Chapter 8 - The Ten-Billion-Dollar LedgerThe lead delegate—a silver-haired man named Viktor who wore a custom Italian suit worth more than a small car—forced a tight, nervous smile.
"Tony. We heard you were... indisposed. Recovering from an unfortunate automotive accident," Viktor said, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for a glass of water.
"An accident involving two professional shooters, a compromised federal agent, and a multi-million-dollar buyout," Tony replied, leaning forward and resting his good hand on the table. "You made a very expensive mistake, Viktor. You tried to buy my empire, and when I wouldn't sell, you tried to bury me."
Viktor cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Business is business, Tony. The council moves forward with or without you. If you eliminate us tonight, ten billion dollars in encrypted assets vanish into the ether forever. You'll never see a dime."
Tony didn't flinch. Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the encrypted drive Sal had retrieved from Marco's safehouse.
"You assume I need your passwords," Tony said softly. "Vance’s terminal wasn't just communicating with this office. It was mirroring your master ledger in real-time. Every shell company, every offshore account, every bribe paid to federal officials across three continents... it's all right here."
Viktor’s face drained entirely of color. "You... you can't access that. The encryption key requires biometric verification from three sitting council members."
Tony glanced down at the floor.
May you like
Bruno stepped forward, placing his front paws gently against the edge of the polished mahogany table. The dog let out a low, deep exhale, staring directly into Viktor’s eyes with an intelligence that felt almost unnatural.
"He doesn't need biometric codes," Tony whispered with a grim smile. "He just needs you to sign over the transfer papers."
