Chapter 9 - The Ledger's Location
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The silence in the safe room was heavy, insulated from the storm outside and the treachery upstairs.
Isadora looked down at the man kneeling before her. Giovanni Rossi, the ruthless king of the Amalfi Coast, looked exhausted. A streak of blood from the assassin smeared his pristine white shirt, and his dark hair fell messily across his forehead.
"You believed me," Isadora said softly, the realization washing over her. "You didn't shoot Silvio, but you know he did it."
"I am not a fool, Isadora," Gio murmured, resting his arms on her knees, his physical proximity sending a strange, terrifying warmth through her shivering body. "My father taught me to trust no one. But when I saw Silvio pull that trigger to silence the boy... I knew you were telling the truth. My uncle is a traitor."
"If you know, why didn't you end it?"
"Because the commission requires proof," Gio explained, his dark eyes locking onto hers with intense desperation. "If I execute my uncle without evidence, the other families will use it as an excuse to declare war and divide my territory. I need the black book. I need the financial records tying him to the poison."
Isadora took a deep breath, setting the brandy glass on the floor. She reached to the back of her neck and unclasped the silver locket.
She popped it open and pulled out the minuscule, folded piece of waterproof paper. She held it out to him.
"This is the access code," Isadora said, her voice steady. "The black book isn't hidden in a wall or buried in a forest. It’s in a safety deposit box in the Banco di Napoli. The most secure, impenetrable private vault in southern Italy."
Gio took the tiny piece of paper, staring at the alphanumeric code. A dark, predatory smile slowly curved his lips.
"You put my family’s deepest secrets in a civilian bank?"
"A bank that requires dual-key authentication, a retinal scan, and a specific passphrase," Isadora corrected him. "Your father set it up under a dummy corporation. Only he and I were registered to access it. With him gone, I am the only person alive who can walk through those doors."
Gio looked up at her, the sheer magnitude of her intelligence and foresight finally dawning on him. She wasn't just a waitress. She was a master tactician who had outsmarted the entire Rossi syndicate.
"We leave for Naples tomorrow," Gio declared, standing up. "We are going to rob our own bank."
"There is a problem," Isadora said, standing up to meet his gaze. "The vault is only accessible to high-tier clients during specific hours. Tomorrow night, the bank is hosting its annual charity gala in the grand lobby. The vault will be surrounded by armed guards, politicians, and half the police force in the city."
May you like
Gio stepped closer, the distance between them evaporating. He reached out, his knuckles brushing lightly against her cheek.
"Then we are going to a gala, mia regina."
