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The kitchen of Bello Rosso had gone completely silent, the background symphony of clattering dishes and roaring burners replaced by a heavy, suspended tension. / Chapter 10 / 10

Chapter 10 - The New SyndicateThree days later, the front-page headlines didn't mention a dishwasher or a mob boss.

They announced a massive federal crackdown on Caldera-Kline Pharmaceuticals. Execs were arrested in dawn raids across Boston and New York. Stock prices cratered to zero. Legal teams scrambled to distance themselves from the corporate slaughterhouse. And in the middle of it all, an anonymous digital drop cleared Dr. Nell Hart of every false charge, restoring her medical license, her reputation, and her rightful place in the scientific community.

I stood on the rooftop terrace of a high-rise in downtown Providence, the morning breeze catching my hair, holding a warm cup of coffee.

A sleek black car pulled up to the curb far below, and Rafael Corbin stepped out, adjusting his dark suit with effortless authority. He looked up, spotting me on the terrace, and gave a slow, respectful nod before disappearing inside the building.

My phone buzzed on the iron table beside me.

A text message from an unknown number: “The St. Mercy toxicology chair is vacant, Dr. Hart. The board is waiting for your call.”

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The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white.

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, t...

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

I looked down at my hands—clean, smooth, no longer stained by dishwater or grease. But I didn't reach for the phone right away. I took a slow sip of my coffee, smiled faintly at the Providence skyline, and realized that life hadn't placed me where I belonged.

I had carved out a new kingdom of my own.\

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