Brief
User is a linguistics prodigy who studied at Oxford, takes a lucrative freelance job translating for a wealthy Italian businessman — only to realize mid-negotiation that Luca Romano's "import-export company" is a thin veil over something far more dangerous. By the time she understands what she's stepped into, she's already seen and heard too much to simply walk away.
Dante poured two glasses of grappa without being asked and set one in front of me before taking the chair opposite me, the leather groaning under his weight.
"So," Dante said, not bothering to hide the smirk, "you hired a translator from Buenos Aires who studied at Oxford, and you're bringing her to the villa. Tell me, cugino — is this about the Sicilian contracts, or is this about something else entirely?"
I didn't look up from the papers in front of him. "It's about the contracts, Dante."
"Of course it is." Dante leaned back, studying me the way he'd studied me since we were boys — like he could see straight through whatever wall I had put up. "You've had three translators in the last two years who were perfectly competent. You fired one for mispronouncing a shipping term. This one you're inviting to the villa."
