CHAPTER 15

MATTEO'S POV

I sighed as I sank in my seat. Garry, huh. Out of everyone she just had to call Garry to come and pick her up. Does she really trust him that much? Well I don't. Sophia is my woman and I don't want any man near her. Garry is a man anyway and Sophia…she's perfect, she's just perfect. Any man would fall for her, any man would drool over her.

She knew that too and Garry was no exception. As long as he had a dick between his legs that still functioned well then he couldn't be trusted. But I couldn’t eliminate him, I mean he hadn’t done anything…yet. I ran my hand through my hair, that's it i wouldn’t tell him to stay away from her, I will punish her, I will punish my baby girl. I will let her know that no man is allowed anywhere near her.

I don't care what their fucking intentions are. Sophia is mine and she will always be mine. I made sure she knew that too. I smiled as the memories unfolded in my head. The way she begged me to stop, the way she tasted…damn I want to touch her again. Of course I was, and I would do it in Garry’s house. I would show her that it didn't matter where she went or who she was with, I would always have my way with her.

I hissed as I felt the erection in my pants, just the thought of her, just the thought of her made me feel like this. “Sophia.” I whispered under my breath. only if she knew just how much she affected me, I was never like this. I never went this far for a woman, but for her, goodness I had gone mad.

Madly inlove with her, at this point I would do absolutely anything to make her mine, I just had to make her get used to my presence, to make her love me. Even if it meant breaking her. I had to make her mine in every way possible, sooner or later she would be begging for my touch, my love, my presence.

----

I checked the time on my watch—1 PM.

“Fuck,” I mumbled.

I had to go to a meeting now. One I couldn't avoid because I was the CEO of this business. And I already knew my uncle would be waiting with some new scheme to turn the board against me. Damiano never missed an opportunity to undermine me, always waiting for a slip-up, always testing the waters to see how much he could push before I pushed back.

I stood up from my chair, rolling my shoulders before grabbing my suit jacket from the back of the chair. The club where we held our meetings was only a fifteen-minute drive from my house. It was one of the many establishments we owned, a high-end place for the elite of the underworld.

As I stepped outside, one of my bodyguards immediately opened the car door for me.

"Afternoon, boss," he greeted.

I gave him a slight nod and slipped into the back seat. The ride was smooth, the city passing by in a blur. When we arrived, the club was packed as usual—rich gamblers, drug dealers, and the women who came here to sell themselves. Strippers worked the poles while men in expensive suits sat around enjoying their company.

Several women shot me flirtatious glances, their eyes trailing my movements, expecting me to acknowledge them. But they meant nothing to me. They never had.

Only Sophia mattered.

These women couldn’t hold a candle to my Sophia.

I shook my head, dismissing the distraction, and headed straight up the stairs toward the conference room. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the heavy doors, stepping into the room where the real business happened.

The atmosphere was thick with tension. The men seated at the long table weren’t your usual businessmen. Scarred faces, tattoos peeking from their collars, and expressions that screamed don’t mess with me. These were men who had earned their place through blood, sweat, and bullets.

And, of course, right at the end of the table sat my uncle Damiano with his useless son, Lorenzo, looking smug as ever.

"You’re late, Matteo," Damiano commented the moment I walked in.

Of course, he’d have something to say. He always did.

"Better late than never," I shot back as I took my seat at the head of the table.

He scoffed, leaning back in his chair, but before he could get another word in, Carlos, one of our biggest shareholders, spoke up.

"Anyway, let’s get down to business," Carlos started. "We’ve lost millions of dollars in just two weeks. Some fuckers hijacked our trucks, stealing all our product. And the worst part? No one dealt with them."

I turned my gaze to Damiano, my expression hardening. "I gave you an order to deal with them. I thought you did."

Damiano smirked, feigning innocence. "But you are the boss, Matteo. You have to lead by example. I am just a mere lackey."

Fuck this guy.

He was always trying to shift the blame, to make me look incompetent in front of the board. It was his favorite game, and he played it well.

"Of course, I am the boss," I said, my tone calm but firm. "And I gave you a direct order. Shouldn’t you have done as I told you to?"

Damiano shrugged. "Perhaps if you weren’t so distracted, you’d have seen that these orders need proper follow-through."

I narrowed my eyes. "Meaning?"

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "Meaning, Matteo, that while you’ve been off in your own world, captivated by some college girl, our business has been bleeding money."

Silence fell over the room.

The other men exchanged looks, some raising their eyebrows in interest, others smirking in amusement.

I clenched my jaw. So this was his angle today.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said evenly.

Damiano chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, come on, Matteo. We all know. You’re practically glued to her. She’s got you running around like some love-struck fool while we deal with the real problems. And now, look where that’s gotten us—millions lost, trucks hijacked, enemies circling like vultures."

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly through my nose. "What I do in my personal time has nothing to do with my leadership."

"Really?" He smirked. "Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like it has everything to do with it."

Lorenzo snickered beside him.

I turned my gaze to him. "Something funny?"

He immediately looked down, his smirk fading.

I looked back at Damiano. "You’re trying to paint a picture of me as weak. As unfocused. But let's get one thing straight—I don’t get distracted. And I don’t let my personal life interfere with business. So unless you have actual solutions to offer, I suggest you shut the fuck up and listen."

The room went silent again.

Damiano’s smirk twitched at the edges, like he was trying to keep up the act, but I saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

Good.

Carlos cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back on track. "Regardless of distractions, we still need to deal with the hijackers. If we don’t send a message now, we’re going to keep losing shipments."

I nodded. "Agreed. We need to find out who’s behind this. Who benefits from our losses?"

"Could be the Martinez crew," one of the men suggested. "They’ve been looking to expand their territory."

"Or the Russians," another offered. "They’ve been making moves lately."

I steepled my fingers. "Then we need intel. Fast. I want a list of every crew that could be responsible, and I want men on the ground finding out who’s moving our stolen product. If someone took our shit, they’re selling it somewhere."

The men nodded in agreement.

"Damiano," I continued, my voice sharp, "since you were so eager to take charge of this situation, you’ll personally see to it that we find out who’s responsible. I want a name in forty-eight hours."

His jaw clenched, but he nodded. "Fine."

"Good." I looked around the table. "Meeting adjourned."

As I stood to leave, Damiano called after me, his voice dripping with mock concern.

"Just remember, Matteo, distractions have a way of catching up to you."

I didn’t bother looking back as I walked out the door.

I already knew that.

But if Damiano thought he could use Sophia against me, he had no idea what he was dealing with.

I’d kill for her.

And I’d kill anyone who tried to use her against me.