The hallway leading to the interrogation wing was colder than the rest of the estate. Even after the renovations, even after layers of new walls and reinforced steel, the air here never warmed. It still carried the memory of darker years. Luca's footsteps echoed against the concrete floor, each step steady, controlled, but fueled by a rising fury that pressed against his ribs like a tightening fist.
Two guards stood outside the reinforced door. At the sight of him, both straightened.
"He is inside, sir," one of them said.
"Has he spoken?" Luca asked.
"Not a word since he arrived. He only said he will talk to you."
Luca nodded once. "Open it."
The guard unlocked the heavy steel door. It creaked as it swung inward.
Luca stepped inside.
The interrogation room was sparse. A single metal table. Two chairs. A fluorescent light overhead, flickering slightly. And sitting calmly in the chair opposite the door was Adrian Mendez.
He looked nothing like Vittorio.
