Chapter 11 - Shadows on the Hudson
The autumn air grew sharp as October settled over Westchester, turning the dense maple trees along the Hudson River into vibrant corridors of crimson and gold. Inside the Moretti estate, the heavy iron gates remained sealed to outsiders, but life had settled into an unaccustomed, fragile rhythm of peace.
Lily had become a fixture in the private family wing. Ethan, whose world had previously been dictated by tutors, security details, and rigid medical schedules, now spent his afternoons sitting on the lawn with a three-year-old girl who didn't care about his last name or his father’s reputation. She simply demanded he share his crayons.
From my perch on the second-floor veranda, I watched them through the glass, a cup of lukewarm tea resting in my hands. The heavy leather envelope containing my father’s case files remained locked away in Dominic’s Zurich vault. I hadn't opened it. For the first time in six years, the burning ache of vengeance in my chest felt replaced by something heavier, more enduring: the quiet necessity of protection.
A quiet click of the heavy oak double doors announced Dominic’s arrival. He walked onto the veranda, loosening his tie, his gray eyes reflecting the fading evening light.
“Dante intercepted a digital ping from an offshore proxy server out of Zurich ten minutes ago,” Dominic said without preamble, leaning against the stone balustrade.
My body instantly stiffened. “The Corsicans?”
“Worse,” Dominic replied, his voice dropping an octave. “The remaining cells of the Silverio syndicate didn't scatter after Vincent’s arrest. They’ve allied with a rogue faction within the federal prosecutor’s office—the exact office that buried your father’s investigation.”
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The tea in my cup suddenly felt like lead. “They know who I am.”
“They know you’re living under my roof,” Dominic corrected, turning his intense gaze toward me. “And they know the Zurich files haven't been destroyed. They think you hold the digital key to every offshore account they use to launder their cartel money.”
