Page 59 of Secret Bratva Twins

I close my eyes briefly, letting their words sink in. The Vinci Group isn’t just struggling; it’s drowning. I glance down at the report again, trying to make sense of the chaos. No wonder Lorenzo had a heart attack. The stress of keeping this ship afloat must have been unbearable.

“What’s being done to address these issues?” I ask, lifting my gaze to Dante.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Lorenzo… he was looking for outside support before his death.”

“Support?” I repeat, my tone hardening. “What kind of support?”

His hesitation is palpable, the tension in the room thickening as everyone exchanges nervous glances. Finally, he sighs. “He reached out to Serge Sharov.”

My heart drops, though I manage to keep my expression neutral. Of course, Serge’s involvement was inevitable. His name casts a long shadow, and now I understand why Lorenzo had approached him. Desperation.

“Why did Lorenzo want to be in control so badly, if this was the result?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intended.

“He always did like control,” Dante says carefully, choosing his words. “Lorenzo didn’t think you would have the connections or the resources to handle something of this magnitude. He believed Serge and the Bratva were the only way to salvage the situation.”

I sit back, the leather cool against my skin, and let out a slow breath. The pieces are falling into place now, and none of it sits right. Lorenzo, for all his faults, had been fighting a losing battle for years, and now the weight of his failures rests squarely on my shoulders.

“What happens if we don’t act quickly?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

“Bankruptcy,” Dante says bluntly. “Within the year. Maybe sooner.”

The room falls silent, the severity of the situation hanging over us like a storm cloud. My fingers tighten on the edges of the report, and for a moment, I let the frustration bubble to the surface.

“This isn’t just poor management,” I say, my voice cold. “This is sabotage. Recklessness. How did Lorenzo let things get this bad?”

Dante’s gaze flickers with guilt, but he doesn’t argue. “He tried. His health… and his decisions weren’t always sound. He was under immense pressure.”

Pressure that killed him, I think bitterly.

I glance around the table, taking in the weary faces of the executives who once praised Lorenzo’s leadership. Now, they’re looking to me to fix the mess he left behind. It’s not just daunting—it feels impossible.

“We need a plan,” I say firmly, trying to summon a confidence I don’t entirely feel. “No more patchwork solutions. No more delays. Give me a breakdown of what’s salvageable and what we need to cut. I’ll review everything personally.”

There’s a murmur of assent, though the tension doesn’t ease. These men are looking at me like I’m their last hope, and it makes my stomach churn.

Dante speaks again, his tone cautious. “Chiara… you realize that without outside help, this might not be enough.”

I meet his gaze, my jaw tightening. “I’ll consider every option.”

Including Serge, though the thought makes my skin crawl. His world and mine have already become too intertwined, and letting him have any more influence over my life feels like a death sentence in its own way.

The meeting drags on as the executives outline the most pressing issues. By the time it ends, the stack of papers in front of me has doubled, and my head is pounding. Dante lingers as the others leave, his expression unreadable.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” he says quietly.

“Yes, I do,” I reply, my tone clipped. “It’s my responsibility now.”

He nods, though his concern is evident. “If you need anything—”

“I’ll let you know,” I say. I don’t need his pity. I need results.

As Dante leaves, I let out a long breath, my shoulders slumping. I feel like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath my feet. The Vinci Group is falling apart, and now I see why Lorenzo was willing to strike a deal with Serge.

The thought makes my stomach twist. No matter how much I want to keep my distance from Serge’s world, I can’t deny that his resources, his power, could be the key to saving everything. But at what cost?

I rub my temples, trying to focus. There’s no time to dwell on what-ifs. If I’m going to save this empire, I need to act quickly.

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