Chapter 14 - The Name of the Ghost
The silence in the room became absolute. The rhythmic hum of the medical monitors sounded deafening against the backdrop of the storm outside.
"Enzo," Vera repeated, the name tasting foreign on her tongue. She looked from the paper up to the dark, imposing man standing before her. "Your name is Enzo. You're not just a wealthy businessman with a private medical suite, are you?"
Vance met her gaze without flinching. The illusion of the civilian savior was entirely gone, stripped away by the harsh reality of the note. "My name is Enzo Falcone," he said, his voice flat, devoid of the theatricality of confession. "And the man who sent this note is Julian Cross—a rival who spent the last five years in a federal supermax facility before his legal team bought a corrupt judge's signature last month."
"Julian Cross," Marco muttered, his jaw clenching. "He was supposed to be locked away for another decade."
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"Money unlocks every cage in this city, Marco," Enzo replied coldly. He closed the box with a sharp snap. "Cross wants the north harbor shipping lanes back. He thinks that by targeting someone in my orbit, he can force me to yield territory without firing a shot."
Vance turned back to Vera, his eyes softening just a fraction—not with pity, but with a heavy, dangerous resolve. "Which means you are no longer safe at your apartment, Miss Sullivan. Nor are you safe at the municipal shelter."
