Page 151 of King Of Order

‘Claudio is in deep,’ he growled. ‘He wasn’t only in a little debt; he’s drowning.’

My heart sank. ‘How do you know,bello? What do you know?’

Rio exhaled, set his glass down, and leaned back, running a hand through his hair. ‘Leonessa, I’ve been looking into your business for a while. For reasons you now know. However, my brothers and I upped the ante - for the most part, to protect you in the last few weeks. Mauri and I uncovered the gallery was a front for Claudio’s secret operation. We found proof of private sales and fake auctions. He’s not even being subtle about it. Worse, he’s got access to your free port. He’s taking the artwork within and selling the same piece multiple times, often without ever leaving customs storage. He’s also hawking artworks to genuine buyers at inflated prices. Laundering the cash into clean money.’

‘He was forcing me to do some of it,’ I whispered.

‘I know. However, he was hiding quite a few major transactions from you. The Mariano family is the tip of the iceberg. He was distracting you with smaller deals while he ran big ass shakedowns behind your back, potentially endangering your life.’

My hand shook as I set my wine glass down, eyes astonished with disbelief. ‘What the hell? Why didn’t I see it?’

My man reached out, covering my hand with his larger, warmer one. ‘Because he was threatening you,amore. He was playing while victim when he howling wolf. This wasn’t your fault. Claudio’s been running shady contracts for years. This isn’t just about your art. He’s been involved in all sorts of things—fake investments, money laundering, under-the-tableswindles on people who would gut him if they were apprised of what he was doing.’

I shook my head, lifting my palms in disbelief. ‘Back to the Marianos. They’re freakin’ evil. What do you know?’

‘Seems Claudio crossed them in the worst possible way,’ Rio grunted. ‘He promised them a modernist artwork—something rare, expensive, and unattainable. Two million dollars have changed hands, and contracts have been signed. Yet, the work of art has never arrived. It’s a classic bait-and-switch scam, except this time, he’s tied your name to it.’

I hissed in sheer annoyance.

I imagined Claudio sitting in a luxurious office or sipping champagne at a glamorous cocktail party. Claiming to represent me, the anonymous seller, making unfounded promises against my reputation.

‘We’ve also started hearing whispers from other parties—interior designers, private collectors, gallerias,’ Rio added, continuing to shock me. ‘All of them paid Claudio for pieces they’d never received. He was pimping out your art like it was his personal bank account, taking pledges and pocketing the cash. It was one scam after another, all in your name, and now the walls are closing in.’

‘It isn’t only the Mariano family who wanted their payment back. Claimants are seeking injunctions to freeze his assets, demanding that he pay them back or face legal consequences,’ a new voice drawled.

Lorenzo pushed off from the wall he’d been leaning on.

I hadn’t even detected him joining us.

He pulled up a chair. ‘Chiara, Claudio is out of control. He’s ignored ultimatums and spent money as if he had an endless supply while shoving you deeper into the mess he’s created.’

‘Fotto,’ I cursed. ‘I bet you I know where most of that funds has gone. To jets, luxurious trips, expensive lingerie forwhatever woman he was trying to impress with spa treatments, private masseuses, and homes he can’t afford.’

‘You’ve nailed it,’ Rio rasped.

‘The thing is, the Mariano family does not play,’ I went on, pacing the floor. ‘They’ll want every cent back; if they don’t, they’ll tear us apart. Literally.’

I took an inhale, panic filling me. ‘I’ve been told they treat their debtors like shit. Those who’ve betrayed them, snitched, or stolen from them have been forced to drink containers of acid. To escape them, one needs an informal network of safe houses, burner phones, cooperative police officers, and a passport to stay away forever. Fuck Claudio. He’s probably blown millions and pissed offun pezzo grossowhile I’m left trying to figure out how I’m going to untangle us from the mess.’

‘You’re not doing any disentangling without us. Understood,leonessa?’ Rio rasped.

I refused to hear him out. ‘No,leone, it’s on me. I’ll be on the hook for his choices. Even though I wasn’t involved only in his minor schemes, my name is plastered all over them. My art was the collateral, my reputation on the line. And now, people don’t just want their money back—they want answers and blood. It’s only a matter of time before matters escalate, and that terrifies me.’

My hands shook as I took this all in.

Rio reached out and took my hand, his grip firm and grounding. ‘Chiara, no. This is too big for you to take on. Myfratellanzaand I are ahead of you. We plan to shut this down without any blowback to you. You have to trust us.’

I quaked as I struggled to process what he was saying. ‘What’s this grand scheme?’

Rio stood, pulling me into his arms, my head resting against his chest. ‘It involves the Mariano’s Don. He’s the whale we’ve been waiting for.’

My eyebrow arched.

‘We’ve got a surprise lined up, so please,bella, don’t worry,’ Lorenzo rasped. ‘You’re not alone in this shit anymore, not with us by your side.’

I sliced my eyes from Lorenzo to Rio and exhaled.

My man and I swayed together, his hands gliding down my back, his murmurs reassuring me.

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