Chapter 13: Who's Mole?

Hazel's POV

Before Alessandro left, I stopped him. "If it's about the mole, I can help."

Alessandro paused in his steps and turned to look at me, then to Andrea, glaring at him. I could sense he was getting angry, so I stepped forward and put my hand in his. He looked back at me, his expression still angry but softening a bit. 

I repeated, "I think I can help. Do you trust me?" 

He grabbed my other hand and reassured me, "Yes, I do, but this has nothing to do with trust." 

I shook my head, and then he lifted his hands and cupped my cheeks, saying, "I can't see you hurt. You understand that." I nodded and responded, "I won't put myself in harm's way." 

He sighed and pulled me into a warm hug, whispering, "Looks like there is no talking you out of it, huh?" I nodded into his chest. 

I could feel his heart beating so fast; I knew he cared about me. But I also knew that I was the only one who could decipher their documents, so he didn't have a choice.

He pulled out of the hug and held my hand to lead me upstairs. 

I stopped him. "Wait one second," and he looked at me puzzled. I removed my heels, stayed barefoot, put my heels in my hand, and then grabbed his hand, looking at him. "I'm ready, let's go!" 

He kept staring at me and chuckled. I heard Andrea and Luca chuckling behind me as well. I turned to them and shrugged my shoulders, questioning their laughter. 

"What? You guys don't know what it feels like to wear heels. Plus, this is an unspoken rule." 

They laughed out loud before Andrea commented, "You are one of a kind, Hazel." I replied amusingly, "So are all women in the world." 

Ale pulled me and winked, "Let's go to my office! These guys won't understand." 

We started walking, and I whispered, smirking at him and raising an eyebrow, "And you would understand?" 

He pulled me from my waist, carried me bridal-style towards the office, and responded with the same smirk, "Don't test me, babe; I barely can control myself near you." 

I felt my cheeks flush and hit his shoulder playfully to stop, and he chuckled. 

In his most Italian accent, we heard Andrea say, "Come on, guys, get a room." We all laughed and went into the office.

Ale's office is a vast room. A large mahogany desk took center stage, with a weathered but well-loved surface adorned with a mix of old leather-bound books and a sleek laptop. The windows were large, letting in plenty of natural light that played on a combination of antique and contemporary furniture.

Bookshelves lined the walls, showcasing a curated collection of old and new volumes side by side. There was a worn leather armchair with a reading lamp for a cozy nook. At the same time, a modern ergonomic chair sat behind the desk, providing a comfortable workspace.

Ale dropped me on the sofa and sat beside me, leaning back. Andrea and Luca took armchairs in front of us.

Ale spoke, "So who's the mole?" 

"It's Erin Demir, curator 3. Um, he falsified many of our foundation artifact documents. Thanks to Hazel, things could've been saved, as she could authenticate all of them luckily before submission." Andrea responded

Ale sat straight and asked, "Authenticate the documents? Isn't that your job?" 

Andrea apologetically looked at Ale. "you know I'm not good at that, I have no idea about paintings and Gold artifacts, I specialized in ceramic and textile" 

Ale looked sternly at him and then turned his gaze to me "how did you authenticate the artifacts without even examining them?" 

I started explaining the process as if stating obvious facts, and all three were all ears, their eyes showed admiration and surprise at the same time 

"To be honest, authenticating those artifacts was a piece of cake, thanks to the pictures Andrea always provides. I would have been happier to examine the artifacts live. It would be an honor!" I added excitedly. 

Ale pulled me into a hug and kissed my temple when our eyes met. I could see the proud look he held. 

The conversation continued when Andrea started explaining the work he assigned for me at the library and how everything was completed before the gala. As he spoke, Alessandro's expression shifted to stern focus. Luca chimed in with additional details about Erin Demir's suspicious activities; 

Andrea added, "We couldn't have caught him without Hazel's expertise. She saved us from a potential disaster." Luca nodded in agreement, and I could see the weight of the situation settling on everyone in the room.

Alessandro's gaze shifted to me; his eyebrows were knitted, worry evident in his eyes, before he returned to Andrea and Luca. I felt his hand tighten on my waist, a quiet reassurance in the face of troubling revelations. 

He inquired, "Have you traced anything to Matteo or other rings?" 

The mere mention of that name made me tense. Ale's hand moved soothingly up and down my back, a discreet gesture meant to comfort me without drawing unnecessary attention.

Luca replied, "So far, nothing. We know that Matteo is working on negotiating alliances with other mafia groups, seeking to accumulate power to take control of the Lombardi family leadership. My intel suggests that his father, your uncle, wholeheartedly supports this venture, leveraging his network to strengthen his son's connections. Their approach involves attempting to buy loyalties with money, but as we know, loyalty is a currency not easily purchased. I suspect their strategy includes undermining Lombardi businesses to expose vulnerabilities to our allies. As for the mole, we have him in the basement for questioning, but I'm skeptical it will yield significant results."

Alessandro interrupted him, his eyes now tinged with rage. Despite the simmering anger, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor, delivering his words with authority and menace. "That's for me to decide, Luca. I'll pay a visit later."