I WANT IN

Luca arrived at the warehouse where his brother was being held by his men. He had not come there to see him since he discovered that he was actually the mole. But now, their father was dead, so he thought it necessary to let him know. As usual, he was escorted by his men to the room where Rafael was held and the door was unlocked and thrown open by one of the men who had escorted him. He entered, leading the way. Rafael, once the golden child of the Vincenzo family, now sat slumped on a metal bed, his designer clothes replaced with stained sweatpants and a threadbare t-shirt. Weeks of confinement had left him gaunt, his beard overgrown, his eyes hollow. He had been there for so long and had lost count of days. 'Get up," Luca yelled, his face was pale from disgust. I never wanted to see your face again." He paused. Rafael blinked against the sudden light, his chapped lips parting but no sound emerging. He looked like a man who'd forgotten how to speak. Luca turned away, unable to bear the sight, his words dropping like stones. "Purtroppo, nostro padre è deceduto."(Unfortunately, our father has died.) The effect was instantaneous. Rafael's knees buckled, his body collapsing to the concrete floor with a sickening thud. He let out a loud don and fell on his face. Luca watched, unmoved, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets. "Put yourself together, boy," he sneered. "You didn't even give the old man peace when he was alive." 'What… what did he die of" Rafael's voice was broken, but he still managed to ask between shuddering breaths. 'Natural cause, as the doctors said. But I know he probably had enough of your troubles and decided to take a rest." He turned to leave, but the. Turned back again and faced Rafael. 'Father had a secret wife and a secret daughter in Romania and she's come back and wants to be in the family business. Maybe she'll take your position after all.," He turned again and moved towards the door. 'Luca wait please, when… will father's funeral be?" Rafael asked already leaving Luca who didn't even stop or answer his question. ******* The cold night air bit at Luca's face as he stepped out of the warehouse, the heavy door slamming shut behind him with finality. The sound echoed through the empty parking lot, a grim punctuation to the conversation he'd just had. His black Rolls Royce sat waiting, its engine still running. Luca hadn't smoked in years, not since his mother had caught him as a teenager and adviced him against it, stating that he was too young to begin killing himself. But tonight, the urge was too strong to ignore. He pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket, lit it with a flick of his silver lighter, and took a slow, deep drag. The smoke burned his lungs, but the sharpness of it grounded him. Then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Luca exhaled a stream of smoke as he pulled it out, the screen illuminating his facial features in the dark garage. A single text notification from Matteo glowed on the lock screen: 'Sophia is here at the mansion. She is waiting for you." Luca's jaw tightened. He took another long pull from the cigarette, letting the ember flare bright before he crushed it between his fingers and flicked the remains into the nearby bushes. 'Good," he muttered to himself, voice low and rough. 'She should wait. I am the boss." He slid into the driver's seat, the leather creaking under his weight. The engine growled as he pulled away, tires crunching over gravel. Luca's Rolls Royce pulled up the gravel driveway of the Vincenzo mansion, its headlights cutting through the darkness. The grand estate stood there before him, every window blazing with light that was all too bright. Matteo met him at the door, his wrinkled face tight with concern. "She's in the study," he murmured. "Been waiting nearly two hours." Luca shrugged off his coat, letting a servant catch it. "Let her wait longer," he said, heading straight for the liquor cabinet first. The grand study smelled of leather and cigar smoke, just as always. Sophia stood by the windows. She turned slowly as Luca entered. For a moment, neither spoke. Luca took his time pouring two fingers of bourbon, the ice cracking loudly in the silence. "You look like him," Sophia said finally. Her voice was smooth, her accent faintly Eastern European. Luca didn't offer her a drink. "Sit." He said. She did, crossing her long legs with effortless grace. Everything about her was polished, from her tailored pantsuit to the way she held his gaze without blinking. "I assume Matteo told you-" "I know who you are," Luca cut her off. "What I don't know is why you're here." Sophia leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "I want in." "No… that's not going to happen." She smiled. 'You haven't even heard what I bring to the table." Luca took a slow sip of bourbon. "I have enough problems without adding a sister I never knew about." "Problems like the journalist who's been digging about our father?" she countered. "Like Isabella Morreti kidnapping your men? Like La Fratellanza moving in on your territory?" The glass froze halfway to Luca's lips. "Oh yes," Sophia purred. "I've been watching Philadelphia for some time." She reached into her jacket and slid a large brown envelope across the desk. "Including photos of Isabella meeting with the Marians at Burj Lana last night." Luca didn't touch the envelope. "What do you want?" He asked. "Same thing you want. To protect our father's legacy." She stood, buttoning her jacket. "Think about it. I'll be at the Four Seasons until Sunday." As she walked toward the door, Luca finally spoke: "You're wasting your time." Sophia stopped her hand on the doorknob. "Alright, We'll see about that." The door clicked shut behind her. Luca stared at the envelope for a full minute before tearing it open. The first photo showed Isabella sitting across from Connor and Cillain Marian with Bianca standing stiffly beside them. He poured another drink and sat down.