Chapter 5 - the confession in the foyer
A heavy, suffocating shock filled the foyer.
Standing behind the second-floor balcony pillars, Marcus and four elite Bellandi guards lined up their sights on the mercenaries below, waiting for Victor's command.
Victor slowly descended the remaining steps, stopping on the ground floor just ten feet away from Julian Marsh. His expression was frighteningly calm, but the intense, lethal energy radiating from his massive frame made even the hired mercenaries shift uncomfortably.
"So you ordered the hit on Arthur Bennett," Victor stated flatly.
"He left us no choice!" Julian shouted. "He stole the master ledger that contained every bank account, every bribe, and every property title owned by the Bellandi family! He hid it before I could eliminate him!"
Victor reached into his midnight-black tuxedo jacket. He didn't pull out a weapon. Instead, he pulled out a small, silver digital audio recorder, clicking the red stop button.
Julian’s eyes widened in sudden, horrifying realization. "What... what is that?"
"Every word you just spoke," Victor said coldly, "was broadcast live to the full executive board of the Bellandi Syndicate Council via encrypted radio."
Suddenly, the heavy iron front doors were pushed fully open. Four senior syndicate elders—men in dark suits with gray hair and stern faces—walked into the foyer, flanked by twenty heavily armed syndicate officers.
The chief elder, Lord Dominic, stepped forward, looking at Julian Marsh with utter disgust. "We heard everything, Julian. You murdered Arthur Bennett, conspired to steal fifty million dollars, and ordered the abduction of Victor's daughter."
Julian backed away in absolute panic, his hands trembling as he looked at his own hired mercenaries. "Shoot them! Fire!"
None of the mercenaries moved a muscle. They immediately dropped their weapons onto the marble floor, raising their hands in total surrender.
"Take Julian Marsh and his daughter into federal custody," Lord Dominic commanded sharply. "Strip their family of all syndicate assets and title holdings immediately."
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Four armed officers stepped forward, slapping heavy steel handcuffs around Julian Marsh's wrists and dragging him out into the rain.
Victor turned and walked back up the grand staircase, his heart beating with a deep, urgent need to check on Clara and his daughter.
