Phantom (1)
Gael stayed nearly an hour more at the banquet, waiting for his father and the Russian leader to emerge from the closed door. During their group meeting earlier, they talked about the upcoming election that would be happening in a few months. In all honesty, Gael and Giovanni weren't on board with sharing each other's candidates with the Russians, but the consigliere convinced Alessandro that it would be a smart move if they want the Russians to trust them more.
They still hadn't come to that point, though, and tonight's meeting was merely "feeling" each other out and seeing whether the other wanted to collaborate in the elections or if they still kept each other from a safe distance while also doing business together. It's a strange and complex dynamic from a regular person's perspective. But this was nothing new in their world.