Chapter 1 - The Blood on the Ledger
Roman’s cold gray eyes fixed on the signature at the bottom of the second invoice.
The handwriting belonged to Everett Varelli, his favorite first cousin and the vice president of Varelli Maritime Logistics.
Everett was family, the golden boy Roman had trusted with the entire waterfront operation.
"Everett signed this off," Roman murmured, his fingers tightening against the polished mahogany breakfast table.
Corinne watched the stillness settle over him, that dangerous, quiet composure he only wore when he was ready to kill.
"He didn't just sign off," Corinne said gently, sliding a third sheet across the marble surface. "He personally routed three wire transfers over the past ninety days directly into a shell corporation registered in the Cayman Islands. It totals nearly twelve million dollars."
Roman leaned down, his broad hand resting beside her cup of cinnamon coffee.
His silver-blond hair caught the morning sunlight pouring through the tall French windows.
"Leave this with me, Corinne," he whispered, his deep baritone laced with protective urgency. "Do not open another file from harbor operations."
Corinne looked up into the face of the husband she had loved for three complicated years.
He had given her diamonds, sprawling ocean views, and safety, but he had wrapped her in velvet until she could barely breathe.
"Roman, this isn't just an internal audit error," she argued, refusing to blink. "Whoever set this up was cutting corners on the support beams at Pier Seventeen. That pier is structurally compromised."
"I have men who handle dirty steel, Corinne," Roman said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her temple. "You are my wife. You stay safe behind the gates."
He took the papers, folded them once, and walked out of the breakfast room with cold purpose.
Corinne sat alone in the echoing room, listening to the gravel crunch under his armored SUV.
She knew Roman too well; he was fiercely protective, but pride blinded him when it came to his own blood.
She opened her private laptop, pulling up the encrypted backup drive she had smuggled out of her old forensic firm.
If Roman confronted Everett directly without leverage, Everett would erase the digital paper trail before noon.
Two hours later, Corinne stood in the underground archives of the downtown headquarters, holding a musty physical shipping manifest.
The real figures told a horrific truth: the counterfeit steel wasn't just poor quality; it was hollowed scrap metal meant to collapse under cargo pressure.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed along the cold concrete corridor behind her.
Corinne spun around, slipping the flash drive into the deep pocket of her tailored blazer.
Standing in the shadow of the doorway was Everett, smelling faintly of expensive bourbon and tobacco.
May you like
He was smiling his usual charismatic, lazy smile, but his eyes were completely devoid of warmth.
"Corinne," Everett said smoothly, shutting the heavy fire door behind him with a resonant click. "Roman told me you were asking questions about my department."
