Chapter 8 - the confrontation at midnight
Julian Vance's face turned ashen grey. "Don Carmine... listen to me! The files are forged! Lorenzo is trying to frame my family!"
"The files bear your personal cryptographic signature, Vance," Don Carmine declared sternly. "You attempted to murder a boss’s fiancée, embezzled fifty million dollars from council accounts, and staged an illegal assault on a sovereign estate. As of this moment, your family title is stripped, and your life is forfeit."
Julian’s eyes flashed with wild, panicked rage. Realizing he had nothing left to lose, he raised his silenced pistol directly at Lorenzo’s heart. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me, Moretti!"
Before Julian’s finger could squeeze the trigger, a loud gunshot rang out from the second-floor balcony above.
A single bullet struck Julian’s hand, knocking the weapon from his grip as he screamed in agony, falling to his knees on the marble floor.
Standing on the balcony landing above, holding Lorenzo's heavy caliber revolver with both hands, was Anna Reed. Her navy maid dress was slightly rumpled, but her posture was rock-steady as she lowered the smoking barrel.
Behind her stood Evelyn, weak but standing proud, supported by Dr. Hayes.
Lorenzo moved like a lightning bolt. He closed the distance between himself and Julian Vance, kicking the dropped pistol across the floor, then grabbing Vance by his collar, lifting the rival boss completely off his feet and slamming him into the stone pillar.
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"That was for three years of torture," Lorenzo growled, his deep voice carrying the finality of a judge passing sentence.
Moretti elite security forces stormed the room through the side entrances, quickly disarming the remaining mercenaries and dragging Julian Vance away into the dark storm outside.
