The Romano boardroom had never felt smaller. Alessia had spent the morning reviewing contracts, tracing Marco Vitale's influence across every deal, and uncovering every loophole he had tried to exploit.
Now, he was here.
The doors opened, and Marco Vitale stepped in. Tall, impeccably dressed, with eyes that seemed to measure everything in the room — including her. He exuded danger, the kind that made people instinctively step back. Most people. Alessia did not.
"Signorina Romano," Marco said smoothly, his voice carrying charm and menace in equal measure. "I didn't expect the heiress herself to attend to the details."
Alessia's eyes didn't waver. "I don't attend to details to be seen, Vitale. I attend to details because I don't intend to lose what's mine."
A flicker of amusement crossed Marco's face. "Bold. I like that. Most people in your position would have sent someone else to handle it."
"Most people in my position don't survive abroad and return stronger than before," she replied.
Silence settled for a heartbeat. Marco studied her as if trying to decide whether she was a threat or a curiosity. "Very well," he said finally. "Let's see how well you really know the game you're stepping into."
Alessia didn't flinch. "I don't step in. I claim what belongs to me."
The tension in the room was electric. Every assistant and accountant present felt it — two powerful minds clashing silently. Marco's smile was polite, but his eyes betrayed calculation. Alessia's calm voice masked a storm of strategy, every word deliberate.
Before he left, Marco paused at the door. "Be careful, signorina. The world you inherit is full of people who would love nothing more than to see you fail."
Alessia's lips curved into a faint, confident smile. "Then they'll be disappointed. I never fail."
As the doors closed behind him, Alessia's heart rate didn't quicken — she felt a thrill instead. Marco Vitale was dangerous, clever, and ruthless, but so was she. And for the first time in years, Alessia realized that the real game had only just begun.
Outside, unseen, a pair of sharp eyes watched the building from across the street. Silent, calculating, and still very much in the shadows — Lorenzo De Luca, observing, waiting, and quietly intrigued by the young woman who dared challenge his father.