Chapter 14 - The Final Interrogation
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The revelation hit the room like a bomb.
Alessandro pushed the doctors away, ignoring their protests, and stood up. He walked over to Sophia, snatched the ledger from her hands, and scanned the pages she pointed to.
His sharp, tactical mind instantly verified the math. Vincent hadn't just been a rat; he had been systematically bleeding the empire dry, preparing a massive nest egg for his retirement.
“Bring him up,” Alessandro commanded his guards, his voice dropping into a register of pure, terrifying ice.
Vincent was dragged into the ruined main study by two enforcers. He was beaten and bloodied from his earlier interrogation, but when he saw the open ledger on Alessandro’s desk, all the remaining color drained from his face.
“You stole from my father,” Alessandro said quietly, sitting behind his desk, looking at the man who had been a second father to him. “And when I took over, you continued to steal from me.”
“Alessandro, please, I can explain,” Vincent wept, dropping to his knees. “The family owed me! I gave my entire life to the Morettis! I just wanted a piece of what I built!”
“So you hired Mateo and the Vipers to assassinate me to cover up your theft,” Alessandro deduced coldly.
“No!” Vincent cried, his panic making him sloppy. “I didn't want you dead! I just wanted you distracted! The Vipers promised they would just disrupt the shipments. But Mateo got greedy! He wanted the throne!”
Alessandro stood up slowly, walking around the desk.
“You knew Mateo was Sophia’s abusive ex-husband,” Alessandro stated, his voice dangerously soft. “You knew bringing him into my house endangered my wife and my daughter.”
“She’s a maid!” Vincent screamed, a final, desperate burst of aristocratic mafia pride breaking through his terror. “She’s nothing! You risked our entire empire for a civilian whore!”
The gunshot was so fast Sophia didn't even see Alessandro draw his weapon.
Vincent collapsed onto the Persian rug, a bullet perfectly centered between his eyes.
Alessandro didn't look at the body. He holstered his weapon and turned to Sophia, his face entirely devoid of remorse.
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“No one disrespects my Queen,” Alessandro said softly.
He walked over and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply amidst the ruins of his home.
