Chapter 76
The Austrian counter-terrorism command suite inside the Hofburg Palace was an arena of absolute crisis. High-ranking officials from Interpol and the Austrian Ministry of the Interior hovered over digital projection maps, their faces pale as they analyzed the decrypted contents of Elena’s ledger.
"The architect of the Ring Consortium is Baron Heinrich von Steiner," Colonel Klaus, the head of Austrian special operations, stated solemnly. "He controls four of the largest private military logistics firms in Europe and sits on the executive board of our defense procurement committees. He is the man who funded Antoine and bankrolled the Black Arrow initiative."
"Then arrest him," Matteo growled, slamming his fist against the briefing table. "You have the transaction logs, the offshore contracts, and the satellite coordinates of the black sites!"
"It isn't that simple," an Interpol legal attache replied, shaking his head. "Von Steiner holds absolute diplomatic immunity through three separate European commissions. If we execute a standard warrant at his estate, his legal team will file injunctions within the hour, giving his private security force ample time to scrub his servers and evacuate him to an un-extraditable jurisdiction."
"We don't raid his estate," Maya intervened smoothly, stepping forward into the circle of commanders.
The room fell silent as the officials turned their attention to the former waitress from Brooklyn.
Maya placed the black sapphire ring onto the digital map of Vienna. "Von Steiner doesn't know the files have already been decrypted and transmitted to The Hague. He believes the quantum data can only be accessed using this ring at a specialized cryptographic terminal. Tonight, he is hosting the annual Winter Imperial Ball at Schönbrunn Palace—an event attended by every diplomat and media outlet on the continent."
Dante’s eyes narrowed, instantly recognizing the sheer brilliance of his wife’s tactical mind. "You want to make the exchange in public."
"Not an exchange, Dante. A public execution of his reputation," Maya explained, her brown eyes steady and unyielding. "We announce that Dante Russo will deliver the ring directly to Von Steiner during the gala in exchange for an absolute cessation of hostilities. His arrogance will compel him to accept. He will want to gloat, and he will want the drive in his own hands. We wire the ballroom with live audio and visual feeds routed directly to the global press corps."
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Colonel Klaus stared at Maya in profound admiration. "If he admits to the conspiracy on a hot microphone in front of three hundred international dignitaries, his diplomatic immunity collapses instantly. He cannot hide behind lawyers."
Dante smiled—a rare, terrifying expression that radiated supreme confidence. "I will walk into his palace. I will hand him his coffin. And when he opens it, the world will watch him fall."
