Chapter 13 - Securing the Estate
Julian lunged forward instinctively toward the desk, his hand diving inside his suit jacket toward a concealed shoulder holster, driven by sheer, desperate panic. But before his fingers could even graze the leather, Leo moved with terrifying speed. The large bodyguard closed the distance across the room in two strides, grabbing Julian by the lapels of his charcoal suit and lifting him partially off the floor with effortless strength.
A small, matte-black pistol clattered from Julian's jacket, skidding across the polished marble flooring until it came to rest against the base of a marble pillar.
"Don't even think about it," Leo growled, his voice a low, gravelly warning that echoed off the high ceilings. He slammed Julian against the mahogany bookshelf with controlled precision, pinning him firmly in place while stripping away any remaining resistance.
Julian gasped for air, his face flushed with humiliation and terror as his expensive suit wrinkled under Leo's iron grip. "You can't do this! I'm a Moretti! My associates outside the gates will wonder what happened to me—they'll tear this house apart stone by stone!"
"Let them come," Dante said coldly, wheeling himself an inch closer to the desk, his eyes hard and unyielding. "They answer to me, Julian. Not to a coward who uses poison because he lacks the stomach for a fair fight. You thought I was weak. You thought you could inherit an empire while I choked on your tea. But the only thing you're inheriting today is exile."
Dante looked up at Leo, giving a single, decisive nod. "Take him out through the service elevator. Secure him in the lower west quarters until arrangements can be made for his permanent departure from the city. I never want to see his face in this house again."
"Understood, Mr. Moretti," Leo replied, securing Julian in a tight armlock that cut off any further protest.
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Julian thrashed weakly, casting one last hateful glare toward Dante and me before Leo dragged him backward out of the study. The heavy oak doors muffled his muffled curses until they faded entirely down the hallway, leaving absolute silence in their wake.
I stood frozen beside the desk, letting out a long, shuddering breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The adrenaline was slowly draining from my veins, leaving a profound, heavy exhaustion in its place. Dante slumped slightly back into his wheelchair, the intense, dangerous energy leaving his frame as he looked down at the violet test strip one last time. The house was safe, the poisoner was gone, and for the first time all weekend, the air in the Moretti mansion finally felt clean.
