Page 227 of The Devil's Fire

“Were you not with Damiano Bellavia? I have a hard time believing he would let you be here on your own.” Mr. Vasiliev leaned back on the couch, eyeing me with a newfound interest. The mention of Damiano caught me off guard; I hadn’t expected him to be asking about him.

“It’s… a long story.” I replied.

“You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe for you, especially under disguise.”

“I can take care of myself.” I said defensively, and he gave me a skeptical look. “Okay, you caught me off guard.” I admitted, and he chuckled.

“You were a second away from being killed. You have no idea what kind of headache you would have caused me if I had you killed and Damiano found out. He tends to go insane when it comes to someone he cares about. Especially after last time.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. His eyes narrowed a bit, and he remained silent for a while.

“You don’t know?” He smirked, adding to my curiosity.

“Don’t know what?” I pressed for more information.

“If he hasn’t told you, then it isn’t my place to say.” His smirk widened, and I let out an annoyed sigh.

“You can’t say that and not even tell me!” I practically scolded him.

“I suggest you talk to your man, then.” He shrugged.

“He doesn’t tell me much. He doesn’t want to involve me in all of this.” I sighed.

“Good.” He smiled, and I gave him a blank look.

“My curiosity can’t handle being left in the dark.”

“Your curiosity can get you killed.”

“That’s what he told me!” I exclaimed loudly.

“You should listen to him.”

“This is not how I imagined this conversation would go.” I mumbled quietly, leaning back on the couch and feeling more at ease. “I don’t get it. Knowledge is power, right? It would help me if I knew more.”

“Knowledge is power to a certain extent, yes. It also depends on what kind of person you are. For someone like me, it’s power. For someone like you, not so much. It will do you more harm than good.” Mr. Vasiliev got up from the couch. My eyes followed him as he grabbed a bottle and two glasses before returning to the couch.

“This world is anything but nice. You’re with a powerful man, and people love to play dirty tricks just to get to him, to see him crumble to the ground.” He spoke as I watched him pour vodka into the glasses.

He handed me a glass, which I took, but eyed it suspiciously. Mr. Vasiliev let out a small laugh as he observed me examining the clear liquor.

“You know damn well if I wanted to kill you, I would have already put a bullet in you. It’s not poisoned.” He had a point, but I still hesitated.

Mr. Vasiliev shook his head at me before downing his drink in one go, showing me it was safe. I followed suit; the liquid burned my throat as it went down. It was very strong, and I made a small grimace at the taste.

“Impressive. Not many would have handled it that well.”

“I happen to like vodka.” I half-shrugged. “So, you really think I should be left in the dark?” I asked, wanting to continue our conversation.

“Most certainly. Enemies and competitors are always seeking ways to destroy la Famiglia Bellavia, making you an easy target for potential kidnapping and torture. There was a time I thought they had succeeded, but Damiano surprised us all. In his twenties, he took over his father’s position and rapidly expanded the family’s influence, making it more powerful and feared.”

“Then, a turning point happened that seemed like it would be his downfall. However, Damiano defied expectations. No one has shown such little regard for their own life as he did, establishing an empire that now strikes fear in everyone. Not bad for someone so young.” Mr. Vasiliev remarked, clearly impressed by Damiano’s accomplishments.

It felt like he was describing a completely different person than the Damiano I know. While I knew Damiano was powerful and feared, I had no idea to what extent.

“You seem to know a lot about him.” I raised a brow, chin resting on my palm, leaning forward.

“I keep ears everywhere.”

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