Chapter 6 - The Paperwork of Treason
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By noon, the rain had cleared, leaving a cold, pale sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main drawing room.
Adrian Rossi arrived in a sleek black limousine, accompanied by two heavy-set men wearing tailored suits with noticeable bulges beneath their left arms. He walked into the house like he already owned it, his polished Italian shoes clicking loudly against the marble floor.
Evelyn met him at the base of the stairs. She was wearing a high-collared black dress, looking every bit the mourning widow-to-be.
“Is it done?” Rossi asked in a thick Chicago accent, sliding his gold ring off his pinky and playing with it.
“He’s on a ventilator upstairs,” Evelyn whispered, leading him toward Vincenzo’s private office. “The doctor says he won't last forty-eight hours. The staff is terrified and confused. They think the government is seizing everything.”
“Good,” Rossi smiled, pulling a thick leather folder from his briefcase. “I have the transfer documents for the East Coast shipping docks. Once you sign as his proxy, my men will take physical possession of the warehouses by midnight.”
From the adjoining utility room, Beatrice leaned against the drywall, her ear pressed against the hidden ventilation shaft.
She held a tiny digital recording device—given to her by Luca an hour ago—capturing every single word passing between Evelyn and the rival mob boss.
“What about my percentage?” Evelyn demanded inside the office. “We agreed on thirty percent of the offshore accounts.”
“You’ll get your thirty percent after the docks are secured,” Rossi replied coolly. “Now sign the paper.”
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Beatrice heard the distinct scratch of a fountain pen against thick paper.
She pulled the recorder back, pressed save, and slid into the narrow service corridor that ran behind the mansion’s walls.
