Chapter 4 - The Confession
Down in the sub-basement beneath the wine cellar, the air smelled of damp stone, iron, and centuries-old dust. Vanessa sat strapped to a heavy wooden chair under the harsh glare of a single overhead bulb. Her designer dress was torn at the hem, her perfect makeup ruined by hours of frantic weeping. Across the concrete room, Dante leaned against the wall, cleaning his fingernails with the tip of a switchblade.
The heavy steel door swung open, and I stepped into the room.
""Lorenzo! Please, oh God, Lorenzo, you know I love you!"" she wailed the moment she saw my shadow. ""Matteo threatened me! He said Victor Sterling would destroy my father's business if I didn't help them get Sophie out of the way! They promised me she wouldn't be hurt! They said she'd just be adopted by a wealthy family abroad!""
I walked over slowly, pulling up an iron stool and sitting down three feet in front of her. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't yell. The calm on my face terrified her far more than any display of fury ever could.
""You told my daughter she was a dog,"" I said, leaning forward. ""You forced her to eat off the cold marble floor beneath a table while you drank two-thousand-dollar bottles of champagne with your socialite friends. You wrote on her drawing that she didn't belong in this house.""
""I... I was angry!"" she sobbed, shaking her head frantically. ""Every time you looked at her, you saw Elena! You never looked at me the way you looked at that child! I wanted our own family! I wanted a clean slate!""
""There is no clean slate built on the torture of an innocent child,"" I replied coldly. ""Now, tell me the truth about the Long Island handover, or I let Dante handle the questioning.""
Vanessa choked back a sob, terror widening her pupils as Dante glanced up from his knife. ""Tonight! Midnight! Matteo was supposed to drive her to the private marina in Montauk! Sterling’s yacht is docked at Slip 42! Matteo made a deal: Sterling gets Sophie as collateral to guarantee you surrender the shipping manifests for the Brooklyn terminals, and in return, Sterling provides five million dollars and private muscle to help Matteo seize control of the family council!""
""And what was your cut, Vanessa?""
She looked down at the concrete floor, unable to meet my eyes. ""Two million dollars... and marriage to Matteo once you were eliminated.""
A bitter, humorless smile crossed my lips. ""You really thought my cousin would keep you alive after handing over my daughter? You were the loose end, Vanessa. The moment that yacht sailed, Matteo would have put a bullet in the back of your head and dumped your body in the Atlantic.""
Her jaw dropped, the horrifying reality finally piercing through her delusion. ""No... no, Matteo swore to me—""
""Matteo is a coward who preys on children,"" I cut her off, standing up and smoothing down the cuffs of my shirt. ""Dante.""
""Yes, Boss?""
""Keep her locked down until morning. Then pack her bags, drive her to the city limits, and seize every bank account, vehicle, and property in her name. If she ever steps within fifty miles of Sophie, put an end to her.""
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""Understood, Boss.""
I turned toward the heavy metal door. ""Now bring me my cousin. It's time to teach Matteo what it means to be a Moretti.""
