Veil of Vengeance

Chapter 5: Lines in the Sand

Isabella's POV

I spent the rest of the night replaying the conversation with Alessandro in my head. I'd known the man was dangerous, but I hadn't expected him to be so... unnerving. The way he had looked at me, the way he had spoken—it was as if he knew something I didn't. That smug smile of his made my blood boil.

The next morning, I was determined to shake off the unease that had settled in my gut. I had a job to do, and Alessandro Moretti wasn't going to scare me off. I was at my desk, flipping through the folder from the docks again, when Claire waltzed into my office, a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other.

"Morning, boss," she chirped, setting the coffee down in front of me. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Thanks, Claire. You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself."

Claire grinned, plopping down in the chair across from me. "So, what's the plan today? More digging into the Moretti mess?"

"Something like that," I replied, sipping the coffee gratefully. "I'm still trying to figure out who left this folder for me. Whoever it was, they've got access to some serious information."

"Any ideas?" Claire asked, leaning forward.

"None that I like," I said, shaking my head. "But I've got a feeling we're not dealing with just one enemy here. Moretti's got plenty of people on his payroll, and any one of them could be trying to double-cross him."

Claire nodded thoughtfully. "And what about Moretti? What's your next move with him?"

I hesitated, still unsure of my own answer. "I don't know yet. He's playing a game, and I need to figure out the rules before I make my next move."

"Careful, Isabella," Claire warned, her tone more serious. "You're walking a fine line with this guy. Don't let him get too close."

I smiled, appreciating her concern. "Don't worry, Claire. I'm not about to let him get the better of me."

Alessandro's POV

Meanwhile, across town, I was sitting in my office, staring out at the city below. The meeting with Isabella had gone exactly as I'd hoped, but there was something about her that I couldn't shake. She was tenacious, fearless even, and that was a rare quality in my line of work.

Marco walked in, breaking my thoughts. "Boss, we've got a situation," he said, his tone urgent.

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "What now?"

"It's about Rossi," Marco said, handing me a tablet with a news article pulled up. "She's been digging deeper into our operations. This morning, she filed for access to our financial records."

I glanced at the article, my eyes narrowing. "She's relentless," I muttered, more to myself than to Marco.

"What's the plan?" Marco asked, crossing his arms.

I leaned back in my chair, considering my options. "We let her think she's winning," I said finally. "She's too smart to be scared off, so we'll let her dig. But we'll control what she finds."

Marco frowned. "And what about the other problem?"

I knew exactly what he was referring to. The person who had given Rossi that folder was a loose end that needed tying up. "Take care of it," I said coldly. "We can't afford any more surprises."

Marco nodded, turning to leave. Before he reached the door, I stopped him. "And Marco... keep an eye on Rossi. I want to know everything she's doing."

He gave me a sharp nod and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. Isabella Rossi was proving to be more of a challenge than I'd anticipated. But I wasn't about to back down—not when the stakes were this high.