Chapter Eight

"Mr. Savino?" One of the two men called out as I approached.

 

I immediately realised Henderson had sent them to pick me up from the airport, despite my instructions not to.

 

This kind of action might have been what led Sophia's kidnapper to connect her with Chris.

 

"I assume you gentlemen are here for me," I said, stopping in front of them.

 

I offered a handshake to the one who seemed to be the boss—a man with a wrinkled face and a scar on his forehead.

 

He glanced at my hand sceptically before scoffing and ignoring it.

 

"Follow us," he ordered curtly, muttering something inaudible afterward.

 

I felt slighted by the snub. Normally, I wouldn't have offered a handshake, especially in Italy, but I had hoped to be friendly in order not to arouse suspicion from any of them.

 

"What are you waiting for? Did your legs stop working?" The wrinkled man called out impatiently, raising his eyebrows after he had turned, seeing that I was still fixated on the same spot.

 

His subordinate smirked.

 

With a faint smile, I grabbed my suitcase and followed them.

 

As we reached the car, the subordinate moved to put my briefcase in the trunk.

 

"Leave it, idiot!" The boss barked at him while I headed for the door.

 

He then turned his gaze at me. "You don't need your luggage anymore, dude?"

 

 

I smirked, suppressing my anger at being spoken to so rudely—something I had not experienced in two years. But I could not react; I needed to maintain the appearance of being just a hired investigator, not someone close to Chris or Sophia.

 

After putting my suitcase in the trunk, I got in the car, and we left the airport.

 

As we drove, I gazed out the window.

 

The city looked unchanged since I left.

 

My previous job as a delivery person had given me intimate knowledge of the city's layout, including its lesser-known areas.

 

"First time here, huh?" The boss  asked me.

"Yes," I lied, still looking at the streets before turning to him.

 

"I'm sure Mr. Henderson would have told you who I am. I would like to know about you... I mean, your position in the..." I paused, searching for the right word.

 

I knew Chris had mostly left his mafia activities behind, and I didn't want to raise suspicions by using terms like "gang." Most people believed he had exited that world entirely. Hence, I needed to find a more neutral way to phrase my question, pretending not to know much about him and his gang.

 

"Organisation?" I said.

 

"What does this dude think he is?" He scoffed while the subordinate, now driving, chuckled.

 

He then turned his gaze at me sternly. "Who are you to be questioning me? From what I know, you are nothing but a private investigator hired to solve the kidnapping case. That is all."

 

I acknowledged his call for boundaries with a nod and a smirk, then turned away.

 

The rest of the drive continued in silence.

 

As we entered Chris' opulent mansion, the sight still felt the same as the last night I spent here before relocating to Italy. The waterfall, the beautiful flowers, the surreal ambience—everything. Of all the mansions I had seen since my last time here, only the presidential villa in Italy was more opulent than this one.

 

"Have your seat, investigator." The boss told me as we got to the living room while he ordered his subordinate to inform Henderson of my arrival.

 

 

 

 

The tension in the room was palpable as I waited for Henderson. The boss' eyes bored into me, his gaze sharp and unwavering, but I remained unfazed. I stood tall, my face a mask of calm indifference.

 

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps broke the silence.

 

Henderson appeared at the top of the stairs as he descended.

 

"Mr. Savino," he greeted me, extending his hand, and I grasped it firmly.

 

"How was your flight?" He asked me, his hand moving to my shoulder in a gesture of familiarity.

 

I furrowed my brow, silently warning him not to show such familiarity in the presence of the other person.

 

His eyes flickered with understanding, and he smoothly withdrew his hand.

 

"First, let me show you to your room," he said after I replied to him, his voice carrying a forced lightness.

"You can freshen up and relax while I make arrangements for your meal. You must be famished."

 

He turned towards the stairs while I followed him.

 

A nerve-racking thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

 

"What about my briefcase?"

"Don't concern yourself with that," Henderson replied, his tone dismissive.

"I will have someone bring it to your room later."

 

I halted mid-step. "Later? Why not now?"

 

Slowly, I pivoted towards the boss, my eyes locking onto his with laser-like intensity.

 

The air in the room seemed to crackle with tension as I held his gaze, challenging him silently. His brows shot up, a flicker of unease crossing his face as he realised I might be expecting him to play bellhop.

 

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth, satisfaction coursing through me as I watched his composure crack.

 

"Whatever," I said, my voice dripping with disdain.

"Whatever you say." I turned back to join Henderson on the stairs.

 

As I ascended, I could feel the boss glare burning into my back.

 

The knowledge that I had successfully gotten under his skin sent a thrill of dark pleasure through me.

 

 

"Who is that person?" I described the boss to Henderson immediately after we had entered my room, and he told me that the boss was one of the chapos.

"What happened between you two, sir? I could feel the tension between you two over there."

 

But I ignored the question and told him to arrange a meeting between me and all the gang members after I had eaten and visited Chris in the room where he was receiving treatment.

 

After I had finished eating in my room, I headed to the room where Chris was hospitalised with the help of a maid.

 

"I want to be alone with him, Henderson." I informed Henderson, who was the only one with me in the room, and also ordered him to tell the two guards stationed at the door to leave till I had left the room so that they would not eavesdrop on my utterances.

 

"Get everyone ready in the waiting room. Every gang member," I emphasised, determined to meet with everyone regardless of rank.

 

Glancing at Chris's nearly lifeless form, I softened my voice. "I know the agony of losing a loved one. I promise you, I will rescue her without a scratch. You saved my life when I had lost all hope, and now I swear I'll save your daughter, no matter the cost."

 

Taking a final look at the man who had faced unimaginable hardships in just three years, I steeled myself and left the room.

 

As I strode towards the meeting room, I slipped on my glasses, having already formulated a strategy to achieve my goal at the gathering.

 

In that room, there would be a group of men waiting for me, some of whom could be Sophia's kidnapper.

 

I knew my strategy could change everything.