#[ lorenzo zanetta || narrative 04 ]

[lorenzo-zanetta]

February 2024

Ten minutes to eight, Lorenzo stepped out of his sleek silver Mercedes Benz, handing the key to the valet. Thanking him, a doorman stepped up to graciously usher the dark Italian into the lavish building, its lobby gleaming in marble and gold.

"Good evening, sir," greeted the concierge from behind the counter. He smiled politely at Lorenzo, standing at the ready. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Lorenzo Zanetta," Lorenzo informed the man. "I'm here to see a Katrina Owens from Houston Advisory," confidently providing a fake name to one of New York's biggest realities, giving the man opposite no chance to question his purpose. With one swift nod, the concierge made quick work on his computer, soon finding the visitor's name and directing him to the eighteenth floor.

The trip to the upper levels was quick, and soon, Lorenzo was walking out into an immensely spacious — but empty office — floor space.

"Thinking of retiring to a 9 to 5?"

"And be like you?" Lorenzo quipped, having no need to see who it was. He knew that voice from anywhere. "No, thanks."

"Then why did you ask to meet here?" Crossing the room from behind the shadows, Giovanni Fiore soon stood side by side with his childhood best friend, hands in his pockets and a grim look on his face.

Though the two were currently at odds with each other given what had recently happened between Lorenzo and Giovanni's youngest sister, Vienna, they had agreed there were much bigger problems to attend to.

"Precaution." Lorenzo didn't feel the need to elaborate. By his tone alone, he knew Giovanni understood; not only did they need a private place to talk, but an alibi in case questions arose. "Does Nic know you're here?"

"No," Giovanni replied. "I didn't want to... get her upset."

From the tone of his voice to his reflection on the window, Giovanni's concern was hard to ignore. But Lorenzo himself was at a loss with what he could say to comfort his friend. Knowing his own father and what the man was capable of was petrifying enough, but to have recently learned of why Giovanni had to disappear from Nicola's life six years ago was a whole other thing completely.

"So... what's our plan?" There it was — the dreaded question.

Lorenzo had to take a minute, as if neither of them had already spent hours upon hours wondering if there was even an answer to such a question. Standing there felt like he was eighteen again, plotting with Giovanni on how they could explain having been caught throwing a no-parent party in Laglio. But things have changed since. Lives were on the line this time. Literally.

"Honestly," Lorenzo exhaled in quiet defeat. "I think we should just come clean with it." Finally turning to face his best friend, he could see his clear apprehension mirrored in Giovanni's face. "I mean, I know there are risks involved," he started, garnering a derisive snort from his friend, "but if Nicky stands by you, with child, what is he going to do, gun her down, too???"

But even as he said it, Lorenzo wasn't so sure himself. Would Antonio still carry out his old threat to Giovanni once he finds out his daughter had found her way back to her lover? Could he submit her to the same, if not worse, fate as he did six years ago? They'd almost lost her then; how far would he go to defend his ego over his love for family?

"I don't want to run from this anymore," Giovanni said at last, his voice quiet but determined. "I'm so tired of running. But I'd do anything to protect her and our baby..."

"Then we tell him," Lorenzo decided as confidently as he wished he sounded. "I'll be there, too. If not for your protection, at least to remind him of what he stands to lose," he murmured darkly. "I'm sure we can all agree that the last thing we want is for Nicola to get stressed and have her risk losing another child..."

"No," Giovanni turned away, his face growing somber. "Never again..."

* All conversations are in Italian.

#[ lorenzo zanetta || narrative 04 ]