Chapter Thirty Two

Lucas's fists clench, hidden behind his back, as he wrestles with the fury brewing inside him. As Matteo continues to outline his plan, Lucas realizes the depths of betrayal are even greater than he'd feared. 

All this while, Santoro was running the show, all of a sudden. The Ghost appeared and is the front runner. Trying to take over his father's legacy. And now Matteo is in the heart of his father's company and board take over. Men have already begun dismantling his father's network and undermining his allies. He steels himself, knowing he must act.

The meeting ends, and Matteo and the other board members left. 

Later that night Lucas meets up with Alex

 Alex concerned "What happened in there?"

Lucas grinning bitterly "It's worse than I thought, Alex. Matteo's using Sophia's engagement to take control of my father's empire. She's caught in the middle, and she doesn't even know."

Alex eyes widening, echoed with a bitter froun crossed his face "Then you have to tell her."

"I will. But we have to be smart. If Matteo suspects anything, he'll tighten his hold on her—and she'll be in even more danger." Lucas sighing, in low tone 

" I would have loved to meet Vincenzo, tonight. Matteo is moving faster than we planned, we need to stop him." Lucas muttering furiously.

"Sophia needs to know" Alex intoned.

They exited into the night, the city lights casting long shadows across their path. The plan was becoming clearer in Lucas's mind, each step drawing him closer to dismantling Matteo's grip on his father's legacy.

Lucas meets Vincenzo in a secluded alleyway in the city, dimly lit by a flickering streetlamp. Vincenzo a once closest friend and loyal advisor to Mr Leonardo who decided to form alliance with the enemy after the death of Leonardo. But now he has vowed to help Lucas In secret to unravel the darkness that covers Leonardo's empire. Even though he hasn't known or seen Lucas by his face. Alex is the only person who knows Lucas the son of Leonardo by his face. For others he appears on mask.

Vincenzo eyeing Lucas with approval "So, you're ready to make your move?

Lucas nods, his voice determined "Matteo is tightening his grip on my family's legacy. And he's using Sophia as a pawn to do it. He's planning total take over, of the shares. We're going to change that."

"I knew a day like this would come when they will show up in the open. You want to take him down. I have contacts who've been waiting for a leader—someone to bring order to Matteo's chaos." Vincenzo smirked.

Lucas hands him copies of the boardroom documents, evidence of Matteo's plans to dismantle the Leonardo Devereux network and coerce Sebastian and Sophia into compliance. Vincenzo glances over them, his face darkening.

"This is what we need to expose Matteo. He thinks he's invincible, but if we can force him into the open, he'll have nowhere to hide." Lucas mumbling, satisfied with the plot.

Vincenzo nodding, tucking the documents into his coat "Agreed. We'll need to play this carefully—Matteo's not a man who lets his guard down easily."

The next evening, Lucas arranged to meet Sophia at a secluded spot by the river. As she approached, her face lit with surprise at the unexpected invitation.

Sophia smiling, curious "Lucas, what's this about? You sounded urgent."

He looked at her, his heart heavy with the knowledge he was about to lay on her.

"Sophia, there's something you need to know about this engagement to Jeff. It's not what it seems." Lucas revealing to her.

"What do you mean? My father arranged it… for the family's sake." Sophia says with a confused froun

"Your marriage to Jeff isn't just about your family's fortune. Matteo's using you, Sophia. He's planning to gain control of the entire Leonardo empire through this marriage." Lucas's voice firm, leaning in.

Her expression shifted, the shock and disbelief in her face, visible.

"No… Matteo wouldn't… he wouldn't do that. Would he?" Sophia whispering and shaken.

"He would, and he is. You're being drawn into a trap, Sophia. Once you're married to Jeff, they'll force you to hand over everything. You'll be powerless." Lucas nodding, his voice heavy

Sophia took in a deep breath, her eyes darting around as she processed his words with a shaky voice. Lucas could see the fear in her eyes, but also a spark of fire igniting within her.

Sophia speaks, her voice determined, trembling. "I won't let them use me, Lucas. But… how do I get out of this? If I back out now, my family loses everything."

"We'll find a way, Sophia. Trust me. But you need to stay quiet, and pretend to go along with their plans. If Matteo suspects anything, he'll make it impossible for you to escape."

Lucas placing a hand on her shoulder

Sophia nodded, her eyes meeting his with a newfound resolve.

She softly intoned  "Thank you, Lucas. I don't know who else I can trust… but I trust you."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Lucas felt a surge of something deeper something beyond control. He knew he was risking everything by involving her, but he couldn't let her become another casualty in Matteo's ruthless game.