Luca took his foot off the step and walked a slow circle in the center of the foyer.

He seemed unusually tense, his fingers twitching against the seam of his trousers.

His eyes kept drifting away from Sofia, looking down the corridor that led to Alexander’s private study.

“I am only looking out for our interests,” Luca said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “If Alexander is compromised, the ledger, the deeds, the safe… everything is at risk.”

“The safe?” Sofia asked, her voice sharpening. “Why are you worried about Alexander’s safe?”

“We need to secure the documents before the feds or the local crews find out he is down,” Luca said quickly.

His voice was tighter now, lacking his usual smooth, charismatic rhythm.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his temple, though the hallway was drafty and cold.

“The study is locked,” Sofia said, stepping down to block his path to the corridor. “And the codes are Alexander’s alone.”

Luca’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek.

He took a step closer to Sofia, his polite facade slipping for a brief second.