MILAN
10:20AM
The loud blare of a mobile phone jarred Alessandro awake. He grunted slowly, rubbed his eyes before reaching for his phone on the desk.
Still half asleep, he used his elbow to forcefully prop himself upwards, and then brought the phone to his ears.
“Hello?” his sleepy yet deep voice spoke groggily into the phone.
“Angelo, see me in my office.”
The voice was low and brief yet commanding enough. Alessandro needed no soothsayer to know who he had just spoken to. He had forgotten to check the caller identity in his sleepy state but the voice was enough to shake him back to reality.
He sighed rubbing his eyes more and wading off the last remaining of sleep in them before he stood, stretching himself to full length. He had fallen asleep in his study. A glance at the round wall clock told him he had slept for almost an hour. If only chief hadn’t woken him up, who knows he would have been lucky to have his first hour of sleep for the first time in a long, long while. And hopefully with no nightmares.
Flashes of the terrible event that happened years ago raced through his head briefly. He brushed them off with a slight head shake and then started out of his study briskly.
His plan was to have a quick bath before going to see chief but he ended up staying longer in the bathtub than he had imagined.
Minutes later, he trotted out of the bathroom, with a large white towel wrapped around his lower body. Trails of water trailed his path as he walked. A smaller towel hung partially around his neck as he used his right hand to wipe his hair with the other free portion of the towel.
He halted and stood before the huge mirror in his bedroom adjacent to the gigantic bed. His features shone at him. Above six feet tall, long straight legs with a face like that of a demi-god. Not just ladies but even some men get struck with bewilderment for his looks sometimes.
There were times, moments, when they mattered. Times when he took great pleasure in having them. Moments when ladies get to drool all over him in the presence of Lorenzo, the only one who could dare to match his achievements and feet. But not at this moment. Hearing chief’s tone meant it was that time again. The time that his fingers either get dirty or he die.
He, Alessandro Angelo has chosen the former and would stick to it. Although he had never for once feared death, never, right from the moment he stepped foot into Chief Giovanni Piero’s company. To him, people afraid of death are the ones greedy for life. He lives his everyday life as if it would be his last. That, in fact is the life of anyone in his shoes. The moment you start wanting more from life, that will be the end of you.
He scurried away from the mirror to the wardrobe. Suits, shirts and pants of different brands hung delicately in the wardrobe, made by the best craftsmen of the country.
He sized them up and finally his eyes settled on the Shelton suit. He unhung it carefully and slipped himself into it. Not like he cared much about his looks except when he needed to work with it. He casted another quick look at himself in the mirror once more after he was done dressing up after which he grabbed his phone and stepped out of the house.
He drove himself to chief Giovanni’s company in one of his expensive cars. A quick drive from his home to the company. In less than ten minutes, he arrived. As he made his way up to chief’s office, he got the usual stares. Alessandro by now was used to the stares and totally ignored them all but his ears couldn’t be shut to them as much as he wished.
He got into the elevator and pressed the last floor. There were a few ladies already in the elevator as he got in and once they saw him, they were immediately struck.
Their hushed yet loud murmurings could be clearly heard by Alessandro.
“Gosh! He is so handsome…” One of the ladies smacked her lips while gripping her hands against her shoulders seductively.
“My dream man!” the chubby round face one amongst them squealed excitedly. Her unusually loud voice echoed in the elevator.
“I can never get used to his charming face. oh my gosh… I can stare up close at him all day…my heart!” another one of them gushed.
All the while Alessandro acted deaf to their ramblings and waited patiently for the elevator to get to his destination.
Once the elevator door opened, he stepped out and headed towards chief’s office. He expected the ladies to also drop and head their different offices but when he casted a look behind his shoulders, the elevator door was closed again and heading down with none of the ladies actually getting out.
He let out a short chuckle and shook his head.
It turned out the ladies had missed their stop or didn’t even press one at all.
Two heavy tap on the door was enough to tell chief he has arrived. He waited for his response calmly.
“Enter.” Chief’s voice came from inside. Alessandro walked in. Lorenzo was already seated when he walked in. They merely exchanged glance and looked away. They could never get along and have long accepted that.
Chief was on call as he entered so he had to wait for his call to end. While he waited, his eyes strayed at the painting that hung at a corner of the office. It looked like it was a part of the wall. Unique and well painted. To the world and normal people’s eyes, it was merely a beautiful painting but to someone like Alessandro, he knew there was more to the mere painting on the wall.
Once chief dropped the call, his face turned grim. He let out a heavy heave and faced Alessandro and Lorenzo. The corner of his eyes twitched repeatedly. Something he usually does whenever he has something important to say. Alessandro often wondered if it was natural in the past but knowing him for years now was enough to explain it all to him.
“I heard the building contract will be given to chief Alegra. Make him reject the deal and be brought to me.”
Alessandro nodded. “Is there anything I should look out for…or anything I should know?”
Chief pondered slowly for a while before he finally blurted out a no.
“Consider it done chief.” Alessandro said. He then bowed slightly and started walking out of the office. He stopped in his tracks after walking just a few steps. “What if he refuses?” he asked turning to face chief again even though he knew exactly what chief’s response would be, still he still wanted to hear it.
“You know what to do if he refuses. Make it as clean as possible.” Chief answered without a second pause. The grimness in his face grew and the circles around his eyes, gotten from sleepless nights darkened. To him, he either gets what he wanted but if he couldn’t, whoever gets it, dies.
Alessandro bowed one last time and finally walked out of the office. Lorenzo followed afterwards.
“What’s your plan?” Lorenzo asked meeting up with him. Alessandro gave a little shrug without saying a word. His plan has already started to be mapped out in his head.
