Chapter 14 - the matriarch’s reckoning
The iron gates of the Rossi estate opened at ten in the morning for a sleek silver town car.
Victoria Rossi stepped out onto the gravel driveway, wrapped in an immaculate ivory cashmere coat, diamonds glittering at her throat. At sixty-two, the matriarch of the Rossi dynasty carried herself like royalty, her cold gray eyes surveying the armed guards with haughty disdain.
"Lorenzo," Victoria called out as she swept into the grand foyer. "What is the meaning of this lockdown? My driver was stopped at the perimeter fence like a common criminal!"
Lorenzo stood at the top of the grand marble staircase, dressed in a tailored three-piece charcoal suit.
Beside him stood Amelia.
She was no longer wearing the maid’s uniform. She wore a simple, elegant dark emerald dress, her hair pinned up, holding baby Leo wrapped in a royal blue blanket.
Victoria’s gaze locked onto Amelia, and for a fraction of a second, the matriarch’s aristocratic composure fractured. A visible flash of sheer terror widened her eyes.
"Clara...?" Victoria choked out, taking a step backward.
"Not Clara," Lorenzo’s voice boomed from the landing, cold and thunderous. "This is Amelia. Clara’s twin sister. And the woman who just saved my heir from the poison you bought."
Victoria recovered her composure instantly, raising her chin. "Have you lost your mind, Lorenzo? The grief has completely unhinged you. You're parading a common maid in front of our family guests—"
"Marco Bellini is singing in the basement, Victoria," Lorenzo interrupted, descending the stairs one slow, deliberate step at a time.
With every step Lorenzo took, Victoria retreated toward the heavy front doors.
"We have the bank routing numbers," Lorenzo said, pulling a folded legal document from his breast pocket and tossing it at Victoria’s feet. "We have the encrypted texts between you and Helena Cole. And we have the altered will you submitted to the family probate court two weeks ago, naming your biological son, Julian, as the sole heir if Leo did not reach his third month."
Victoria looked down at the paper. The color completely drained from her face.
"You never wanted me to lead this family," Lorenzo whispered, stopping five feet from her, radiating absolute, merciless power. "My father chose me because he knew Julian was a reckless coward. So you decided to wipe out my wife and my child to reclaim the empire."
Victoria’s mask of elegance slipped entirely, revealing pure, venomous hatred. "Your father was a fool! He gave everything to a son born from an Italian mistress while my Julian got crumbs! Clara figured out the trust diversion, Lorenzo! She was going to bankrupt us!"
"Guards," Lorenzo said, not raising his voice.
Four armed men stepped out from behind the foyer pillars, blocking Victoria’s exit.
"You won't kill me," Victoria spat, trembling with fury. "The family council would tear you to pieces! You can't touch me without a blood trial!"
"I won't kill you, Victoria," Lorenzo said softly. "The federal prosecutors will take care of your financial fraud. And the Chicago syndicate, whom you tried to frame for Clara’s hit, will take care of the rest the moment you step foot outside this state."
Lorenzo looked at his guards. "Escort Mrs. Rossi to the gate. Confiscate her passport, her jewelry, and her car keys. She leaves this property on foot."
May you like
Victoria gasped in humiliation as the guards gripped her arms, stripping the diamond necklace from her throat and dragging her out the double doors into the cold morning glare.
***
