Beneath the Surface

A Gathering of Shadows

The quiet hum of the city below seemed distant inside Leonardo Moretti's penthouse. Perched high above the world, the glass walls gave an illusion of serenity, a contrast to the growing storm inside.
His mind was consumed by the image of Xavier lying in hospital bed, bandaged and bruised, a shadow of his usual self. The man who always stood by him, his closest friend who barely survived the attack. The news of Xavier’s attack felt like a blade to his chest, sharper than any threat he had ever faced. Fury pulsed in his veins, a firestorm begging to be unleashed. He could picture it: setting the streets on fire, turning every rival's world into ashes until he found the one responsible for this. But he forced that thought down, taking a deep breath. Acting out of rage would only feed the chaos and jeopardize everything he had built. "They’ll pay," Leonardo vowed silently, his jaw tightening. But it would be on his terms—methodical, precise, and unforgiving.

"They are here!" Dominic announced breaking his chain of thoughts.

"I will meet them in the conference room directly" he replied walking away.

The weight of tradition, power, and betrayal hung heavy in the conference room. Leonardo sat at the far end of a long, polished table, his posture composed but commanding. Across from him, Vittorio Valeria—the patriarch of the Valeria family—occupied the head seat, his sons, Lorenzo and Dante, at his flanks. Both bore the calm intensity of men bred for the life of mafia lords, though their methods couldn’t be more different.

Lorenzo, with his calculating mind and quiet authority, was the picture of restraint. Dante, by contrast, seemed like a coiled spring, eyes flicking around the room, as though searching for the first sign of a fight. Beside Leonardo stood Dominic Russo, consigliere, ever watchful, his loyalty unshaken. Matteo Moretti, the legal mind behind the Moretti empire, sat quietly near his brothers, exuding the kind of dangerous calm that could only belong to a man accustomed to outmaneuvering enemies with paperwork, rather than bullets. Enzo, charming and sharp, leaned back in his chair, hands clasped casually in his lap as though the stakes weren’t as high as they truly were.

Salvatore Moretti, the legend himself, sat beside Giovanni, who had handed over power to Leonardo but remained a figure of immense respect. Giovanni, though retired, was anything but irrelevant; the room was acutely aware of his presence, as if power itself moved subtly in the air when he shifted. These were not just men; they were kings and generals in an empire of shadows.

A silence settled after pleasantries had been exchanged—formalities masking the impending storm. Finally, it was Dante who broke the quiet, unable to contain his frustration. “Ricci has gone too far this time,” he spat, his voice low but sharp. “This wasn’t just a hit on Xavier. They’re aiming straight for us—at our reputation, our power. They’re trying to destroy us from the inside out.”

Lorenzo placed a hand on his younger brother’s arm, a silent gesture to temper his rage. “We’ve known for months they were making moves,” Lorenzo said, his voice as measured as ever. “But this? This was calculated. They want to frame us for an attack on one of Leonardo’s men. They’re testing the loyalty of the syndicate, stirring the pot to see who turns.”

Matteo, ever the strategist, nodded slowly, folding his hands on the table. “If the families think the Valerias are compromised, if there’s even a hint of betrayal… it’s enough to create fractures. They want to sow doubt. And once doubt takes root, it spreads.”

Vittorio’s eyes darkened, the edges of his patience fraying. “We’ve dealt with enemies before, but the Ricci family? They’re bold to try something so brazen, so public. Framing us for attacking one of our own—it's a declaration of war.”

Dominic, who had remained silent until now, glanced at Leonardo before speaking. “The word on the street is that the Riccis have been reaching out to smaller factions, whispering promises of better deals, cheaper arms. They want to undermine the syndicate’s trust in the Valerias, turn the other families against them.”