The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 62

The Venetti estate buzzed with activity as allies arrived from across the region, their cars pulling into the courtyard in a steady stream. Marco stood at the top of the grand staircase, watching as Sergio Montini and his men entered the hall. Sergio, ever the statesman, offered a curt nod before extending his hand.

“Marco,” Sergio greeted, his voice steady. “It seems we have bigger problems than we anticipated.”

Marco shook his hand firmly. “The Consortium won’t stop until we’re broken. I’m glad you came.”

Sergio’s eyes flicked to Carmen, who approached from the side, a folder in her hands. “Mrs. Venetti,” he said with a slight bow. “I hear you’ve been leading the charge on intelligence.”

Carmen smiled politely but got straight to the point. “We’ve identified several strongholds connected to the Consortium. Supply routes, communication hubs—they’re well-coordinated, but not invincible.” She handed the folder to Sergio. “These are our primary targets.”

Sergio flipped through the documents, his expression darkening. “Impressive work. But striking these targets won’t be easy.”

“It never is,” Marco said. “That’s why we need your men. United, we stand a chance of cutting off their resources and turning the tide.”

Sergio closed the folder, glancing around the room where other family heads were gathering. “We’ll stand with you, Marco. But make no mistake—if we fail, the Consortium won’t just destroy your family. They’ll come for all of us.”

“Then we don’t fail,” Carmen said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension.

________________

By late afternoon, Carmen found herself in the estate’s war room, surrounded by maps, charts, and reports. She moved with purpose, directing men to gather intelligence and organizing the shipment of weapons to their allies.

Luca entered, a grim look on his face as he handed her a report. “More activity near the eastern docks. The Consortium’s building up forces there—could be another staging ground.”

Carmen scanned the report quickly. “We’ll need eyes on it. Double the surveillance, and have Montini’s men reinforce the area.”

“Done,” Luca said, then hesitated. “How’s Marco holding up?”

Carmen glanced toward the door. “Focused. Angry. But that’s not always a bad thing.”

Luca smirked. “Not when you’re about to go to war.”

She nodded, her attention returning to the maps. “We can’t afford any more surprises, Luca. Keep digging. We need to stay ahead of them.”

________________