Chapter 111: "Father And Daughter"

The day before the competition, Jordan invited Aren to the Marchetti compound.

It wasn’t one of her scheduled workdays. He was simply honoring his promise to train with her.

They stood together inside the compound’s private gym. The overhead lights had been dimmed until only the faintest glow remained.

It wasn’t complete darkness, but it closely resembled the maze the contestants would inevitably face during the second round of the Marchetti Trials.

"Is this too tight?" Jordan asked as he carefully tied the blindfold behind Aren’s head.

"Ah... yes, a little," Aren replied. She shifted slightly while he loosened the knot, then smiled. "Oh. Yes, that’s perfect."

Stepping around to face her, Jordan raised three fingers in front of the blindfold, a playful smile tugging at his mouth.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Aren’s lips puffed into an immediate pout.

"Eleven."

A laugh escaped him.

"That’s the correct answer."

Instead of stepping back into position, however, he found himself lingering for a heartbeat too long.

His eyes drifted toward the small pout adorning her lips.

Soft.

Inviting.

With her eyes hidden beneath the strip of black silk, her lips somehow drew even more attention than usual.

A heavy swallow worked its way down his throat.

’Get a grip.’

The dim lighting wasn’t doing his self-control any favors.

Before his imagination wandered somewhere profoundly stupid, he rested his hands lightly on her shoulders and gently guided her into position at the center of the training mat.

"You’ve never trained in a dark environment before?"

Aren answered a little too quickly.

"Nope." She shook her head enthusiastically. "Not at all. This is my first time!"

It was, admittedly, a poor lie.

Blindfolded training hadn’t been a core component of her former routine, but operations often demanded precisely this kind of sensory conditioning.

Even so, Caio’s advice continued to echo through her mind. For now, concealing more of her abilities felt like the safer choice, even if a faint sense of guilt lingered over deceiving Jordan.

Meanwhile, her answer sent an immediate wave of concern through Jordan.

’Then we’ve got a lot of work to do before Sunday.’

’Sofia’s practically a monster when it comes to fighting blind.’

Drawing a quiet breath, he finally stepped back and settled into his stance opposite her.

"Alright," he began. "Inside the dark maze, you won’t be carrying any weapons. It’ll just be you, your body, your skills, and your instincts. You’ll have to use all four together to locate the coin as quickly as possible, then reach the exit before someone takes it from you."

Aren tilted her head beneath the blindfold.

"What’s the lighting actually like? Is it completely dark like this?"

Jordan shook his head.

"Fortunately, no. There’s a single exit sign glowing faintly red near the exit, but that’s all the light you’ll get. Under those conditions, it’ll take roughly thirty minutes for your eyes to reach peak scotopic vision. You’ll probably be able to identify someone from about five to fifteen feet away."

Aren tapped the blindfold curiously.

"But if I could still see... why am I practicing with my eyes completely closed?"

Jordan’s tone grew more serious.

"Because when you’re first dropped into the maze, you’ll effectively be blind for the first ten minutes. That’s the most dangerous part. If someone knocks you unconscious during those first ten minutes... you’re basically done."

"Ah." Aren nodded brightly. "I understand now."

Jordan smiled despite himself. Her eagerness to learn was strangely infectious.

"So, you ready?"

Aren answered without the slightest hesitation.

"I am!"

They never got the chance to begin.

Just as they settled into their stances, three firm knocks echoed against the gym door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Both of them paused.

Jordan’s expression darkened immediately.

"Who’s that?"

"It’s Diego, Young Boss," came the respectful voice from the other side. "My apologies for interrupting your training session."

Jordan clicked his tongue under his breath. Irritation flashed plainly across his face as he crossed the room and pulled the door open.

"What is it?" he asked flatly. "I’m busy training for the Trials."

Diego bowed respectfully.

"Young Boss, the Don requests your presence immediately. Lady Natalia has arrived."

The mention of Natalia made Jordan grimace at once. Almost reflexively, he glanced back into the gym.

Aren remained exactly where he’d left her, standing patiently at the center of the mat with the blindfold still covering her eyes.

Without another word, Jordan stepped outside, steering Diego farther down the corridor before quietly closing the gym door behind him.

"What does Natalia have to do with me?" he demanded in a lowered voice. "Father can greet her himself."

Diego remained as composed as ever.

"I’m not in a position to answer on the Don’s behalf, Young Boss. However, he specifically requested your presence. Don Giovanni is also present."

Jordan’s expression instantly darkened another shade.

’Great.’

’Father and daughter.’

Even so, refusing an audience with the Don of House Porto would be the diplomatic equivalent of insulting generations of ties between the two Houses.

Dragging a hand roughly through his hair, he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine. I’ll come. Give me fifteen minutes."

He turned toward the gym door, only for Diego to speak again.

"There’s one more thing, Young Boss."

Jordan stopped.

"What?"

"The Boss requested that Lady Ariana accompany you as well."

Jordan froze.

Silence stretched between them as possibilities raced through his mind.

’...What game is Father playing now?’

No explanation seemed to fit.

At last, he exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Fine," he muttered. "She’ll come too."

─ •✧• ─ ✿ ─ •✧• ─

The sitting room was already crowded by the time Jordan and Aren arrived.

Eduardo Marchetti occupied the central armchair with the same stern authority he carried into every room. Before him, however, the gathering had settled into two unmistakably opposing camps.

On one side sat exactly who Jordan had expected to find.

Giovanni Porto lounged with the effortless confidence of a man who controlled every major port in the city. Beside him sat his only daughter and heiress, Natalia.

She looked composed as always in her elegant sapphire dress, offering Jordan a gentle smile that revealed absolutely nothing of her thoughts.

The other side, however, caught Jordan completely off guard.

Sofia sat with one leg crossed over the other, leisurely stirring a cup of tea.

The icy irritation she’d directed at Jordan for the past two weeks hadn’t diminished in the slightest. If anything, seeing him enter alongside Aren only seemed to sharpen it further.

’...Fantastic.’

Suppressing the urge to turn around and walk straight back out, Jordan stopped before the gathering and inclined his head politely.

"Father. Don Giovanni. I’ve come with Lady Ariana as requested. May I ask what this meeting concerns?"

Eduardo regarded his son in silence. Only the faint tightening of his jaw betrayed his displeasure at Jordan’s subtly questioning tone.

With distinguished guests present, however, his own voice remained measured.

"You may."

Folding his hands together, he continued,

"But first, perhaps you can explain why you failed to escort Lady Natalia to yesterday evening’s social gathering."

Jordan blinked once.

’...That’s why she’s here?’

’She came all this way... because of that?’

Carefully concealing every trace of annoyance, he answered evenly.

"I encountered an unexpected scheduling conflict that required my immediate attention. By the time I was free, the gathering had already begun."

Before Eduardo could respond, Sofia spoke.

"I find that rather difficult to believe."

She lifted her teacup with leisurely elegance.

"You somehow found time to accompany Lady Ariana today despite this not even being one of her scheduled workdays, yet you couldn’t spare an evening for Lady Natalia?"

Jordan’s expression hardened as he looked toward his eldest sister. Sofia and Natalia had been close friends for so long that he knew every single word out of her mouth would favor the Porto heiress.

"Those are two entirely different matters under entirely different circumstances."

Eduardo’s brow furrowed.

"And why, exactly, is Miss Lombardi here today?"

"I invited her," Jordan replied flatly. "She intends to participate in the Marchetti Trials this weekend. It’ll be her first time, and I considered it my responsibility to prepare her."

Silence settled over the room.

Absolute silence.

Sofia’s teacup stopped halfway to her lips.

"...Excuse me?"

Her gaze slowly turned toward Aren.

"She is... joining the Trials?"

Aren had been quietly observing Sofia throughout the meeting. Seeing the eldest Marchetti princess again after their last encounter inevitably stirred a deep sense of awkwardness — if not outright guilt — within her.

’I still haven’t finished apologizing to her.’

’I should have brought ice cream.’

"Yes, Lady Sofia," she said, offering a respectful bow. "I registered on Monday. I’m very much looking forward to the experience."

The polite answer somehow made the room even colder.

Eduardo closed his eyes briefly.

He had learned of her registration only that morning. In truth, confirming that single piece of information had been the secondary reason he had summoned her.

The primary reason...

His gaze drifted briefly toward Natalia before he spoke again.

"Miss Lombardi, you are certainly eligible to participate. However, you’re surely aware that the Marchetti Trials have never been intended for outsiders."

Aren smiled apologetically.

"Well... yes. I’ve heard that. But Jordan said that the competition exists to test both martial skill and weapon proficiency. I thought it sounded like an incredible opportunity to learn."

"Learn?" Sofia repeated with a thin smile. "The Marchetti Trials aren’t a classroom. They’re where Marchetti fighters prove themselves."

Her gaze settled deliberately on Aren.

"Don’t expect anyone to hold back simply because you’re the Lombardi heiress. I certainly won’t."

The implication settled heavily over the room.

Before anyone could speak, another voice entered with effortless grace.

"I think that’s perfectly fair."

Every eye turned toward Natalia.

She smiled warmly at Aren.

"If Lady Ariana wishes to experience the Trials for herself, I don’t believe anyone should discourage her. Competitions exist so people may challenge themselves. I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy the experience."

Aren paused for a moment.

The Natalia she remembered from Chiara Leone’s luncheon had been anything but this openly welcoming toward her.

Still, she returned the kindness with a respectful bow.

"Thank you very much, Lady Natalia. I’ll do my absolute best."

Sofia, unsurprisingly, refused to let the moment pass.

"Well, look who’s suddenly so polite and well-behaved," she scoffed, casting a glance toward Natalia. "You really shouldn’t be so generous. You’ll only encourage some spoiled heiress to think she’s entitled to do whatever she pleases."

Natalia’s smile never wavered.

"I’m merely honoring the spirit of the Marchetti Trials, Sofia."

Eduardo released a slow, restrained breath.

Now that Natalia herself had voiced support, objecting further would only create unnecessary friction — particularly with Giovanni Porto sitting comfortably across from him.

"Very well," Eduardo said at last. "If you’re determined to participate, then at least familiarize yourself thoroughly with the rules beforehand."

Aren smiled.

"Yes, of course! I’ll study them carefully and do my very best."

A hearty laugh suddenly echoed throughout the sitting room.

"Hahaha!"

Giovanni Porto leaned back comfortably in his chair, looking thoroughly entertained.

"I certainly didn’t expect today’s visit to become this interesting. It seems this year’s Marchetti Trials might be far more interesting than usual."

Only then did Jordan shift his attention toward the Don of House Porto.

"Don Giovanni," he said politely, "if I may ask... what brings you here personally today? Is this regarding the shipment we discussed last week?"

Giovanni waved the suggestion aside as though it weren’t worth another thought.

"Oh, no, no. Nothing so terribly boring. I’m here for something considerably more important."

His gaze drifted fondly toward Natalia, who lowered her eyes with quiet composure, before returning to Jordan.

"I’ve come to formally discuss the possibility of joining our two Houses through an engagement. Between yourself and my dear Natalia."