Chapter 31. Somewhere Quieter

Three days had passed.

The house was quieter now—too quiet.

Ezio sat behind his desk, the blinds half-drawn against the pale light. Papers lay scattered—half-read reports, an open file, the corner of a blueprint weighed down by his lighter. He hadn’t slept much.

Dario stood near the bookshelf, hands in his pockets, waiting for the silence to break. “How’s she doing?”

Ezio leaned back in his chair. “Quiet,” he said. “Too quiet. But she obeys.”

Dario gave a small nod. “And what are you planning to do?”

Ezio didn’t answer at first. He reached for the lighter, flicked it once, let the flame die. “I’ve been thinking,” he said finally. “We move her.”

Dario looked up. “Now?”

“As soon as the place is ready. The villa’s too exposed. Too many people know about it—guards, deliveries, staff rotations. Even a whisper in the wrong ear could lead Benedetti straight to us.” He paused, running a finger along the blueprint on his desk. “There’s a place