26. Chapter 26

26

Ilaria: Morning, I'm up. And no need to come by with coffee this morning. Making it myself.

Soren: I could really use a coffee from Molly's right about now. And her classic breakfast.

Soren: Look how much I'm sacrificing to be in Chicago.

Ilaria: Boohoo. You made your bed.

Ilaria: [a picture of herself, grinning, with a huge mug of coffee and a homemade omelet]

Soren: If you're offering, I'll accept.

Ilaria: Nope. Mine.

Soren: You're in a generous mood this morning.

***

Ilaria was already in the conference room, at the head of the table where her father used to sit, when the rest of her family arrived for the nine A.M. meeting. She had set her alarm thirty minutes earlier that morning to give herself extra time to get ready.

Though it was just her family, she didn't want to leave her first impression as the new head of the Carosi family up to chance. Hence the reason for choosing the tailored double-breasted navy suit. It conveyed strength and competence, even if she didn't necessarily feel it. She added fire-engine red pumps because they just made her feel good. And she needed to feel good today.

Silas, of course, already present, sat to Ilaria's right. Nina, who handled the books and financial reports, had taken a seat next to Silas. Gia and Peter, Gia's younger brother, arrived first, with Gia rushing up to Ilaria to give her a tight squeeze. Gia looked polished as always in a cream-colored sheath dress, black pumps, and a black tote. They had not seen each other since the night of her parents' tragedy.

Gia searched her face. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good." Ilaria squeezed her hand. "Really good, actually. Let's have dinner soon."

"I'd love that." Gia took a seat to Ilaria's left.

Peter then took his turn to give Ilaria a hug.

"It's good to see you, Peter," she told her cousin.

"You too," he responded as he set down his laptop bag and took the seat next to Gia. "I'm glad to see you look well." All things considered were the words understood.

Silas nodded to both of them.

Elspeth, Ilaria's second cousin, walked in. The daughter of her father's cousin and ten years older than Ilaria, they weren't close. But at holiday gatherings, they would chat it up like old friends. Ilaria found Elspeth to be smart, capable, and best of all, no bullshit. She hoped she had another ally in Elspeth.

"Ilaria, darling!" Elspeth came around the table to greet her. "I'm devastated about your parents." She lowered her voice. "But I'm so happy to see you take the reins."

"Thank you," Ilaria replied. "You look wonderful, by the way." Elspeth had on her usual outfit of a no-nonsense white blouse and black slacks. Even at family gatherings, she wore the same outfit.

Elspeth grinned. "Wonderfully the same, you mean." She sat down next to Nina, laying a hand on her arm in greeting.

Ilaria looked at the time on her phone and narrowed her eyes. It was one minute to nine A.M. Vincent still hadn't arrived. When her father ran these meetings, Vincent was usually ten minutes early.

If that's the way he wants to play it.

Ilaria rose from her seat and closed the door to the conference room. She cleared her throat, still standing. "Okay, let's get started."

"Should we wait for Vincent?" Elspeth asked.

"No need."

Her father never waited. Ilaria could see the slightly uncomfortable expressions but she ignored them. Only Silas seemed unbothered.

"Thanks to all of you for meeting on such short notice," she started. "I—"

The door to the conference room opened.

"I'm really sorry I'm late," Vincent exclaimed, his normally slight limp more pronounced as he rushed in. He tossed his bag onto the table. "The traffic today." He shook his head and sat down heavily, pushing back the chair to accommodate his bulging stomach. "My God."

Ilaria watched him coolly.

"You know, these drivers—" he continued.

She cleared her throat loudly. A tiny smirk appeared on his face.

"The next time anyone's late, the door will be locked."

The smirk dropped from his face.

Gia looked as if she wanted to laugh. Ilaria and her cousin had similar sentiments when it came to their uncle. A sniveling brownnoser, Gia had once called him.

Ilaria continued. "As I was saying, I wanted to gather all of you here today. All of you who are key members of the family, key to the perpetuation and success of our business. Effective immediately, I am taking on the role of the head of the Carosi family organization." She looked at each of them around the table. Gia gave her a nod of encouragement. "I realize this has been a sudden transition. I'm sure all of you would agree that I would not have chosen my ascension to happen this way." Now they were all nodding. "But this is how it has happened, and in order to continue this family's legacy, I have to accept it and keep moving forward. And I'm asking for each of your support and cooperation so that we move forward together and grow our family's legacy even further."

She paused and scanned the faces at the table. "Now, to address the elephant in the room, I'm sure there have been some doubts about my readiness to take over as the head of the family." Vincent, to his credit, didn't scoff out loud. "Aside from the fact that I'm new and inexperienced, there is a perception that I'm not capable because I'm a woman."

"Bullshit," Gia coughed into her hand.

Ilaria echoed that sentiment in her head. "I can't change the fact that I'm a woman," she continued aloud, "and I'm not interested in changing anyone's views about what a woman can and can't do. The fact that I'm inexperienced, however, is something I can control. And this is where I'm asking for your support for me to become as familiar with every facet of the business as quickly as possible. Because you know your portfolio of businesses better than I do, and so I'm leaning on you for your expertise."

She stood behind her chair, holding onto the back, and leaned forward. "But please don't misunderstand me: I am not, nor do I intend to be, a hands-off kind of boss. I will know all the family's businesses inside and out. And I do expect clear and quick communication between us." She paused. "I know you're used to working a certain way with my father, and I can't guarantee that same working relationship. But I'll do my best to be responsive and open to your feedback, if you'll extend me the same courtesy."

Ilaria walked over to the whiteboard and uncapped a marker. "To that end, I have an assignment for each of you. This is due one week from today." She wrote the deadline on the white board. "I need a detailed report on every one of the businesses in your portfolio. Each report must address these elements." She wrote a list on the board: financials for the last five years and current year, revenue projections five years out, summaries on the state of the business, the staff, and marketing strategies, and strategies to grow revenue in the future.

As Ilaria wrote, Vincent muttered his displeasure at the other end of the table.

"Vincent, do you want to say something?" Ilaria turned to look at him.

"Wh-what is all this?" he sputtered, face turning red. "This is completely unnecessary. We already have this information. Nina has the financials, and if you want status updates, just ask me and I'll tell you. There's no need to waste time on generating reports."

Ilaria studied him for a long moment. "Does anyone else feel this way?" she asked the rest of the table calmly. Gia was frowning at Vincent. Peter's face was impassive, and he didn't seem in any hurry to speak up. Elspeth eyed Vincent, amused.

Ilaria swiveled to stare at Vincent again. "Guess it's just you. But I'll explain why I'm asking for this so it's clear to you. Your reports will not only help me understand each investment but also show me how much you understand each investment." She looked around the table again. "Let's be clear. Everyone here is being evaluated for their role in the family's organization. If there are businesses languishing under you, I won't hesitate to shuffle them to someone else who can do a better job."

Her eyes bore into Vincent's. "If this effort is a waste of time, which implies that you don't have enough time to think about your business, then I'm happy to take some, or all, of them off your plate and give them to someone who can handle them."

Gia smirked. Elspeth continued to look amused. Peter looked a little worried but stayed quiet.

Vincent clenched his teeth. "It's fine."

"Any other questions?" Ilaria asked. "Now's the time to ask." The other three shook their heads. "Then see you all here next week," she said.

Vincent grabbed his bag and stalked out of the room in a huff.

Silas met Ilaria's eyes with an approving nod and went back into his own office, while Nina made her way to the kitchenette.

Elspeth packed her bag and came around to Ilaria. She squeezed her hand. "I appreciate your stance," she told Ilaria in a low voice. "You have my support. Let's make the rounds next week and you can meet all my GMs."

Ilaria nodded, feeling relief. "Thanks, Elspeth."

Peter, still looking worried, said, "I might need to bounce some ideas with you on how to increase revenue on a few of my holdings."

"Of course," Ilaria responded. "Let's sit down next week after you submit the reports."

He nodded and left.

When it was just the two of them left in the conference room, Gia closed the door and then let out a laugh. "That was badass. Did you see Vincent's face?"

Ilaria peeked through the glass windows into the rest of the office to make sure Silas and Nina weren't listening. She chuckled. "I had a feeling I'd have to put him in his place today."

"I think you did," Gia replied. "Though I hope he doesn't continue to make trouble for you." Her brows furrowed.

"Don't worry about me," Ilaria said. "He'll get everything he deserves."

***

Ilaria parked her car one house down from her uncle's and walked up to the front door, trying to appear as if she had a reason for being there, in case any nosy neighbors were watching. She saw Soren's car parked several houses down.

Soren slipped quietly out of his car, wearing all black. He looked like a predator, his movements smooth, graceful, and lethal.

Ilaria was suddenly glad he had insisted on coming. He had likely done this many times before, while she had insisted on bumbling through this break-in solely out of pride, not because she thought she would do a better job of it.

He stepped onto the front porch after her and slid behind a column, out of sight.

Nervous because he was watching, she pulled the key out of her pocket too quickly and nearly fumbled it. Her heart jumped, but she caught it, gripping it tightly.

Soren's hand reached out to cover hers, warm and strangely reassuring. He gazed at her, steady, for a few beats. Then he removed his hand and angled his head at the lock. Try again.

Ilaria aimed the key at the lock, this time with no issues, and unlocked the door. The alarm beeped.

Please let the code be the same. She moved to step inside.

"Wait." Soren pulled out a handgun and moved in front of her, stepping over the threshold. He scanned the immediate rooms. "Clear."

She went in after him, punched in the code, and the alarm turned off. She let out a whoosh of breath and thanked her father for writing the code on a sticky note and for keeping a spare key to Vincent's house.

Soren slipped in after her, shoes silent on the wood floor, and closed the door softly, "Rowan says Vincent's been at the casino for twenty minutes already," he said quietly, standing near enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. "We have fifteen minutes, twenty at most. I want us long gone by the time he gets back."

Ilaria nodded. "Then let's go to his office first." She slipped off her heels and led the way.

To her chagrin, even her bare feet made more noise on the floor than Soren's sneakers did.

The office was dark, curtains drawn closed, and it smelled musty, as if it hadn't had fresh air for too long. She made a beeline for Vincent's heavy, ornate wooden desk while Soren looked for hidden doors and safes. "Try to leave everything as you found it," she said. "He'll know if anything's been moved."

Soren looked at her wryly. "No shit, Sherlock. I've done this before."

"Oh, right. You've made a career of breaking and entering." She pulled open drawers and carefully scanned the contents with the flashlight on her phone.

He glanced at her, exasperated. "Did you already forget that this was your idea?" He ran his hands along the wall for hidden panels.

"What happened to being civil?" Ilaria asked stiffly. She took out a stack of papers and flipped through them, eyeing the contents for anything unusual.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied as he ran fingers lightly along the bookcase to look for latches or buttons. "I'll have you know I don't make a habit of breaking in anywhere. If I have questions, I just ask."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said. "You ask nicely and they just tell you everything." She found a notebook and skimmed through the pages. Looked like a personal budget.

"I give them incentive and they tell me everything," Soren corrected. He opened the file cabinet and rifled through the folders.

Ilaria didn't hear him. She was still scanning the notebook. Fifty thousand dollars for custom-made suits? A two-hundred-forty-thousand dollar Persian rug? A four-hundred-thousand-dollar Rolls Royce? Dates were listed next to the items, all within the last month. Were these purchase dates? The members of her family were paid well, but even this was irregular.

Soren was reading over her shoulder. "Wow, I didn't realize business in Chicago was so lucrative." Her skin tingled, as usual, when he was near her.

She scoffed. She knew Soren could actually afford these things. He had, after all, invested millions into the businesses in his hometown.

"It's not," she replied. "Vincent's paycheck doesn't support this kind of lifestyle." She took a picture of the page. "He wrote this list himself. Maybe they're not actual purchases. More of a wish list?"

Ilaria flipped through the rest of the notebook but it was blank. She returned the notebook to the drawer from which she found it. "Did you find anything?"

"No hidden panels or wall safes," he said. "It's clean in the rest of the room."

Soren ran his fingers on the underside of the desk and then stopped. He looked at her with his brows up as he clicked a hidden latch, and a drawer that was previously flush with the underside of the desk popped down.

Her eyes wide, she pulled open the drawer. It was shallow, barely half an inch deep. A thin folder lay in the drawer, which Ilaria pulled out and opened on the surface of the desk.

A single sheet of paper with the word "aestrium-x" handwritten across the top. The rest of the paper contained a list of twelve individual strings of numbers and letters, such as "800TMWR91," which were also handwritten.

"Aestrium-x," Soren murmured. "Ring a bell?"

Ilaria shook her head. "Not at all. Any of these strings mean anything to you? Or even look familiar?" She took a snapshot of the paper from her phone.

"Nothing," he replied. "Send me a copy of that. I'll ask Galen." His phone also beeped at that moment. "Shit. Vincent just walked out of the casino. If he's going home, it will take him ten minutes. We need to leave now." He shoved the folder back into the drawer and clicked it shut.

"Wait," she said. "What if he's got other places in the house where he's hiding something?" She went through the doorway of the office and turned toward the back of the house.

"Goddammit," Soren hissed and followed her into Vincent's bedroom.

Ilaria was peeking behind the artwork and feeling along the walls. There's gotta be something here.

"Ilaria, we need to go now."

She continued to run her hands along the dresser, ignoring him. They had to find something concrete; they wouldn't get another chance to look.

Soren's phone beeped from another text notification.

Soren came up behind her, wrapping both arms around her to get her attention.

"Let me go," she growled. How dare he touch her?

He turned her around and cupped both sides of her face to force her to look at him. Her breath caught, and she blinked. "Ilaria, we cannot be seen leaving when he drives up. We need to go now." If she lifted her chin their lips would touch.

But they needed to leave. Ilaria nodded. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door, reaching down to snatch her shoes from where she had tossed them by the front door.

"Don't forget the alarm." Soren's voice was tight.

Damn, Ilaria had almost forgotten. He opened the door as she typed in the code again. They slipped outside, and she locked the door from the outside. Then he pushed her toward her car.

"Drive that way." He pointed in the direction away from the main street where Vincent would likely be coming from. "Hurry."

Ilaria walked quickly, barefoot, to her car and hopped in. She swung the car in the direction that Soren pointed, all the while her eyes glued to her rearview mirror, making sure that Soren was right behind her. She counted to ten, driving slowly, then released a massive breath when his car appeared behind hers. She stepped on the gas and hightailed it out of there.