CHAPTER 196
ROMEO POV
Marco's smile widened, slow and deliberate, like he was enjoying the question far more than he should.
"Why would I?" he said lightly. "This is neutral ground, Don Salvatore."
He spread his hands slightly, palms up, the picture of reason. "Bringing men into a room like this would suggest distrust. And distrust," he added, tilting his head, "is rarely good for negotiations."
I held his gaze, unmoved.
Neutral ground.
A convenient phrase. One people liked to hide behind when they wanted to feel brave—or when they wanted the other man to blink first.
Antonio shifted beside me, just enough to signal awareness, not threat.
Marco leaned back in his chair, clearly mistaking my silence for consideration. "Besides," he continued, voice smooth, "you came with your consigliere. I came alone. That seems… balanced."
Balanced.
I almost smiled. "You assume neutrality protects you," I said calmly. "It doesn't."
