Chapter 6 - THE ULTIMATE RECKONING
A Shocking Twist That Rewrites Everyone's Destiny"Silas answers to only one person in my family," Nora whispered, her face going pale in the red emergency light. "And it isn't my father."
"Then who?" Luca asked, his grip tightening on his gun as footsteps approached the office door.
"My grandmother," Nora breathed, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. "Evelyn Bennett."
Before Luca could process the revelation, the heavy oak doors of the office were blown off their hinges by a controlled explosive charge. Smoke poured into the room.
Silas Vance stepped through the ruins, his weapon raised. Behind him, walking slowly with the aid of a silver-headed cane, was Evelyn Bennett. Her fragile, frail demeanor from the east wing was entirely gone, replaced by a cold, calculating malice that made her look like a true criminal mastermind.
"Grandmother..." Nora said, stepping out from behind the desk, shielding Luca.
"Hello, Nora dear," Evelyn said, her voice smooth and entirely devoid of her usual warmth. "You always were the smartest of the bunch. I told you that you had your grandfather's mind. It's a shame you wasted it on a conscience."
"You killed Luca’s father," Nora accused, her voice trembling with a mixture of grief and fury.
"Vicente DeSantis was greedy," Evelyn said casually, gesturing for Silas to keep his gun trained on Luca. "He wanted eighty percent of the port profits. My late husband was weak, and my son Conrad is a fool. I had to take matters into my own hands seven years ago. But the DeSantis family just wouldn't die out. When Luca insisted on a marriage alliance, I saw the perfect opportunity."
Evelyn smiled cruelly at Nora. "I knew Vanessa would run if she thought she was in danger. I knew Conrad would force you into that dress. And I knew Luca would carry you out. The plan was for Silas to eliminate you both in the chaos, leaving Bennett Maritime to absorb the leaderless DeSantis empire under my total, silent control."
"You used me," Nora whispered, tears finally stinging her eyes. "I stayed in that house for years to protect you!"
"And you did a wonderful job keeping the company profitable while I pulled the strings," Evelyn sneered. "But now, you are a liability."
Evelyn nodded to Silas. "Kill them."
Silas raised his weapon, aiming directly at Nora’s chest.
Bang!
A shot echoed through the room, but it didn't come from Silas.
Silas gasped, dropping his weapon as a neat red hole appeared in the center of his forehead. He collapsed to the floor, dead.
Evelyn spun around in shock. Standing in the doorway, holding a smoking pistol with a trembling hand, was Vanessa Bennett. She had crawled out from under the couch unnoticed during the confrontation and picked up a discarded guard's weapon.
"You... you crazy old witch," Vanessa sobbed, her hands shaking violently. "You tried to have me killed too!"
Before Evelyn could react, Luca moved with supernatural speed. He disarmed the remaining mercenaries who poured into the hallway, his men finally arriving to secure the room. within seconds, Evelyn Bennett was surrounded, her empire crashing down around her feet.
Luca walked over to Evelyn, his face a mask of pure, lethal shadow. "You will spend the rest of your short, miserable life in a maximum-security federal facility, Evelyn. I will make sure of it."
Three Months LaterThe grey waters of Port Mercer were calm.
The newly formed DeSantis-Bennett Logistics Group had completely monopolized the eastern seaboard. Conrad Bennett was serving a twenty-year sentence for corporate fraud, and Evelyn Bennett had mysteriously suffered a stroke in her prison cell, never to speak again. Vanessa had been given a generous settlement and sent to Europe, permanently removed from the family business.
In the grand penthouse overlooking the ocean, Nora stood out on the balcony, the cool wind whipping through her dark curls. She wore a stunning emerald dress that accentuated every single one of her beautiful, full curves.
A pair of strong, heavily tattooed arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Luca pulled her flush against his chest, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"You're thinking too loud, cara," he murmured, his deep voice sending a familiar, pleasant shiver through her body.
Nora smiled, leaning back against him, feeling completely safe, completely valued, and completely loved for exactly who she was. She turned around in his embrace, looking up into the grey eyes of the man who had come for the golden daughter, but had given the scapegoat her ultimate throne.
"I’m just thinking about our new contract," Nora whispered, her fingers tracing his jawline.
May you like
Luca laughed, a warm, dark sound, before capturing her lips in a deep, possessive kiss.
"From now on, wife... you write the rules."
