Chapter 72: Running out of time

Marco’s POV

Luca led me into the villa with his hand wrapped around my arm, as though he feared I might disappear if he loosened his grip. Talk of being clingly, he was hella talented. The marble floors, high ceilings, and expensive furniture suited the Prime Minister’s family. None of it interested me.

Luca’s father, Mr. Costa, stood near the living room windows with a phone pressed to his ear. He glanced at us and lifted a finger for us to wait.

Luca tugged me towards the sofa. "Come sit with me, babe. Do you want anything? Water? Coffee? I can ask them to bring something."

I shook my head and sat beside him. "I’m good."

"You sure?" he asked, leaning against my shoulder.

"Yes."

He smiled as if I had said something sweet, settling closer with his hand still looped around my arm. I let him. I had no reason to create a scene in front of his father.

A few minutes later, Mr. Costa ended his call and approached us. "Marco. It’s good to see you."

I stood to shake his hand. "Mr. Costa. Likewise."

"Dad," Luca said brightly, still holding on to me. "We’ve been waiting for you."

"I can see that." His gaze flicked to Luca’s hand. "I hope the journey was comfortable."

"It was."

Luca squeezed my arm. "I told him he could stay for dinner, but he hasn’t said yes yet."

"We’ll see," I replied, earning a pout from him.

Mr. Costa gave a faint smile. "Marco, would you join me in my office?"

"Of course." I replied trying as much to cast the politest smile I could master.

"Luca, stay here for a while," Mr. Costa spoke.

"But, Dad—"

"Just for a little while."

Luca turned to me, his expression almost painfully sweet. "You won’t be long, will you, babe?"

"I’ll be back when we’re done."

He hesitated, then released my arm. "Fine. But don’t keep him all afternoon."

Mr. Costa led me down a corridor into his office. The moment the door closed, the pleasant atmosphere of the living room disappeared. This was no longer a family visit. We had business to settle, and neither of us needed to pretend otherwise.

Dark shelves lined the spacious office, and two leather sofas faced each other across the room. Mr. Costa gestured for me to sit, then took the opposite sofa.

"Tell me, how do you intend to strip Edoardo of his power?" he asked without preamble.

I leaned back. "By taking away the people who give it to him. His position is strengthened by three powerful allies: the Romano family, the Rossi, and the Conti. As long as they stand behind him, removing him will be much more difficult."

Mr. Costa nodded. "Then we separate them from him first."

"Exactly. We need to make each family believe Edoardo has become a liability. He must seem to have deliberately put their interests at risk."

"How do you propose we achieve that?"

"That is where you come in, Mr. Costa." I held his gaze. "You have the influence and access to help stage situations that will cost those families money, territory, or valuable connections. The losses must be significant, but the evidence should point towards Edoardo. They need to believe he arranged it behind their backs and sacrificed their interests to protect his own."

"Edoardo has made plenty of enemies by betraying people who trusted him. It would not take much for them to believe he has done it again."

"His reputation will do half the job. We only need to make sure the details support what they already suspect. If we move carelessly, they may discover the truth and turn against us instead."

"And you will handle the Moretti family?" he asked.

"I’ll deal with the men inside it. I need to make sure they answer to me before Edoardo returns. Once his allies begin pulling away, he’ll rely on his own people. I want those men loyal to me, not him. When the time comes, he should have neither an army to defend him nor allies willing to stand beside him."

Mr. Costa studied me. "You intend to leave him with nothing."

"I intend to make sure he cannot fight back."

For the next half hour, we examined the plan from every angle. We discussed the time available, which families were most vulnerable to pressure, and what losses would make them question Edoardo’s loyalty. One mistake could expose us before the families turned against him.

His absence gave us an advantage. While he was away, we could put the pieces in place without dealing with his interference. We had to use it before he returned and tightened his hold on the family.

A question that had been sitting in the back of my mind finally demanded an answer.

"Why did you agree to help me so readily?" I asked. "You know what it means to move against Edoardo. I doubt you would risk this much simply because you dislike him."

Mr. Costa’s expression hardened. His composure gave way to something more personal.

"Because I have received confirmation that Edoardo intends to take my seat."

I stared at him. "The Prime Minister’s seat?"

"Yes. He has been quietly turning members of Parliament against me. He wants to make sure that when the vote of confidence takes place, I no longer have enough support to remain in office."

For a moment, I said nothing.

My father wanted to enter politics. Not content with controlling the Moretti family and everything attached to its name, Edoardo had decided he wanted the country’s highest political office as well. The thought settled in my mind like a spreading threat. If he took the Prime Minister’s seat, this would become a different kind of war, one in which his power reached far beyond our family and its enemies.

There would be fewer places to hide and fewer people willing to oppose him.

"When is the vote?" I asked.

"In less than a month. 3rd of next month precisely."

Our plan suddenly carried a heavier weight. We had been working against Edoardo’s return; now we had another deadline.

"Then we don’t have the luxury of waiting," I said.

"No," Mr. Costa agreed. "We don’t."

I rose, already rearranging the next steps in my head. We had to weaken the Romano, Rossi, and Conti families’ trust in Edoardo, secure the loyalty of the men within the Moretti family, and do it all before the vote. If Edoardo gained the Prime Minister’s office first, taking his power away would become nearly impossible.

The plan had been dangerous from the beginning. Now, it was a race against a clock neither of us could afford to lose.