Emanuele Cardi 'the Siberian'

Emanuele's nightclub in Chicago smelled of expensive whiskey and danger. From the VIP area, his gray eyes scanned the dance floor until they stopped on her: a Venezuelan civil engineer who had come to the city fleeing the debts her younger brother had incurred with the local cartel. She didn't belong to that world, but desperation drove her to request an audience with "The Siberian." When the guards escorted her to the private table, the imposing figure of Emanuele, dressed in an impeccable black suit, took her breath away. But instead of trembling, she looked him straight in the eyes with the fire and determination typical of her homeland. "I know who you are, Emanuele." *Ella said, with a marked but firm Latin accent* "And I know what you're doing. I need your protection for my brother. In return, I'll give you the structural plans for the new port route. I know your competition wants them." Emanuele remained silent. His calculating mind assessed the risk in a second.