Chapter 33 - Aquanitances

Matteo and Ludovica swiftly maneuvered through the crowd, their eyes locked on Leandro as they closed in on him. However, as they approached, their attention was diverted by a hushed but heated exchange nearby.

Two men stood before Leandro, who appeared visibly frustrated. One of the men had accidentally bumped into Leandro.

"Terribly sorry about that, my good man. Didn't see you there," the first man said, his tone dripping with false politeness.

"Indeed, our apologies. It's quite crowded in here, isn't it? Mr...." chimed in the second man, attempting to diffuse the tension and asking how he should address Leandro.

Leandro, though clearly annoyed, maintained his composure. "Leandro Moreau. No harm done, gentlemen. Excuse me, I really must—"

"But wait just a moment, Mr. Moreau!" interjected the first man, extending a hand. "We never properly introduced ourselves. I'm William Kingsley, and this here is my companion, Jonathan Henderson."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Moreau," added Jonathan with a forced smile.

Leandro nodded politely, but his patience was wearing thin. "Likewise. But if you'll excuse me—"

"Of course, of course. But before you dash off, Mr. Moreau, might I inquire about your thoughts on the recent developments in—"

"Ah, but hold on a tick, William," interrupted Jonathan, placing a hand on William's shoulder. "Before we dive into that, Mr. Moreau, have you had the chance to marvel at the exquisite artwork adorning these walls?"

Leandro hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "Well, I—"

"Absolutely breathtaking, isn't it? A true feast for the eyes," continued William, seamlessly picking up where Jonathan left off.

"Indeed, indeed. And speaking of feasts, have you sampled the delectable cuisine? Simply divine," added Jonathan, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Leandro sighed, realizing he was being deliberately delayed. "Gentlemen, as delightful as this all sounds—"

"But wait! Before you depart, Mr. Moreau, have you had the pleasure of meeting Lady Penelope?" William interjected eagerly, gesturing towards a woman across the room.

"Yes, indeed. A remarkable woman, to say the least," agreed Jonathan with a chuckle.

Leandro, growing increasingly frustrated, interrupted firmly, "I bid you a good day, gentlemen," before storming off, leaving William and Jonathan exchanging amused glances.

"Well played, William. Well played," remarked Jonathan with a grin.

"Indeed, Jonathan," replied William, returning the grin.

Matteo and Ludovica observed the exchange between Leandro and the two men with growing intrigue. It became apparent that these individuals were deliberately obstructing Leandro's surveillance attempt on Alessio and Julien. As they moved forward to confront the men, Ludovica's keen eyes caught a flicker of recognition in one of their gazes.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ms. Ferrari. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you this fine evening?" the man addressed Ludovica with a sly grin.

Ludovica's expression remained composed, though a hint of tension lingered in her demeanor. "Finn Hoffman. What are you doing here?" she countered, her tone sharp and direct.

Matteo, standing beside Ludovica, couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity. "Wait, you know them?" he interjected with slight surprise.

Ludovica turned to Matteo, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Kingsley here is Finn Hoffman - an Enforcer of the Dubois Clan. I have... worked for them," she revealed, her gaze steady as she exposed Finn's identity.

Finn's expression darkened. From the looks of it, he clearly did not appreciate Ludovica exposing his identity. His tone changed from arrogance to hostility, "What are you doing here, Ludovica? And who is this clown?" he sneered, his eyes narrowing as he eyed Matteo from top to bottom.

Matteo bristled at the insult but maintained his composure, trying to come up with a comeback.

"Another one of your tools, I bet," Finn added, his tone dripping with disdain.

Before Matteo could respond, the other man chimed in, his voice laced with aggression. "You two better not interfere in our plans. We are here to capture that man, and knowing Ludovica, she's probably here to kill him. You. Better. Not. Or you will make yourselves an enemy of the Dubois clan," he stated firmly, his gaze locked on Matteo and Ludovica.

Now, Matteo was absolutely confused.

These two people are from the Dubois Clan. They are here to capture Leandro. Ludovica and they know each other. And they think Ludovica is here to kill him.

Meanwhile, Leandro is trying to gather intel on Alessio and Julien. Does the Dubois Clan already know Leandro's identity? Why do they think Ludovica is here to kill Leandro? Who is Ludovica? And WHY THE FUCK AM I A CLOWN?!

'This is a fucking mess.' *sigh* He sighed, his mind calculating all the possibilities. And then it clicked. He came out of his trance as the two enforcers were leaving.

Matteo looked at Ludovica a sly smile playing on his lips. "Mind revealing who you really are, 'Darling'?" he asked her in her ear his voice ice cold.

Ludovica's demeanor remained composed despite Matteo's pointed question. She met his gaze with a cool expression, but Matteo caught a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

 "You want to know who I really am?"

"Yes."

"What if I don't want to tell you?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes flashing with a mix of defiance and caution.

"I will tell Angelina what transpired here. I have managed to gather from this conversation that you desperately want to kill Leandro."

Ludovica's eyes widened a bit. The mission will be absolutely aborted if Matteo informs Angelina about this. And he was right about the killing part too, she desperately needed the money. And if he really tells Angelina that her identity is fake - then The Abyss will also be chasing her down for false information - another breach of the Mandate.

"What if you tell her anyway even after I tell you my true identity?"

Matteo smiled "I am a man of my word." he paused "Besides you have no choice but to trust me?" he added as his smile widened.

Ludovica took a deep breath "I was once part of the Dubois Clan," Ludovica confessed, her tone heavy with the weight of her past.

Matteo's eyebrows shot up slightly. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but there were still gaps in the story waiting to be filled.

"Why did you leave?" Matteo inquired, his voice softened with genuine curiosity.

Ludovica's gaze briefly flickered with emotion before she composed herself once more. "Let's just say there were... disagreements within the clan. Then I became an assassin, someone who kills for money. But I am only an Adept so when the Di Napoli Mafia offered me 80000 Alpenas to kill some random Adept Viable I jumped at the chance," she explained, her words carefully measured.

Matteo nodded in understanding, his mind working at Mach 3. "Now this is interesting." he smiled deviously "Looks like there will be some changes in the plan. Makes me shiver with excitement."