Ch-7
The Moretti Charity Gala – A grand ballroom filled with the city’s elite. Chandeliers cast a golden glow, and waiters glide through the crowd with trays of champagne. Georgie steps inside, dressed in a sleek black gown, her eyes scanning the room. Ethan walks beside her, sharp in a tailored black suit, hands in his pockets. Luca trails behind, clearly tense.
Luca Moretti
(Mutters) I hate these events.
Ethan Aviel (ml)
(Smirks) You hate everything.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Ignoring them, eyes locked on a figure across the room) He’s here.
Luca Moretti
(Tenses) Santiago?
Ethan Aviel (ml)
(Eyes dark) This should be fun.
Santiago Moretti lounges near the bar, holding a glass of whiskey. He notices Georgie approaching and smirks.
Santiago Moretti
(Mocking) Well, well. If it isn’t the queen herself. Should I bow?
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Coolly) Don’t bother. I don’t acknowledge traitors.
Santiago Moretti
(Chuckles) Harsh. I prefer ‘free agent.’
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Takes a glass of champagne) And yet, here you are, running to me with warnings. What do you want?
Santiago Moretti
(Swirls his drink) Maybe I just care.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Flatly) Try again.
Santiago Moretti
(Lowering his voice) Fine. You’re being hunted. And not by just anyone.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Unfazed) I’m always being hunted.
Santiago Moretti
(Shakes his head) Not like this.
The distant chatter of the gala fades into the background.
Ethan Aviel (ml)
(Approaching) If you have something useful to say, say it.
Santiago Moretti
(Glances at Ethan) Ah, the assassin. I was wondering when you’d step in.
Ethan Aviel (ml)
(Smirks) And I was wondering how long it’d take before you started wasting my time.
Santiago Moretti
(Laughs softly) Fair enough. (Looks at Georgie) Your father’s past is catching up to you. Someone he crossed someone powerful wants you dead.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Raises an eyebrow) You expect me to believe you suddenly care about my survival?
Santiago Moretti
(Serious) No. I expect you to believe that if you die, the balance of power shifts. And trust me, none of us want that.
Luca Moretti
(Cold) Since when do you care about balance?
Santiago Moretti
(Smirks) Since it keeps me alive.
A tense silence. Georgie watches him carefully, then sets her glass down.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Quietly) Who?
Santiago Moretti
(Pauses, then exhales) Someone who knows your every move.
Something dark flickers in Georgie’s eyes. Ethan notices but says nothing.
Ethan Aviel (ml)
(Low voice) You already have a guess, don’t you?
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Staring at Santiago) I need a name.
Santiago Moretti
(Smirks, but his eyes are unreadable) You won’t like the answer.
Georgie May Adler (fl)
(Voice sharp) Try me.
Santiago Moretti
(Leans in, voice barely above a whisper) Vincenzo Adler.
Georgie’s grip tightens on her glass. Luca stiffens. Ethan’s expression hardens.
Luca Moretti
(Quietly) …Our father?
Santiago Moretti
(Nods, sipping his drink) And he’s making sure you don’t make it out alive.
Santiago Moretti, Luca’s older brother and once the rightful heir to the Moretti empire, is a man shrouded in mystery. He walked away from the mafia years ago, but no one knows why—or if he ever truly left. A man of calculated words and hidden motives, Santiago is neither friend nor foe. He thrives in the shadows, pulling strings no one sees until it’s too late.
He and Luca share nothing but hatred, a tension fueled by past betrayals and unspoken truths. Yet, despite their animosity, Santiago always seems to appear when things take a turn for the worst.
Is he an ally? An enemy? Or just another player in the game? No one knows.
But one thing is certain—when Santiago Moretti steps into the room, power shifts.
“Trust me? Now, that would be stupid. But listening to me? That might just save your life.” - Santiago Moretti
Comments
Avimuktha Goud
soo good
2025-04-09
1