Chapter 3 - The Hidden Ledger"Buying time for what?" Alessandro’s voice was terrifyingly calm.
Vanessa collapsed to the floor, her tears smearing her expensive makeup. "My father... the waterfront project... the debts. We needed the Moretti name to guarantee the loans. I thought if I were pregnant, you’d marry me before the audit finished. I didn't think you’d be so thorough!"
Alessandro reached into the box. He pulled out the silicone belly. It looked grotesque—a fake piece of flesh meant to mimic the life he’d been so desperate for.
But then, he pulled something else from the bottom of the box. A small, black leather ledger.
Vanessa screamed—a raw, guttural sound. She tried to scramble for it, but she was too late. Alessandro flipped it open. His eyes scanned the pages, and the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
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"This," he said, holding the book up for all to see, "is not just a fake pregnancy. This is the list of every bribe paid to the city council in the last five years. Vanessa, you weren't just playing house. You were keeping the records for your father’s criminal enterprise."
The room went deathly silent. The senators and judges who were applauding minutes ago now looked like they wanted to vanish into the walls.
