Chapter 7 - the council's demand
Lorenzo didn't flinch. He stood broad-shouldered in the middle of the drawing room, stepping in front of Bianca, despite her betrayal, shielding his sister from the line of fire.
"Julian," Lorenzo said, his voice terrifyingly steady. "You picked a terrible night to break into my home."
Julian chuckled dryly, signaling his men to secure the perimeter. "I didn't come to negotiate, Moretti. Bianca promised me the master ledger three years ago. When she failed to deliver, I waited. But now that your lost bride has resurfaced with my financial secrets... I have to clean up the mess."
Bianca stepped out from behind Lorenzo, her voice trembling with desperation. "Julian! We had a deal! You promised me safety!"
Julian looked at Bianca with total contempt. "You're a foolish woman, Bianca. You served your purpose. Now you're just a liability."
Before Julian could raise his pistol, a loud, heavy chime echoed from the estate's central communications array on the wall. A massive projection screen descended from the ceiling, flickering to life automatically.
Appearing on the screen were five senior elders of the International Mafia Council—the supreme ruling body of the global syndicate.
The chief elder, a stern, gray-haired man named Don Carmine, spoke through the high-definition speakers, his authoritative voice filling the hall.
"Julian Vance," Don Carmine announced coldly. "Lower your weapons immediately."
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Julian froze, looking up at the projection screen in utter shock. "Don Carmine...? How...?"
"Lorenzo Moretti patched our encrypted feed into his home security system ten minutes ago," Don Carmine explained, his dark eyes staring down at Vance with immense disgust. "We have spent the last half-hour reviewing the decrypted files provided by Evelyn Moretti."
