“And if she doesn’t come to that understanding? If she remains... resistant?” There’s a weight to his question, an implication I choose to ignore.
“She will,” I say with absolute certainty. “Lea has no alternative, no resources, no allies. She’s completely alone.”
“Except for her mother,” Alessandro points out. “If Professor Song discovers her daughter is missing?—”
“Professor Song is currently in Seoul, meeting with her North Korean handlers,” I interrupt. “By the time she returns, Lea will be fully under control.”
Alessandro studies me. “You seem very confident for a man whose asset just fled into the woods rather than remain in your presence.”
I feel a flash of irritation at his doubt but suppress it. “A temporary setback. Nothing more.”
“And that she killed for you? That she’s seen your vulnerabilities? That you’ve shown her more of yourself than you’ve shown anyone since?—”
“Enough!” The word comes out sharper than intended, revealing more than I care to. I take a slow breath, regaining my composure. “I know what I’m doing, Alessandro. I always have.”
He holds my gaze for a beat longer, then nods, though whether in agreement or simple acquiescence is unclear. “Very well. What do you need from me?”
“I need some of your men at the lake house. The usual security detail but doubled. No one enters or leaves without my explicit authorization.”
“Consider it done.” He reaches for the satellite phone on his desk. “I’ll have Lorenzo lead the team. He’s discreet, experienced with... sensitive situations.”
I nod my approval and finish my drink, setting the glass down with a decisive click. “I should go. Blake will have arrived with her by now.”
“Before you do,” Alessandro says, his tone shifting slightly, “there’s the matter of Moretti. Our sources say he’s planning something significant, possibly within the next forty-eight hours. With Marco gone...”
“Blake is handling the intelligence. I’ll review his reports tonight.”
“And the Korean pipeline? With Professor Song away?—”
“—is being monitored,” I cut in. “Everything is under control, Alessandro. Focus on your end. Keep the politicians in line and the authorities looking the other way.”
He inclines his head slightly, acknowledging the dismissal for what it is. As I rise to leave, he speaks again, his voice carrying that tone of warning I’ve known since childhood.
“Be careful with this one, Nico. There’s something about her that affects you differently. I’ve seen it.” He pauses, his eyes never leaving mine. “Don’t let her become your weakness.”
I don’t dignify the warning with a response. Alessandro, for all his acumen, doesn’t understand what drives me where Lea is concerned. It’s not weakness. It’s the opposite. A recognition of power; of something that must be possessed entirely or destroyed.
The driveto the lake house takes forty minutes, following the private shoreline road that connects Alessandro’s various properties. The house itself rises from the landscape—all glass, steel, and concrete, cantilevered over the water’s edge, isolated by design.
Blake’s SUV is parked in the circular drive. He is waiting for me at the entrance, a tablet in hand.
“Security protocols are active, sir,” he says as I approach. “She’s in the guest suite. The doctor is with her now—injuries are minor, but he recommends rest.”
I take the tablet from him, noting the multiple camera feeds showing every angle of the house. One feed shows Lea sitting on the edge of the bed in a robe while one of Alessandro’s discreet doctors tends to her feet. Her posture is rigid, her gaze fixed on the middle distance, her face a mask of despair.
“The rest of the team?” I ask, handing the tablet back.
“In position. Lorenzo and his men arrived twenty minutes ago and have completed their sweep.” Blake pauses. “Alessandro called. He’s increased the security protocols to Level Three.”
“Good. I want eyes on her always. Any communication she attempts is to be routed directly to me. No exceptions.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Have Maria stock the kitchen and prepare meals. The asset is to eat regularly, whether she wants to or not.” I pause, the practicalities settling in. She has nothing but the ruined shirt she fled in. "And Blake," I add, my tone leaving no room for questions, "go to her apartment. Pack a suitcase. Clothes,personal items—everything she needs." I let the finality of the next words sink in. "She's going to be here for a while.
Blake makes a note, his efficiency a pale echo of Marco's, but competent nonetheless. I dismiss him with a nod and enter the house. The minimalist space, with its clean lines and strategic sightlines, is one of my favorite properties. It’s a place designed for control, for clarity. And now, for reconditioning.
Alessandro’s men, posted in the hall, straighten as I pass, their presence a part of the architecture now. I reach the guest bedroom and pause, watching through the open door as the doctor finishes bandaging Lea’s feet.
