Chapter 16 - The Final Verdict
Julian was dragged down to the reinforced concrete basement beneath the wine cellar—a relic of the estate’s darker history that Massimo rarely used anymore. The air down there smelled of damp stone and absolute finality.
I stood near the heavy iron-reinforced doorway, watching as Massimo circled the terrified lawyer like a wolf studying a trapped rabbit. Julian was tied securely to a wooden chair, his expensive suit wrinkled, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Please, Massimo—we go back ten years!” Julian stammered, his voice cracking with panic. “I know where the offshore accounts are hidden! I can give you everything!”
“You’ve already given me everything I need to know, Julian,” Massimo replied coldly, stopping right in front of him. He pulled a heavy silver signet ring from his pinky finger—the ancient symbol of the Pascale family head—and laid it heavily on the small metal table beside the chair.
“You’re going to write a complete confession, sign it, and then federal agents will pick you up at dawn,” Massimo commanded. “And if you ever try to blink out of line again, no prison on earth will keep you safe from me.”
Julian nodded frantically, sobbing tears of relief that he wasn't facing a summary execution right there on the concrete floor.
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As Massimo turned and walked toward the exit, I lingered for a second, casting one last look at the disgraced lawyer before following the mafia boss back up into the warm, lit corridors of the mansion.
The house felt different tonight. The shadows hadn't vanished entirely, but they belonged to us now.
