The Billionaire's Mistake (Anya and Daniel)
MISTAKE 129

"The dark hand?" Agent Rossi interjected. "I thought they were just as bad as the them

"I can assure you, they're very much there," Director Ricci said grimly. "But not as degrees

Agent Conti's brow furrowed. "I don't understand, Director. If this, whatever it is, could bring down the president, why would a criminal organization want it? Haven't they benefited from destabilizing the government? They prefer to destabilize, not remove. Control the government instead of bringing them down. Is it possible they just want to control the president?"

The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch as Director Ricci took a deep breath. "What I about to tell you goes beyond top secret. It's information that could get us all killed if it ever leaves this room." He paused, making eye contact with each agent in turn. "The Dark Hand wants this information because their leader... is the President himself."

The silence that followed was deafening. The agents sat in stunned disbelief, their faces a m of shock, confusion, and dawning horror.

Agent Bianchi was the first to replace his voice. "That's... that's impossible. Can you confirm this, director?."

Director Ricci shook his head. "I'm afraid it is confirmed. We know. The President of Italy is the head of one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the country."

The way he said it made them sure that they had always known. This sent chills down their spins.

Agent Moretti leaned back in her chair, her face pale. "Director, I dare to ask, how long have you known?"

this relevant?" Director Ricci admitted.

This made them uncomfortable. The director knew. Not only did he know, he is trying to play both sides. It seems the risk of this being revealed is high. The director is trying to give himself an advantage by having the agency replace it first. As long as the agency replaces this evidence first, even if it gets revealed, there are many ways to make it seem as though they had been investigating this.

"The information has spread to quite a few people now, after an incident involving the President. An incident that the public believes was a simple fire."

The implications of this statement hung heavy in the air. Each agent recalled the news reports from a few weeks ago-a fire after a meeting, the President briefly hospitalized. It had seemed

mundane at the time.

Agent Rossi's eyes narrowed. "So what exactly is our mission here, Director? Are we supposed to protect the President or expose him?"

Director Ricci's expression was grim. "Our mission is to protect the stability of our nation. If the truth about the president were to come out, it would plunge Italy into chaos. The fallout would be catastrophic, both domestically and internationally."

"So we're going to cover it up?" Agent Conti asked, her voice indifferent. She liked everyone; there were professionals. They did their jobs well. And from the look of things, since they had been told, they had been dragged into the same camp as the director. "We're going to contain it," Director Ricci corrected. "And to do that, we need to retrieve whatever information Anya Shaw has in her possession. We will be working with the dark

hand."

Agent Bianchi leaned forward, his young blank as he asked. "Director, are you saying we're supposed to aid a criminal organization? Will they cooperate?"

Director Ricci's gaze was steel. "I'm saying we're going to do whatever is necessary to prote our country from a crisis; it may not survive. Yes, that means working alongside the Dark Hand. It means operating in a gray area that goes against everything you've been trained for But the alternative is far worse."

The room fell silent again as the agents had already come to terms with this new reality.

Everything about their jobs has always been this way. Lies and coverups. It was not as though they were novices that this knowledge about their job, about the country they served, would turn their world upside down.

Agent Moretti broke the silence. "How do we even begin to approach the Shaw family? They're not exactly known for their cooperation with law enforcement. Attacking them is out of the question."

"We'll be working with a team from the Dark Hand," Director Ricci explained. "They have... methods to get into the Shaw family's way so that we don't need to attack directly."

Agent Rossi shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips. "I never thought I'd see the day when we'd be working with the mob to protect a corrupt president. It's like something out of bad crime novel."

"I understand this is difficult to process," Director Ricci said, his voice softening slightly. "But I need to know right now if each of you is prepared to do what needs to be done. If anyone feels they can't handle this assignment, speak now. There will be no judgment, no repercussions. But once we move forward, there's no turning back

The agents exchanged glances, a mix of emotions playing across their hearts. Shock, disbelief, anger, and fear, but their faces remained blank. They had all sworn an oath to protect their country, and even if the situation was far from what they had ever imagined, that oath still stood.

One by one, they nodded their agreement.

"We're in, Director," Agent Conti said, speaking for the group. "It's like any other job, bar we're in."

Director Ricci nodded, looking across at everyone seated. "You are all professionals. What we do here could well determine the future of our nation."

He stood, signaling the end of the meeting. "Call your contacts. Daniel Shaw and his wife a in Appletown. We'll reconvene tomorrow morning at 0800. By then, I'll have more details our moves. Until then, speak of this to no one. As far as the rest of the agency is concerned, you're on a special assignment regarding organized crime. That's true, the only truth

As the agents filed out of the room, each lost in their own thoughts, the weight of their new reality settled heavily upon them.

They had entered that room as people who did anything they were asked. They left as conspirators in a plot as exactly so. This was why they were picked.

The Italian intelligence agency had indeed been restructured, but not in any way they could have anticipated.

As they dispersed to their respective offices, each agent couldn't help but wonder if they might be a joke. If their jobs are jokes. They went through the information they had been given.

Some had started to make calls. The director was right in picking them, as their methods were unconventional. In one night, a few smaller Mafia families had been called and given incomplete information. Very little was known about the person, his job, or even his name But they were all given Daniel's location..

The sleek black Maserati roared as it drove through the night, its tinted windows reflecting the dim streetlights of the outskirts of Naples. Inside, Daniel Shaw loosened his silk tie and

Chapter 129 Plans made

exhaled slowly; he had left Anya at the hotel to meet up with some business leaders.

"Everything alright, boss?" Luca, his guard, asked from the driver's seat.

Daniel's dark eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, meeting Luca's concerned gaze. "Just drive, Luca. I need a fucking drink."

Daniel had felt the meeting he had today was drawn out for no reason.

The meeting with the Dantes had gone... not poorly, but not as smoothly as Daniel had hoped. The Shaw family had held very little control over the small town of Appletown; small groups like the Dantes had more control here. Most of their businesses pass through the hands of these small families, and it was normal to meet them since Daniel was in town.