Chapter 11 - Fourteen PercentCarlo recovered quickly.
He always did.
“Miss Marshall.”
He took his seat.
“How theatrical.”
Olivia looked around the boardroom.
Twelve directors.
Three attorneys.
Two corporate secretaries.
Dante sat across from Carlo.
Maya sat behind Olivia.
Outside, federal agents waited with warrants they were not yet ready to execute.
Carlo opened the meeting.
“The purpose of today’s session is approval of restructuring resolution 26-11.”
Olivia raised her hand.
“I invoke Article Nine of the Marshall Voting Trust.”
Carlo’s eyes narrowed.
The corporate secretary looked startled.
Maya handed copies around the table.
Olivia continued.
“As successor trustee of the fourteen-percent voting block, I formally allege material fraud by company leadership and request an independent investigation.”
Several directors began talking at once.
Carlo laughed.
“This is absurd.”
Maya answered.
“It is contractually binding.”
Carlo turned toward Dante.
“You brought a waitress into a boardroom to destroy your father’s company?”
Dante’s expression remained calm.
“My father created the trust.”
“Because Daniel manipulated him.”
Olivia said, “Daniel protected him.”
Carlo slammed his palm down.
“You know nothing about this family.”
The room went silent.
Olivia thought of the glass shattering at Belladonna.
Of Rocco grabbing her arm.
Of Dante saying stop.
Now she did not flinch.
“I know enough.”
Carlo looked around the table.
“You all understand what she is doing? This woman has been coached by Dante because he wants control.”
Dante spoke.
“I’m resigning as chief executive.”
Even Olivia turned.
She had not known.
Carlo stared.
“What?”
Dante slid a letter across the table.
“Effective immediately.”
The directors erupted.
Carlo lost his composure.
“Why?”
“Because an independent investigation cannot be credible while I remain CEO.”
Carlo’s face changed.
For the first time, he understood Dante was willing to burn his own throne.
“You stupid bastard.”
Dante almost smiled.
“My father used to say that.”
Carlo stood.
“This company will collapse.”
“No,” Olivia said.
“Your protection will.”
The board voted.
Seven to five.
Independent investigation approved.
Restructuring frozen.
Carlo lost.
But he was not finished.
He reached into his briefcase.
“I anticipated theatrics.”
He distributed another document.
Maya read it.
Her face tightened.
“What?”
Olivia asked.
Maya looked at Dante.
“Financial records.”
Carlo smiled.
“Dante’s criminal accounts.”
Dante remained still.
Olivia understood.
Carlo was threatening mutually assured destruction.
“If I fall,” Carlo said, “he falls.”
Dante nodded.
“Yes.”
Carlo’s smile faltered.
“Yes?”
“I already gave those records to the FBI.”
Silence.
Carlo stared at him.
“You did what?”
“I told them everything.”
“You would destroy your own family?”
Dante’s voice became cold.
“You destroyed it years ago.”
The boardroom doors opened.
Agent Ruiz entered.
Behind her were federal agents and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Carlo Moretti?”
Carlo backed away.
Then Samuel Greer appeared near the service corridor.
No one had expected him.
He moved toward Olivia.
Rocco reacted instantly.
Samuel grabbed the leather evidence case beside Maya.
Rocco caught his shoulder.
They slammed into the wall.
Directors screamed.
Samuel swung.
Rocco blocked him.
No guns.
No shots.
Just two men struggling over years of betrayal.
Olivia grabbed the case as it dropped.
Samuel looked at her.
“Give it to me!”
“No.”
He reached.
Orion suddenly stepped between them.
The massive dog did not bite.
He simply stood.
A low growl rolled through his chest.
Samuel stopped.
Agents seized him.
Rocco staggered backward, breathing hard.
Dante never moved toward Samuel.
He looked only at Carlo.
Agent Ruiz approached.
“Carlo Moretti, you are under arrest pursuant to a federal warrant for conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and obstruction.”
Carlo stared at Dante.
“You think they’ll let you walk?”
Dante shook his head.
“No.”
For the first time, Carlo looked frightened.
Not because Dante threatened him.
Because Dante did not.
As agents led Carlo away, he shouted, “Your father would be ashamed of you!”
Dante’s face did not change.
Olivia stepped beside him.
“No.”
Carlo looked at her.
She held Daniel’s letter.
“His father would finally know who told the truth.”
The elevator doors closed on Carlo Moretti.
Dante stood motionless.
Then Maya’s phone buzzed.
She looked at the message.
Her expression changed.
“Olivia.”
“What?”
“The FBI located Daniel’s Canadian alias.”
Olivia stopped breathing.
May you like
Maya swallowed.
“There’s a death certificate.”
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