?"
"I have my ways."
"I'm beginning to regret meeting you."
"Ouch."
She sounded genuinely offended.
"I only called to say..."
There was a brief pause.
"...thank you."
Theo frowned.
"For what?"
"For treating us like people."
The teasing was gone.
Her voice sounded...
Sincere.
"No one has ever looked at us without fear."
Theo remained quiet.
Bella continued.
"Goodnight, Theo."
The call ended.
Theo stared at his phone for a long moment.
Then, despite himself...
He smiled.
A small one.
Almost unnoticeable.
Far away, inside the Moretti Estate, Victoria caught Bella smiling at her own phone.
"You called him."
Bella looked guilty.
"...Maybe."
Victoria sighed.
"What am I going to do with you?"
Bella hugged a cushion and smiled dreamily.
"I don't know."
"But I think..."
"...our lives are about to change."
Later that night, Theo awoke to the sound of glass shattering downstairs.
His eyes snapped open.
Someone...
...had broken into his house.
- Writer
