Chapter 142: My Father Will Fight Back

For the next three hours, they worked.

Dimitri pulled up files Marco had compiled, organizational charts, financial records, intelligence reports on Antonio’s operations in Rome.

They identified key players. Made lists. Analyzed weaknesses.

Antonio’s Inner Circle:

* Luca Santoro: Head of operations, loyal to Antonio for twenty years, unlikely to turn

* Giovanni Ricci: Weapons supplier, mercenary, follows money not loyalty....POSSIBLE

* Marcello Bellini: Territory manager, family man, might turn if offered protection....POSSIBLE

* Silvio Dante: Enforcer, brutal, completely loyal....UNLIKELY

* Paolo Russo: Lorenzo’s cousin, connected to both families.....COMPLICATED

"The Russos are a problem," Mike said, studying Paolo’s file. "If you move against Antonio, Lorenzo’s going to have to choose sides. His daughter was engaged to you. His alliance with Antonio goes back decades."

"I know." Dimitri leaned back in his chair. "But Isabella’s no longer engaged to me. And after what Antonio did to her, poisoning her for eight years with that experimental compound.....Lorenzo might be more open to turning than we think."

"You’d have to prove it. Show him the evidence."

"I will. When the time is right." Dimitri made a note. "But first, we focus on Antonio’s people. The ones who might turn if we offer them something better."

They kept working, building strategy.

Mike suggested reaching out to Giovanni first, the weapons supplier who cared more about profit than loyalty.

"Offer him better terms," Mike said. "Exclusive contracts. Higher margins. Protection from your father’s retaliation. If we can flip him, we get access to Antonio’s supply chain. That’s leverage."

"Good." Dimitri wrote it down. "What about Marcello Bellini?"

"Family man. Three kids. Wife with medical issues." Mike pulled up more detailed intel. "He’s loyal to your father because Antonio pays for his wife’s treatment. Expensive experimental therapy that’s keeping her alive."

"So we offer to take over her care. Guarantee the treatment continues no matter what happens." Dimitri’s mind was already working through logistics. "And we make it clear that if he stays with my father, I’ll cut off his access to medical resources when I take over."

"Carrot and stick."

"Exactly."

They identified six key people who might be persuadable. Another four who were definitely loyal. Three who were wildcards, could go either way depending on how things played out.

"This is going to take months to execute," Mike said, looking at their notes. "Reaching out to these people, building relationships, making offers. And it all has to be done quietly, if your father catches wind that you’re recruiting his people, he’ll move against you before you’re ready."

"I know." Dimitri stood, moved to the window again. "Which is why I need to be careful and strategic. I can’t afford mistakes."

"What about here? In New York?" Mike joined him at the window. "You’re going to be spending a lot of time in Italy building these relationships. What happens to your operations here while you’re gone?"

"You run them."

Mike’s head turned sharply. "What?"

"I trust you more than anyone except Marco. You know the business. You know the players. You’ve been my partner for years." Dimitri met his eyes. "I need someone I trust absolutely running things here while I’m positioning pieces in Italy. That’s you."

"That’s...." Mike stopped. "That’s a lot of responsibility."

"I know. But you can handle it." Dimitri’s voice was certain. "And it gives me freedom to focus on Italy without worrying that things are falling apart here."

Mike was quiet, processing.

"What about Eve?" he asked finally.

"What about her?"

"She’s going to want to help. To be involved." Mike’s expression was serious. "And knowing my sister, she’s not going to accept being left behind while you’re in Italy for weeks at a time."

"She’ll have to." Dimitri’s voice was hard. "This is dangerous, Mike. My father is going to fight back. Going to make moves against me. Eve stays here where she’s safe."

"Have you met your girlfriend?" Mike’s tone was dry. "Because the woman I know....my sister, is not going to accept being protected while you’re at war. She’s going to demand to be part of it."

Dimitri’s jaw clenched because Mike was right.

Eve had made it very clear she wanted to be a partner. Wanted to know everything. Wanted to be involved in decisions that affected their future.

This definitely affected their future.

"I’ll talk to her," Dimitri said. "Figure out how she can contribute without being in the line of fire."

"Good luck with that." Mike’s smile was slight. "She’s stubborn. Gets it from our mother."

They worked for another hour, refining strategy.

Dimitri would start reaching out to contacts in Italy next week. Quiet meetings. Exploratory conversations. Feeling out who might be open to switching sides.

Mike would start taking on more of the New York operations. Learning the details. Positioning himself to run things when Dimitri needed to be abroad.

And together, they’d build the foundation for war.

"One more thing," Mike said as they wrapped up. "What happens after? Say you succeed. Say you overthrow Antonio, take his position, use his connections to infiltrate The Covenant and destroy them. What then?"

Dimitri was quiet.

"Then I rebuild," he said finally. "I take everything my father built on human suffering and death, and I dismantle it. Shut down Prometheus. End the human experiments. Stop the weapons development. Make the Valentino empire something different. Something better."

"That’s a tall order."

"I know. But it’s necessary." Dimitri turned from the window. "My father built an empire on evil. I’m going to build one on something else. Power, yes. Violence when necessary, yes. But not systematic torture. Not biological weapons. Not profiting from human experimentation."

"Eve would like that vision," Mike said quietly.

"She’s the reason I have it." Dimitri’s voice softened. "Before her, I would have just focused on revenge. On destroying The Covenant and Antonio and anyone else who’d wronged me. But she makes me think about what comes after. About building something worth protecting instead of just tearing things down."

Mike smiled. "She’s good for you."

"She’s everything." Dimitri glanced at the clock....nearly 9 AM. "I should go. She’ll be waking up soon."

"Tell her everything," Mike said. "Don’t try to protect her from this. She’s stronger than you think."

"I know." Dimitri grabbed his jacket. "Thank you. For coming."

"Always." Mike clasped his shoulder. "We’re family. You, me, Eve. That means we face this together. All of it."