Chapter 8 - The Viral Leak
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The chaos started precisely at 8:00 AM the next morning.
Sloan was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the dinner prep, when the head chef’s phone suddenly started pinging relentlessly. Then, the butler’s phone rang. Within ten minutes, every single staff member in the Caruso mansion was huddled in corners, whispering furiously and staring at glowing screens.
Leo had created an anonymous, untraceable social media account. He had uploaded the video of Sloan crawling on the floor, tagging every major news outlet, local politician, and rival crime family on the East Coast.
The caption read: The Real Carusos: Animals in Designer Suits.
Sloan watched from the kitchen door as Valentina stormed down the grand staircase, screaming at the top of her lungs, her face flushed dark red with absolute fury.
“Take it down!” Valentina shrieked into her phone, pacing the marble foyer. “Call our lawyers! Call the tech guys! I want this wiped from the internet right now!”
But it was too late. The video was already going viral.
It wasn't just a PR nightmare; it was a devastating show of weakness. In the mafia underworld, image was everything. If Fallon Caruso couldn't even control his own teenage daughter and the staff in his own home, how could he control the Eastern seaboard? Rivals were already circling like blood in the water.
The heavy oak doors of the mansion suddenly flew open, and Fallon marched inside.
He didn't look angry. He looked completely, terrifyingly calm. He took off his black overcoat and handed it to the trembling butler.
“Gather the entire staff in the main hall,” Fallon ordered, his voice barely above a whisper. “Right now. No exceptions.”
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Sloan felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. She looked out the window and saw Leo standing in the courtyard, giving her a slow, almost imperceptible nod.
The trap was set. But Sloan suddenly wasn't sure if she was the hunter, or the bait.
