Chapter 26
Contrary to Maya’s worst fears of an explosive, violent reaction, Dante did not smash the furniture or immediately summon his mercenary squads to clean the streets. His fury was internalized—terrifyingly cold and absolutely controlled. He simply stood still, pulling her tighter into his embrace, as if trying to use his own body as an eternal shield to protect her from any harm.
"You did the right thing by telling me, Maya. Thank you for trusting me and not keeping secrets," Dante said softly, pressing a deep, reassuring kiss to her forehead. His astonishing composure brought Maya an immense wave of relief.
May you like
The next morning, Sweet Haven Bakery opened its doors as usual, but Maya immediately noticed a distinct tactical shift. Around the neighborhood, heavily armored black SUVs were parked discreetly in blind spots. Not only Matteo, but at least five of the syndicate's most elite, plainclothes enforcers were tightly and silently monitoring every avenue of approach to the bakery.
Meanwhile, at the estate, Dante convened a high-level emergency meeting. He strictly forbade any armed retaliation. Instead, he utilized the massive, encrypted database retrieved from the USB drive Elena had left in the lockbox. "Matteo, extract all tax evasion records, money laundering transactions, and bribery networks connected to the Snake gang. Send them anonymously and directly to senior FBI agents," Dante ordered his cyber-security team with razor-sharp authority. "Simultaneously, freeze and drain all their bank accounts through our anonymous offshore hedge funds. I want them penniless and starving before they even think about picking up a gun to threaten anyone." Dante was proving to Maya that he had the intellectual power to protect their family without devolving back into a bloodthirsty monster.
