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“What if we make it a joint shipment?” I suggest.

She looks at me with wide eyes, and that smile of hers—too charming for its own good—spreads across her face. “Yes. It’s not a secret; the Paolo’s and the Rossi’s have some type of alliance. We could stage a joint shipment.”

“Since they’re targeting both families, they won’t be able to resist. It’ll feel like killing two birds with one stone.”

“Poking,” Aria mutters, then giggles softly to herself. It’s one of those innocent, endearing moments that I can’t help but find charming.

“What?” Matteo asks, clearly confused.

Aria blinks at him, a little sheepish. “Poking two birds with one stone. Because, you know, Nicolas said earlier that they were… well, never mind,” she waves her hand dismissively, “Forget it. I got too carried away.”

I can practically see the wheels turning in Matteo’s head, and I do my best to keep my amusement in check. Meanwhile, Marco’s still not contributing much—just glaring at his sister.

“How do we make sure they take the bait?” he asks, his voice tinged with frustration.

“Leaks,” Aria responds confidently. “Controlled ones. We spread information about the shipment through the right channels. Make it seem like an inside slip-up, like it’s accidental.”

Marco snorts, shaking his head. “You think they’ll buy that?”

I fix him with a steady glare. “It would be foolish not to agree with such a smart plan, wouldn’t you say?”

His smirk falters, and he laughs nervously, nodding. “It’s a good plan. I’ll give you that. But it’s risky. If they catch on?—”

“They won’t,” I cut in. “Not if we play it right.”

“You’ve got contacts in their circle—people who can feed them the information without raising suspicion.”

Marco nods reluctantly. “I can make it happen.”

Finally, some use.

Matteo leans forward, eyes narrowing. “And the shipment itself, boss?” “What do we put in it?”

“Nothing real,” I reply. “Fake goods. Enough to make it look convincing but worthless in reality. Guns that don’t fire. Counterfeit cash. Let them think they’ve scored a win.”

Marco raises an eyebrow. “And when they show up?”

“We’ll surveil them from a distance, track the person giving the orders. Once we identify them, we attack and take them alive.”

The room falls into a heavy silence, everyone’s mind working overtime, searching for ways to refine the plan.

Matteo speaks first, breaking the stillness. “We’ll need to choose the location carefully. It should be isolated but still believable—a place where we can control everything.”

“Agreed,” I reply, my voice steady. “And the timing has to be flawless. We can’t afford any missteps.”

Marco nods, his expression grim, and adds, “I’ll start pulling strings. The Caldarones won’t know what hit them.”

The meeting continues, details falling into place one by one—the location, the timing, the players involved. Aria listens intently, her eyes flicking between us as we speak. But she remains silent, not offering any further input.

When we finally wrap up, I feel a sense of satisfaction with the direction we’re heading. As Marco gathers his things, I catch Aria’s gaze. She’s nervously biting her full lips, her eyes darting toward her brother.

I place my hands over hers, and she looks up at me. “You did well,” I say quietly, and from the corner of my eye, I see Marco glance in our direction. Aria’s lips part as though she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. Instead, she offers a small, almost hesitant nod.

Marco leans back in his chair, his sharp eyes flicking between Aria and me. A faint smirk plays at the corners of his mouth like he thinks he’s about to win something.

“I want to see my sister tomorrow,” he says, emphasizing the wordsisterpart. “I trust that’s okay?”

Aria glances toward him, but I cut in before she can respond. “That depends,” I reply cooly, meeting his gaze. “On whether it’s convenient for my wife.”