His Collateral

Chapter 21

Alessandro's POV:
It was 7:22AM in the morning and everyone was already here, except Bella, who was still asleep. Damien, a staff of mine had began setting up his equipments. He had given Christy a camera and a microphone, disguised as a black pen, that she could easily place in her blazer jacket.
Some of my men were also keeping an eye on Aldo. They were going to alert us the minute he arrived the coffee shop after which Christy would make her appearance and we could watch everything play out right in front of us.

Christy walked over to the kitchen to have some fruits Mary had cut up for breakfast while Damien adjusted a camcorder on my suit jacket, also disguised as a black pen.
"Before you meet Aldo, push this little button right here and it'll start recording. It'll capture everything you and Aldo discuss, audio and visual. Just be sure to keep your voice down, so you don't tip him off." Damien explained and I nodded. I made my way to the kitchen after he was done, my mind racing with thoughts. As I approached the counter, I saw Mary preparing breakfast.
"Good morning Mary."

She glanced up at me with and smiled. "Good morning sir Alessandro."

"I could use a cup of coffee before I head out."

"Of course." She said moving to make my coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I watch as Damien and Marco continued to set up the rest of the equipment. The black box contained an endless supply of gadgets and gears.
Mary handed me my coffee and I took a sip, the bitter taste helping to clear my head as my thoughts wandered else where, BELLA.
I noticed she hadn't come downstairs yet and decided to go check on her. I made my way upstairs and quietly opened the door to our room to find her making my bed. She glanced up at me, her features contorting with, fear?
"Why are you making my bed?" I asked

"I...I...I'm so sorry." She stuttered. "I didn't mean to fall asleep here. I didn't know how it happened. I was so tired yesterday..I.." she stopped mid sentence and stared at me. I couldn't help but find the situation a little funny as I could tell she was trying her best to explain herself. I raised an eyebrow at her, imagining what was going through her mind. She was probably waiting for me to get angry but instead I smiled.

"It's okay." I said. "I'm just happy you slept well."
The look on Bella's face was almost comical. She stared at me like I had grown two heads. She clearly didn't expect me to be understanding. But my amusement quickly turned to guilt as I remembered how I'd been treating her. It hurt to know she still expected such treatment from me.
"Freshen up and come downstairs, everyone's there." I said before leaving the room. I made my way back downstairs. As I entered the living room, I could see that the plan was already in motion. Marco and Damien were huddled around a computer screen, and they looked up at me as I approached.
"Alessandro, you're just in time," Damien said, motioning for me to join them. "We've got word that Aldo is approaching the cafe, and Christy has already left the house."
I felt a wave of adrenaline rush through my body as I looked at the screen. I watched as Aldo's car pulled up in front of the cafe and he stepped out. Then, I saw Christy get out of a car that was parked a few blocks away. She walked purposefully towards the cafe, her face set in a determined expression. The tension was palpable.
We watched as Aldo walked into the Café and we waited for Christy so we could monitor what was going on inside. Christy who had just walked past security and into the Café, knowingly bumped into Aldo causing her bottle water as well as the contents of her purse and some documents to sprawl all over the floor.

{3rd Person Narrative...}
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." Christy said, her voice tinged with panic as she tried to pick up her things

"Let me help you with that." He replied, kneeling to gather a few of her things.

"I'm really, really sorry." She said again and couldn't help but notice the way Aldo stared at her documents. As aspected she had gotten his attention.

He slowly shook his head and handed her her purse. "It's alright. It was an accident." He said.
"I'm Aldo." He added, introducing himself with outstretched hands

She took hold of them, returning the gesture. "I'm Christy." They both stood there, eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Finally Aldo broke the silence noticing her soaked blazer. Acting quickly, he flagged down a passing waitress and asked for a few napkins. When the waitress returned, he took them and handed them over to Christy who gently dabbed at the stain on her blazer.

"Please let's have a sit." He said, gesturing to a table close to the window. They both move over to the table and sit in silence while Christy cleaned up her blazer. And then Aldo decided to break the ice.
"I couldn't help but notice the papers in your bag." He said in a curios tone. "You're a...?"

With a sly grin, Christy decided to play along as their plan was playing out exactly the way they had expected it. "A Marketing Associate," she said, trying to sound casual. "The firm I work for is looking to expand its client base, so I'm doing just that."

Aldo nodded, falling into the trap of the interested customer. "That's quite interesting," he said. "Tell me more about your firm."

Alessandro's POV:
The moment Christy spilled her water, getting Aldo's attention, that was my cue to leave. I made sure everything was in order at home with Damien and Marco, then I got into my car and sped towards the Café. I had to get there before Christys meet with Aldo ended.

As I pulled up to the cafe, I could see Christy and Aldo through the window, sitting at a table and talking.
I knew that I had to create a distraction outside the cafe. As per my plan, I had brought a prop weapon with me. I had no intention of using it, but I knew that if the guard saw it, he would stop me from entering. And that was exactly what I wanted.
I stepped out of my car and reached into my pocket to pull out the fake weapon, making sure it was visible to anyone who saw me. I began to walk towards the cafe and I could feel the guard's eyes on me, and I knew that any second now, he would stop me. Sure enough, just as I was about to reach for the door, he called out to me.

"Stop right there!" he yelled. "You can't go in with that!" He added making me freeze in my tracks.

"Put down the weapon and step away from the door," the guard said, his voice stern and I knew that I had to play this next part carefully.
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