Chapter 4 - the physician's confession
Dominic reacted instantly. He lunged across the desk, grabbing Dr. Vance by his collar and pulling him down behind the solid mahogany structure just as a second bullet embedded itself into the wall paneling.
"Mateo! Snipers on the rooftop across the street!" Dominic shouted into his collar mic. "Cover the perimeter!"
Outside, the screech of tires and muffled gunfire erupted. Dominic crouched beside Dr. Vance. The old doctor was bleeding heavily, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.
"Vance, look at me!" Dominic demanded, pressing his gloved hand against the wound. "Who bought those records?"
Vance’s eyes rolled back slightly, his lips trembling. "The... the recording... under the desk..."
Dr. Vance went limp, his chest stilling completely.
Dominic didn't waste a second. He reached under the heavy lip of the mahogany desk, his fingers brushing against a small digital recorder taped to the underside. He ripped it free and slid it into his tuxedo pocket.
Flanked by two security guards with drawn weapons, Dominic moved through the shattered glass of the rear exit, stepping into the waiting black SUV. Mateo slammed the door shut and jumped into the front passenger seat as the vehicle sped away into the Manhattan night.
"We lost the shooter, Don Dominic," Mateo reported, breathing heavily. "He vanished into the subway system. Professional hit."
"He was sent to silence Vance before he could speak," Dominic said coldly.
He pulled the digital recorder from his pocket and pressed play.
A sharp hiss came from the small speaker, followed by clear audio. The voice on the tape was elegant, refined, and completely calm:
"Dr. Vance, the five hundred thousand has been transferred. You will keep quiet about the blood reports, or your daughter in Boston will not make it to her next birthday. The Bellaro empire belongs to my family, not Elena's bastard."
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Dominic’s breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. It wasn't Vivienne's.
It belonged to Sophia Bellaro—his late brother’s widow, the woman who lived in the east wing of his own mansion.
