"What about the police?" I asked, pouring more liquor into my glass.

In front of me, Cecilia Abramo, my old friend and the closest thing I had to a right hand, smiled. Her posture relaxed as she sat on the couch while the glass in her hand was already empty.

"Everything is taken care of." She hid the white lock of hair that contrasted with the rest of her black hair behind her ear. "I thought you had more faith in me."

"If I didn't have faith in you I wouldn't have asked you to take charge," I answered, setting the glass down on the small round table between us before settling into the chair. "You know damn well I don't trust many people, me already telling you my plan is proof of what I think of you."

"It's not like you have a choice, either, your father practically shoved me towards you and forced you to talk to me." Cecilia laughed.

"He was obsessed with me finding a friend. At least his crazy antics helped me with something. So is everything settled with the police chief?"

"He's not going to get in the way," Cecilia confirmed. "I also asked him to keep an eye on your uncle, I don't think he plays fair and the more eyes we have on him the better."

Not even a miracle could make Santino follow the rules, that was the main reason why my father preferred to put Luca as his heir instead of my uncle.

To my father, Santino was the shame of the family, giving him Luca's place would break his heart and I wasn't going to let him suffer one more time.

"He's lying about the time he spent in the city," I said before explaining to Cecilia what Roxie told me.

It didn't take me too long to find evidence to confirm her words.

It was actually Victor who sent one of his people to investigate. Sometimes he forgot that his job was just to be my bodyguard, but I had to admit that at that time he was useful.

At least he had already learned to keep a proper distance and I didn't have to listen to his complaints when I ordered him to stay out of my room.

Why did he insist so much on sticking to me all the time? It was probably to annoy me.

"Do you want me to follow him?" Cecilia asked, her green eyes shining with excitement.

"No, I'm going to need you to oversee the distribution of the flare." There was no one I could trust as much as Cecilia. "There's still one small detail to get started, I'll let you know when it's done."

"Tell me that you're at least going to send someone else after your uncle. Maybe your new bodyguard can help you with that. I heard Victor has the best members of the syndicate working for him."

"I don't need him," I replied without thinking.

All the talk about Victor every time someone approached me was getting on my nerves. Ever since he became my bodyguard, anyone I crossed paths with had something to say about him. It felt like I was working for a celebrity.

"You never change, don't you?" Cecilia stood up from her seat laughing. "Ells, no one is going to think you're any less capable for asking for some help. Let me know if you need anything."

"I'll call you as soon as I'm done with Olivier."

I couldn't help but smile as she turned around to walk towards the door. Even though I sometimes hid it, it made me happy to know that Cecilia always understood me.

"Don't overwork yourself," she told me before leaving the room.

She was asking too much of me, with everything I had to take care of it was impossible to take it easy.

At least I had some time before Olivier arrived to clear my mind. Being alone was a rare occurrence those days, especially with Victor following me around everywhere.

I was pretty sure he thought being my bodyguard meant being glued to me. Yes, the chances of someone killing me were less with him at my side, but I was afraid I was going to end up suffocating from the little space Victor left me.

"What was all that about the police chief?" Victor stepped out of the shadows near the balcony.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I yelled at him, hiding the twinge of fear his surprise gave me. "I told you to stay outside."

One day I'm going to have a heart attack.

"I can see better if you're safe from here," he said, shrugging. "How do I know she wasn't going to kill you?"

"She's my best friend," I defended Cecilia. "How did you even get here?"

"Best friends are not a thing here." Victor walked over to the table, grabbed my glass, and poured himself some whiskey. "Isn't it obvious? I climbed up the balcony. You should lock it just in case."

"As if anyone else would ever think of climbing over my balcony," I muttered, glancing at my watch. Suddenly I wanted it to be time for Olivier to arrive.

"So, are you going to tell me what you were talking about?" Victor took a sip of his drink and with his free hand unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt.

He wasn't wearing his black suit jacket like usual. I was so mad at him earlier that I hadn't noticed he only had his white shirt on.

"And why should I tell you?" I asked, looking away from his chest.

A long silence fell over the room as Victor closed the distance between us. He hooked his fingers under my chin and lifted my face.

"I'm the best ally you could have right now," Victor said, propping his foot up on the couch next to my legs. "You may have your old friends but that's not enough to beat your uncle. He spent all this time making new allies while you ran away to Europe to study medicine."

"I didn't run away." Anger began to rise inside me. He knew nothing of my life and had no right to accuse me of being a coward. "If you were as close to my father as you like to suggest you would know that he was desperate to find a head doctor for the syndicate."

"And you really thought you could be that person?" Victor added pressure to his grip, almost digging his nails into my skin. He took another sip of the whiskey while still looking into my eyes. "No offense, princess, but I don't think you're cut out to be a doctor. You fit better here, in the position that has belong to you since birth. At least now you're not trying to hide."

"Enough!" I tried to free myself from Victor's grip but only succeeded in bringing his face closer to mine. I finally relaxed, if what he wanted was to get on my nerves I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. "You know what? Say whatever you want about me, I don't care."

"You're not a good li—."

Victor didn't finish his words when the sound of the door handle interrupted us. He let go of me immediately, leaving me confused and trying to calm my labored breathing.

"Ellie, are you here?" Olivier entered the room relaxed as if it belonged to him.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Victor complained beside me in a murmur.

If I could have, I would have started another fight with him right then and there. Why was it so hard for him to just keep quiet and not complain?

Ignore him for now, Olivier is here. I took a long breath to calm myself before standing up to greet my friend.

Even though we had been texting since I arrived trying to plan a meeting, it was the first time I had seen Olivier in years.

Victor took a backseat in my mind as Olivier smiled at me and opened his arms invitingly. Holding back my excitement so I wouldn't run to him, I closed the distance and gave him the hug he was expecting.

Olivier hadn't changed at all. Apparently he still refused to wear the syndicate's signature suit and his curly blonde hair still reached his shoulders. My father never missed an opportunity to demand he cut it to look more professional.

"I see you're still as small as ever," he said, before kissing the top of my head.

"I'm not that short, you're a giant." I broke the hug and gave him a soft punch on the shoulder. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"Directly to business, are you a responsible person now?" Olivier laughed but still followed me to the armchairs.

"I can't keep playing around forever, maybe you should learn from me and become an adult," I joked before taking a seat and pointing Olivier to the armchair in front of me. "So everything is settled?"

Olivier sat down, spreading his legs. "You're not even going to bring me something to eat?"

The pleasant atmosphere came to an end the instant Victor stood next to me, and resting his hand on my shoulder, he glared at Olivier as if he wanted to kill him.

"The boss asked you something," he told Olivier. "Stop playing around unless you want me to force the information out of you."

Olivier flinched and hid his hands under the sleeves of his jacket to hide his trembling.

"That won't be necessary Victor," I looked up at him and gave him a fake smile. "Olivier can talk without your help."

"Right. Mila agreed to meet with you," Olivier spoke once and for all. "She made it clear that it doesn't mean she'll work for you, but she's willing to listen to your proposal."

"Wonderful, that's all I need." I wanted to talk to her in person anyway, the creator of the Flare deserved my respect. "Did she give you a date?"

Olivier shook his head. "No, she prefers you to decide. She also asked me not to have anyone else besides you, not even your bodyguard."

"Victor can stay outside," I stated, although from what I had just seen of Victor I wasn't sure he was capable.

"She means she doesn't even want him inside the building," Olivier clarified.

"That's not going to happen," Victor interrupted us. "You can tell her that Fiorella isn't going anywhere without me."

Olivier stood up and stood behind the chair as if it were a shield. "I'm afraid Mila won't accept another option, she's afraid you'll want to attack her."

"I don't fucking care what she feels, protecting Fiorella is my priority." Victor stood in front of me, covering my body. "She's not going without me."

Mila was a fundamental part of my plan, without her, everything could go to hell. I was willing to accept his proposal but for that, I had to convince Victor which was a practically impossible task.

"I'll think about it. Can you give me a couple of days?" I asked Olivier, sticking my body out from behind Victor who refused to move.

"Of course, but not much more than that, you're not the only one who wants Mila on their side," Olivier replied, taking a step back. "Maybe we can work out a solution over dinner? It would be nice to catch up?"

"She can't tonight," Victor spoke before I could. "Mr. Barone wants to have dinner with his daughter."

"In that case, it will be another night." The terror in Olivier's eyes as he approached the door was evident. "We'll keep in touch, Ella, if you need anything, let me know."

And as quickly as he had arrived, Olivier was gone. Yet another person thrown out by Victor. God, I didn't even have dinner with my father.

Victor's attitude couldn't continue like this, I needed to talk to him as soon as possible.