The Slave of Pleasure

Rachel

I woke up with a feeling of unease that seemed to have been clinging to me since the night before. Veronica was an enigma and a danger, and I couldn't ignore it. I knew that my peace would only come when I had more information - I needed to understand who I was really surrounded by, how much she affected Vincenzo's life and, consequently, my own.

I turned to my laptop and decided to delve deeper into my investigations. I didn't know exactly where to start, so I did a simple search for Veronica's full name along with the name of some of the big cities in Italy where she owned designer stores. Soon, a list of articles began to appear on the screen. Most of the articles were columns from fashion magazines and gossip websites, mentioning her as one of the most influential women in the luxury industry, owner of an empire that seemed unshakable. However, after minutes of reading, I realized that the articles about her never went beyond the surface; they all seemed carefully constructed to display a glamorous, impeccable, almost untouchable image. I decided to explore a different path: international news sites and, especially, investigative journalism. There were rumors that Veronica was involved with businessmen and politicians not only from Italy, but also from other European countries and even Japan. She was a woman who did not limit herself to borders, maintaining a constant presence at events and exclusive circles. I began to suspect that these relationships went deeper than simple business partnerships. After an hour of searching, a suspicion began to form in my mind: what if this network of contacts was part of something much larger? What if Veronica was using her retail empire as a front for illicit activities? My fingers trembled as I clicked on an article that discreetly mentioned her name in connection with an investigation into influence peddling in Japan. The article was old, almost a decade old, but it mentioned an Italian businesswoman whose profile fit hers perfectly. I continued the search, but this time in a more specific way. I wanted to understand how she operated. What were her routines? Who were her allies? The frequency with which Veronica traveled to certain countries, always with the same people and always to the same places, began to seem like a coded message to me, as if she were marking her territory. In some of the photos I found, the same male figure accompanied her, always in the background. A tall, gray-haired man who never stood out, but whose presence was constant.

Researching more about him, I discovered that he was an advisor to a Japanese family with a reputation for involvement with the Yakuza. I swallowed hard. It was as if I had pulled a thread and, inadvertently, revealed a hidden layer of this whole situation. If Veronica had ties to the Yakuza, it meant that I was dealing with something much bigger and more dangerous than I could have imagined.

At that moment, an inevitable thought crossed my mind: did Vincenzo know about all this? Was he aware of Veronica's dark past and the connections she had? Or worse... was he also involved? That last thought was like a blow straight to my heart. Could Vincenzo, with whom I was beginning to feel safe, to let down my defenses, be immersed in this dark world? Doubt invaded me with an implacable force, and I knew I needed proof, something that went beyond mere speculation. I decided then that I needed to observe Vincenzo with new eyes. Every gesture, every word of his, would now be analyzed with meticulous attention. But to confront him, I would need much more information. I would need to be armed with facts, with details that he could not deny.

I closed the search window and prepared for the next step of the plan. I needed a new laptop to avoid any tracking or interception of data. The last thing I wanted was for Veronica or anyone associated with her to find out that I was investigating. I called Nancy and asked for help with this. Within minutes, she sent me a link to an electronics store where I could purchase the equipment anonymously.

Hours later, with the laptop in hand, I sat down again and began a more detailed investigation. I went through every name, every place, every event where Veronica might have appeared over the years. I wrote it all down, trying to create a timeline, a web of connections. A new detail emerged: Veronica seemed to always be accompanied by a select group of people at specific parties, in private and highly secure locations. There were reports of extravagant dinners, closed-door parties in elite mansions in Europe and Asia, always with limited and extremely restricted attendance.

My heart pounded. The more I dug, the clearer the pattern became. No. They were exclusive events, attended only by the cream of the crop of power and money. Vincenzo was present at some of them, which didn't surprise me, but knowing this left me disturbed. If he knew about this whole shady network and still kept Veronica close, what did that mean? Was I wrong about him?

I continued my research, finding mentions of other shady businesses. Apparently, Veronica used some of her front businesses to launder money from illegal activities, involving everything from influence peddling to, supposedly, trafficking in luxury goods of dubious origin. She moved in the shadows, hiding behind the mask of an impeccable businesswoman, and Vincenzo, somehow, was by her side.

I felt the adrenaline rising with each new piece of information I discovered, but along with it came fear. I was in unknown and dangerous territory, and each step I took brought me closer to a truth that I didn't know if I wanted to hear. Was I ready to face reality, even if it meant destroying what I thought I knew about Vincenzo?

Finally, exhausted, I closed the laptop. My hands were cold and my body felt tense, as if prepared to fight or flee. I knew I was at a crossroads, a point of no return. I could no longer ignore what I had learned, but I also knew that confronting Vincenzo would mean putting everything at risk.