Lisa's stomach turned. "She's lying." she whispered. Marco stood behind the couch, his arms crossed. His face was calm, too calm. ""I know."" the reporter continued. "The senator has called for a full investigation into Marco Conti, who's been long suspected of criminal activity in the city.
He's accused of coercing the young waitress into participating in an online campaign to damage the Bennett family name." Lisa dropped the remote. ""Coercing me?"" Her voice cracked. "They're saying I'm what? Your your accomplice?" Marco didn't answer.
He was already making a call. ""Pull every clip."" he told Luca. "Full diner footage, uncut. Get timestamps. I want the original camera files from the diner security feed. Now."
He ended the call and looked at her. ""They want to make this public? Fine. We'll go public."" Lisa stood, pacing. "No, you can't Marco, you'll make it worse. He's a senator."
He turned his head slowly toward her. His eyes steady. "He's a father who raised a bully and built a career on lies. "He picked a fight with the wrong people."" Lisa's pulse raced. "You're talking about ruining a politician's career."
He stepped closer. ""I'm talking about protecting you."" She shook her head. "You don't have to destroy him for me." He smiled faintly, but it wasn't warm. "Sweetheart, you still don't understand. I don't destroy people for you.
I destroy people who touch what's mine." Lisa froze. Every word felt like a promise she wasn't ready to hear. And yet, her chest ached with the dangerous comfort of it. Before she could answer, Luca burst through the door, laptop in hand.
"We got it," he said. "Security footage from inside the diner. Full view of the table. Olivia spits on her, clear as day. No cuts, no edits."
Marco motioned, ""Show me."" Luca set the laptop on the table. The video played, raw, real. There she was, small and exhausted, trying to keep her head down. Olivia sneering. The spit.
Marco standing up, towering over the chaos. Lisa couldn't look away. Seeing it again from another angle made her chest tighten. It wasn't just humiliation anymore. It was proof.
Luca spoke, eyes on the screen. ""We leak this to the press, Bennett's done."" Marco's gaze never left the video. ""No."" "We don't leak it yet." Luca frowned. "Boss." Marco's tone dropped. "We give him a chance to pull back first.
He wants to humiliate a waitress? Let's see how he likes being the one on his knees." He looked at Lisa. ""You trust me?"" Her lips parted. "I don't even know what you're going to do." "Good," he said softly.
"Then you won't lie when they ask." By afternoon, Lisa's phone wouldn't stop vibrating. Journalists called. Anonymous numbers texted threats. One said, "You'll regret crossing the Bennetts."
Another, "Trash like you should stay silent." Her hands shook as she turned the phone over and over. ""Marco, I can't."" He took it from her, turned it off, and placed it face down on the counter. ""You don't answer unknown numbers again, ever."" She stared at him. ""This isn't normal."" "No," he said. "This is war." He walked to the window, phone pressed to his ear again. "Send word to DeLuca," he said quietly.