Chapter 19 - The Mastermind Unmasked
“I am the last living heir of the House of Castiglione,” Vance declared, his voice ringing across the windy cliffside. “The family your father exterminated thirty years ago to build the Moretti Syndicate!”
A black SUV pulled up beside Vance. Two armed men threw the bloody, unconscious body of Marco Valenti into the trunk like a sack of trash.
“For fifteen years, I acted as your loyal doctor,” Vance continued, stepping toward the helicopter. “I injected Clara with slow-dosing compounds not to kill her, but to keep you distracted. I dropped hints to Vincenzo to spark a civil war inside your family. And I let you find Iris tonight so you would think the threat was over!”
Clara emerged from the cathedral holding Lily and Iris, her face turning pale as she saw Vance standing by the helicopter.
“Vance… no…” Clara gasped.
“Thank you, Clara, Dominic,” Vance smiled warmly, stepping onto the helicopter’s landing gear. “With Marco in my custody, I now hold the master codes to both the Valenti and Moretti global vaults—totaling forty billion dollars. The underground world has a new King.”
Dominic aimed his rifle straight at Vance’s head. “You won't make it off this cliff.”
“Oh, but I will, Dominic,” Vance sneered, holding up a small detonator. “Because before I walked out of your mansion six hours ago, I placed three acoustic charges under the nursery floor where your daughters sleep. Lower your gun, or I flatten your entire estate.”
May you like
Dominic’s hand froze on the trigger. The cold terror of losing his children paralyzed him completely.
Vance laughed, slipping inside the helicopter cabin as the rotors began to spin wildly. The aircraft lifted into the drenching rain, soaring out over the dark, stormy ocean toward the horizon.
