Chapter 4 - THE MAFIA QUEEN'S FIRST MOVE
Shocking the Bennetts on Live TelevisionThe next morning, the entire tristate area was in a state of absolute chaos.
News broadcasts outside the DeSantis estate showed live footage of the ruined Bennett mansion. The headlines were savage: "MAFIA WEDDING MASSACRE: BENNETT HEIR MISSING AFTER BLOODY AMBUSH."
Inside the sleek, hyper-modern office of the DeSantis fortress, Nora sat at a massive glass desk, wearing a tailored black silk suit Luca had ordered for her. Her dark curls were pinned back, and her eyes were fixed on three separate monitors.
"Your father just went live on the news," Luca said, walking into the room and placing a cup of black coffee next to her hand.
On the center screen, Conrad Bennett stood before a crowd of reporters, looking visibly shaken but entirely performing for the cameras.
“My daughter, Vanessa, has been kidnapped by the DeSantis organization,” Conrad lied smoothly into the microphones, squeezing his wife Camille’s hand as she faked tears. “We demand her immediate return. We appeal to the federal authorities to intervene against these criminals.”
Nora let out a cold, cynical laugh. "He’s trying to trigger an investigation to invalidate the contract. He thinks if the feds freeze your assets, he can reclaim the shipping lines without fulfilling his side of the bargain."
"Can you stop him?" Luca asked, leaning against the desk, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
"Watch me," Nora said, her fingers flying across her keyboard.
She plugged in the gold locket she had rescued from the ballroom floor. Inside was the master key to Bennett Maritime’s offshore routing codes. Within ten minutes, Nora bypassed her father’s security firewalls, accessing the company’s primary financial terminal.
"What are you doing?" Luca asked, a hint of dark amusement in his voice.
"My father thinks I am his scapegoat," Nora said, her eyes flashing with a ruthless fire. "He forgot that I built his entire financial infrastructure. I know every skeleton, every hidden debt, and every illegal bribe he used to buy those docks."
With three decisive clicks, Nora routed ninety percent of Bennett Maritime’s liquid assets into a secure escrow account controlled exclusively by the DeSantis syndicate. Simultaneously, she released a massive, anonymous whistleblower packet to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), detailing twenty years of Conrad Bennett’s tax evasion and corporate fraud.
"It’s done," Nora said, leaning back in her chair.
Right on cue, the live news broadcast caught a sudden commotion. Two federal vehicles pulled up right behind Conrad Bennett’s press conference. Agents stepped out, flashing badges, and handcuffed a stunned Conrad on live television.
Luca stared at the monitor, then looked down at Nora. A slow, deeply satisfied smile spread across his face. He leaned down, placing his hands on the arms of her chair, trapping her beneath his gaze.
"You are utterly terrifying, my queen," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.
Before she could reply, the office doors flew open. One of Luca’s enforcers stood there, looking pale.
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"Boss... we have a problem. A woman just showed up at the front gates. She’s demanding to see you."
Nora looked at the security camera feed. Standing at the gate, her expensive clothes torn and her blonde hair disheveled, was Vanessa Bennett. Miles Langford had abandoned her the moment the wedding ambush hit the news, and now, the golden girl had come back to claim her throne.
