Chapter 26 - The Fall of the Architect
A heavy tactical rappelling line dropped swiftly through the shattered glass, and Sophia swung down directly behind Dante’s operatives, her submachine gun sweeping in a wide, lethal arc.
Before the two guards could raise their rifles, Sophia’s weapon barked twice in rapid succession, dropping both mercenaries to the marble floor with pinpoint accuracy.
Dante spun around in shock, his aristocratic composure cracking for a single, vital fraction of a second. That was all the opening Leo needed.
In a blur of motion, Leo closed the distance between them, striking Dante across the face with the heavy polymer grip of his Beretta. Dante stumbled backward, crashing hard against the mahogany dining table, sending crystal decanters and silver tableware clattering across the floor.
Leo stood over him, pressing the barrel of his gun directly against Dante’s forehead. "You talk about blood and ledgers, Dante. But you don't know the first thing about what it means to be a Moretti."
Dante spat a drop of blood onto his white suit jacket, his chest heaving with fury, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of genuine terror. "If you pull that trigger, the entire European banking grid freezes. My automated protocols will liquidate every Moretti asset within forty-eight hours. You’ll be beggars."
"Let it burn," a deep, gravelly voice echoed from the private study entrance behind them.
Rocco Moretti walked slowly out of the shadows. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket; his white shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing the weathered scars of a lifetime of war. In his right hand, he held an old, heavy-calibre revolver—the same gun he had used to secure the syndicate thirty years ago.
"Father," Dante whispered, his voice finally losing its steady, cultured edge.
"I built this house with my bare hands, Dante," Rocco said quietly, stopping beside Leo and looking down at the third son he never knew he had. "I didn't build it on bank accounts or offshore trusts. I built it on loyalty, blood, and the willingness to burn everything to the ground to protect the people under this roof."
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Rocco cocked the hammer of his revolver with a loud, heavy click. "You want to liquidate the assets? Go ahead. We can always build a new empire from the ashes."
Before Dante could reach for the hidden detonator in his coat pocket, Sophia stepped forward, her hand moving with lightning speed to intercept his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back until the small electronic trigger clattered uselessly onto the floor.
