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“Coffee?” he asked, his tone light.
“Yes, please.”
He nodded to the waiter, who quickly brought over two cups. Raffaele waited until the waiter was gone before he spoke again.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he began, his voice casual but with an undercurrent of something deeper. “I’ve been thinking about our last conversation… and about you, Sofia. You intrigue me.”
I raised an eyebrow, playing along. “Do I?”
He chuckled softly. “I want to give you an opportunity… to show me where your true loyalties lie.”
I felt a chill run down my spine, but I kept my composure. “And what opportunity is that?”
He leaned forward, his eyes darkening. “Massimo is a powerful man, but power can make a person blind. Arrogant, even. I think you see that, don’t you?”
I hesitated, letting a small frown crease my brow, like I was considering his words carefully. “Maybe,” I replied slowly. “He can be… controlling, at the very least. But he has his reasons.”
Raffaele nodded as if he understood, his expression sympathetic. “Of course he does. But a man like Massimo… he only sees people in two ways: assets or liabilities. You’re either helping him, or you’re expendable.”
I bit my lip, giving a small, uncertain nod. “And you think he sees me as an asset?”
“For now,” he said with a slight shrug. “But that could change the moment you become… let me say… inconvenient.”
I tilted my head slightly. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting you think about your future, Sofia,” he replied smoothly. “You’re smart, capable, and I believe you could be valuable… to someone who appreciates those qualities more than Massimo does.”
I felt a flicker of anger but quickly tamped it down, keeping my expression neutral. “And you’re saying you’d appreciate those qualities in me?”
He smiled, a slow, calculating smile. “I’m saying I’d like to see what you can do, given the right opportunity.”
I raised an eyebrow, playing coy. “What kind of opportunity?”
Raffaele leaned in, his voice lowering, becoming almost conspiratorial. “I have a task for you. A test if you will.”
I met his gaze head-on. “I’m listening.”
He sat back, folding his hands in front of him. “There’s a shipment arriving at the docks tonight. Something that’s very important to Massimo’s operations—a shipment of cash being funneled into one of his businesses, but we both know it’s meant to fund some… less-than-legitimate activities.”
I kept my face carefully blank. “And you want me to do what, exactly?”
“You’re going to help me intercept it,” he answered. “Ensure it never reaches its destination. If you can do that, Sofia, you’ll prove to me that you’re serious about stepping out of Massimo’s shadow.”
I hesitated, letting him see the conflict in my eyes. “That’s a big ask, Raffaele,” I said slowly. “If I get caught, Massimo will know.”
His smile was sly and slippery. “Then don’t get caught,” he replied simply. “I’ll provide you with the resources you need—men, vehicles, whatever it takes…”
I took a deep breath, nodding as if weighing his offer carefully. “And if I do this… what then?”
“Then we talk about your future,” he said, his voice smooth, confident. “One where you’re not just a pawn in someone else’s game but a player in your own right.”
I pretended to think it over, then gave a small nod. “Alright,” I said softly. “I’ll do it.”
Raffaele’s smile widened, and I could see the satisfaction in his eyes. “Good,” he said, leaning back with a satisfied expression. “I knew you’d make the right choice.”
I forced a smile, but inside, my mind was racing. I had agreed to his plan, but I wasn’t going to betray Massimo. Not really. I just needed to figure out how to make this work to our advantage—how to turn Raffaele’s test into his downfall.
“Tonight, then,” he said, standing. “I’ll have my men contact you with the details.”