Chapter 9 - The Boardroom Ultimatum
The morning sun had barely cleared the high limestone walls of the Moretti estate when the heavy oak doors of the courtyard swung open, admitting a pair of polished town cars that signaled trouble before they even cut their engines. I was standing by the secondary kitchen island, rinsing a colander of fresh greens for Teresa’s midday meal, when the rapid clicking of leather heels announced the arrival of Marcus Vance. He didn't wait to be announced by the guards. He strode down the long marble corridor with his jacket half-buttoned, his face dark with the fury of a man whose financial empire had just been dismantled by a single stroke of a pen.
Luca stepped out from his private study just as Vance reached the threshold of the kitchen. The contrast between them was absolute: Luca stood calm and immovable in his tailored black suit, his neck tattoos half-shadowed by the morning light, while Vance trembled slightly, his fingers clutching a leather portfolio like a weapon.
"You had no right to freeze those Vanguard accounts, Moretti," Vance hissed, his voice echoing off the tile backsplash. "That capital represents three housing developments on the east side, projects that keep the entire municipal council cooperative. You're tearing down our own foundation over a handful of squatters and a maid who doesn't know her place."
Luca didn't flinch. He walked slowly toward Vance, stopping just a few feet away so that he towered over the older executive. "Those accounts were built on forged eviction notices and predatory shell companies, Marcus. You used my corporate letterhead to steal property from people who have lived in this city for forty years."
"It's business!" Vance shouted, taking a step forward before two of the estate security guards materialized silently behind him, their hands resting easily at their sides. Vance stopped dead, his eyes darting to the guards and then back to Luca. "The board will never back this. If you think you can oust me without a shareholder vote, you're out of your mind. I'll leak every offshore ledger we share to the federal prosecutor before I let you ruin me."
"Leak them," Luca replied quietly, his voice carrying a dangerous, chilling flatness that made even me hold my breath. "Every ledger lists my signature alongside yours. I’m ready to sign my own indictment if it means cleaning out every parasite like you who uses my name to prey on families. You have until noon to hand over your keys and your security clearance. After that, I won't bother with the board. I'll handle you myself."
Vance glared at Luca with pure venom, then shifted his gaze toward me where I stood by the sink. "You think this little kitchen girl has saved you, Moretti? You think a few tears and a tray of pasta changes what you are? You're a mob boss playing corporate savior, and the wolves are already circling." He turned sharply on his heel, shoving past the guards with a muttered curse, and slammed the heavy front doors behind him.
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I let out a long, shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Luca turned his head, his dark eyes meeting mine across the quiet kitchen. He walked over, the tension leaving his shoulders only slightly as he stopped beside me.
"He's desperate," Luca said, his hand resting briefly on the marble counter next to my arm. "And desperate men make mistakes. Emma, we need to get your grandmother out of her apartment immediately. Vance knows where she lives, and even with his accounts frozen, he still has people on the street who don't play by corporate rules."
