A DANGEROUS GAME BEGINS
De Luca Estate – Morning Briefing Room
Gianni:
“She handled the Morreti meeting like a seasoned broker, Adriano. But she’s not on the list. No background. No trace.”
Adriano narrowed his eyes quietly. “I know.”
Gianni:
“You knew she was lying the moment she gave you her name, didn’t you?”
Adriano:
“‘Catalina Marchesi’ doesn’t exist. But lies that beautiful deserve time to ripen.”
Gianni:
“You’re keeping a snake in the garden.”
Adriano took another sip of his espresso. “Snakes only bite when you surprise them. I plan to keep her too occupied for that.”
Gianni:
“Until she poisons you.”
Adriano:
“Then I’ll enjoy every second of the slow burn.”
-Valentina’s Apartment at Midmorning
Lola is on the phone:
“So, you’re his personal hostess now?”
“More like an elegant decoy. I serve wine while they launder millions,” Valentina replied, applying lipstick in the mirror.
Lola:
“Girl, you’re not a distraction. You’re a bait.”
Valentina:
“Exactly the point! The closer I am to him, the more leverage I get.”
Lola:
“He’s testing you.”
Valentina smirked. “And I’m passing. Trust me. He looks at me like I’m a puzzle he wants to solve before he devours.”
Lola:
“You better remember who you are in that story. You’re the con artist, not the conquest.”
“I never forget,” Valentina said while adjusting her necklace. “But sometimes... I play the part too well.”
– That Afternoon at Adriano’s Study
Adriano:
“You’re late.”
Valentina:
“I prefer the term fashionably unscheduled.”
Adriano stepped closer. “I don’t like unpredictability.”
Valentina arched a brow. “Yet you invited me into your empire with no last name and a smile. That’s unpredictable.”
Adriano:
“You smile too often.”
Valentina:
“You scowl too much.”
Adriano:
“I scowl when I smell a trap.”
Valentina’s voice softened. “And yet you haven’t sprung it.”
Adriano tilted his head. “Maybe I enjoy watching what walks into it.”
Valentina:
“Maybe you enjoy being the one who’s caught.”
Adriano stepped in close. “Careful, Catalina. You're not the only one playing a game.”
Valentina smiled. “I know. But I plan to win.”
Adriano’s Lounge – That Night
A hush fell over the elite gathering. Powerful men in tailored suits, women in sleek gowns. Valentina circulated with champagne and charm.
First Client:
“New face. You De Luca’s latest acquisition?”
Valentina smiled warmly. “I’m no one’s possession. I just carry the wine and the secrets.”
Second Client laughed. “I like her already.”
Adriano watched her from a distance, glass untouched, expression unreadable.
Gianni leaned in to speak to him:
“They’re asking questions about her.”
Adriano:
“Let them. Curiosity makes men careless.”
Gianni:
“And her?”
Adriano:
“She plays the room like a violin. But even the best string breaks under pressure.”
Private Lounge – Post-Meeting
Adriano:
“You impressed them. Dangerous company. Smiles hide teeth.”
Valentina, though tired, remained poised. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t flinch around wolves.”
Adriano:
“You flinched when Morreti mentioned Havana.”
Valentina froze slightly. “It was the wine. I don’t like that vintage.”
Adriano stepped closer. “You're lying again.”
Valentina looked up. “You going to punish me for that?”
His voice turned soft and dangerous. “No. Not yet. I enjoy watching you dig your own grave.”
Valentina smirked faintly. “Then pour me another drink. I’d like the dirt to be velvet-lined.”
Valentina’s Flashback
– 5 years ago at Havana Rooftop
Valentina, age 18:
“Mamá said the rich are just thieves in cleaner clothes.”
Lola, beside her:
“She also said men would never love you unless you lied first.”
Valentina:
“She wasn’t wrong. Truth gets you abandoned. Lies get you everything.”
Lola:
“So, what happens when someone sees through the lie?”
Valentina’s eyes turned cold. “You lie harder.”
Back in Milan – Midnight Walk
Valentina walked alone after hours, shoes dangling from her fingers, moonlight painting the cobblestones silver.
Adriano’s voice came from behind:
“You shouldn’t walk these streets alone.”
“Maybe I wanted someone to follow me,” Valentina replied without turning.
Adriano:
“Maybe you wanted to be caught.”
Valentina turned to face him. “Or maybe I’m luring the hunter into the trap.”
Adriano stepped forward. “What do you want from me, Catalina?”
Her voice suddenly softened. “I want to understand why a man who owns the world looks so haunted.”
Adriano paused. “Because owning the world costs pieces of your soul.”
Valentina:
“Then maybe I’m here to steal what’s left.”
Adriano:
“Or give it back.”
Secret Basement – Adriano’s Private Archive
Adriano walked alone through a cold corridor beneath the estate. He opened a drawer. A file labeled “MARCHESI, C.” sat inside, untouched.
Gianni appeared behind him:
“Want me to run her?”
Adriano:
“No. Not yet.”
Gianni:
“Why the hesitation?”
Adriano stared at the file. “Because sometimes... it’s better to let the lie unravel itself.”
Gianni:
“And if it explodes instead?”
Adriano’s voice went flat. “Then I bury it. With or without her.”
In Valentina’s Apartment – Audio Journal
Valentina was recording:
“Day Four. He’s suspicious. But he wants me close. That’s all I need. He watches me like I’m a riddle. But every time he gets closer, I find myself pulling back. That wasn’t in the plan. Neither was the way he looks when he thinks I’m not watching. There’s sadness in him... like something died and never got buried.”
She swallowed hard, her voice softening.
“This isn’t just about money anymore. This is about power. Mine. His. The game. I have to win. I have to—or I disappear.”
She clicked off the recorder. Her reflection stared back from the dark window. For a moment, her expression wasn’t confident. It was lost.
Final Confrontation – Balcony Overlooking Milan
Later that night, Valentina returned to find Adriano waiting on her building’s balcony, leaned against the rail with a glass of scotch.
Valentina:
“Don’t you have a palace to brood in?”
Adriano:
“Don’t you have lies to tell?”
Valentina:
“Always. But I make time for unexpected rooftop visits.”
Adriano sipped. “Tell me the truth. Just once. Who are you?”
Valentina stepped close, her heart pounding. “I’m the woman you’ll regret trusting. But crave anyway.”
Adriano smiled darkly. “Then let the regret begin.”
He leaned in. She let him. The kiss was fire and manipulation and something dangerously close to real.
As they parted, Valentina whispered, “Just don’t ask who I am when it’s too late.”