The chess piece still sat on the strategy table inside the Valentino estate near Lake Como.
A white queen.
Sebastian Vale's message had been simple.
Threatening.
Personal.
Luca stared at the piece like it might suddenly explode.
"I hate chess metaphors," he muttered.
Elara leaned against the edge of the table.
"He wants us emotional."
Ares stood across from them, completely still.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"He wants us predictable."
Luca raised an eyebrow.
"Which means?"
Ares slowly picked up the white queen.
"He expects me to react."
"And you won't?" Elara asked.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Oh, I will."
He placed the chess piece back down.
"But not the way he expects."
Luca folded his arms.
"I'm listening."
Ares turned toward the massive digital map displayed on the wall.
The glowing map highlighted dozens of Valentino-controlled businesses across Europe.
One location blinked.
Milan.
"Sebastian wants a game," Ares said.
"Then we give him one."
Elara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What are you planning?"
Ares pointed to one of the properties in Milan.
A luxury financial tower.
One of the largest assets connected to the Valentino network.
"If Sebastian is watching our network…"
"He'll see everything we do," Luca finished.
"Exactly."
Elara studied the screen.
"You're going to move something big."
"Yes."
"How big?"
Ares looked at her.
"Big enough to make him nervous."
Luca leaned forward.
"You're not actually risking that building."
Ares' eyes darkened.
"I'm risking his patience."
Within minutes, Luca began sending instructions through the network.
The information spread quickly.
Financial analysts.
Corporate partners.
Investors.
Everyone saw the same news.
Valentino Group preparing to sell Milan Financial Tower.
Elara blinked.
"You're selling it?"
Ares shook his head slightly.
"No."
"We're pretending to."
Across the city skyline of Milan, Sebastian Vale sat calmly inside his penthouse office.
The notification appeared on his tablet.
He read the headline once.
Then again.
His lips curved into a faint smile.
"Well."
He leaned back slowly.
"That was fast."
Ares Valentino had responded.
But the move wasn't what he expected.
Sebastian looked at the building across the skyline.
The Valentino financial tower.
A symbol of power.
And now—
apparently up for sale.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.
"Interesting."
Back in the estate, Luca watched the network activity spike.
"The news is spreading fast."
Elara turned to Ares.
"Do you think he'll believe it?"
Ares' expression remained calm.
"He won't."
"Then what's the point?"
Ares looked at the chess piece again.
"Because believing it isn't the goal."
"Confusing him is."
At that exact moment—
Luca's monitor suddenly flashed with a new alert.
He leaned closer.
"…You're not going to like this."
Ares turned.
"What."
"The tower in Milan."
"What about it?"
Luca swallowed.
"The security system just went offline."
The room went silent.
Elara's voice dropped.
"That's not coincidence."
Ares' eyes darkened instantly.
"No."
Across the skyline of Milan, Sebastian Vale watched the same alert appear on his own screen.
He smiled faintly.
"A bluff," he murmured.
Then he picked up a black chess piece.
A knight.
And placed it on the board.
"Let's see how far you're willing to go, Ares."
Back in the estate, Ares stared at the flashing alert.
The Milan tower.
The blackout.
The silence.
He finally spoke.
"Prepare the jet."
Luca looked at him.
"…You're going to Milan?"
Ares' voice turned ice cold.
"Yes."
Because if Sebastian Vale wanted to play the game in Milan—
Then that's exactly where the devil would meet him.