Chapter 22 - Chapter 22 - The Shadow in the Boardroom
The following morning, the snow had stopped, leaving a blinding, pristine blanket of white stretching across the estate grounds under a cold, steel-blue winter sky.
Inside the subterranean briefing room beneath the estate, the digital tactical displays glowed with a new set of data extracted directly from Silas's recovered leather ledger. The names weren't just low-level enforcers or corrupt port captains; they reached all the way to the executive committee of Graves Logistics in Chicago.
"We have three regional directors currently sitting on the board who authorized the initial cover-up of the dock transfer back when Marco and Vince were operating," Tony reported, tapping the holographic tactical map with a digital stylus. "They thought the paper trail was completely buried when the St. Louis warehouse burned down. They didn't know Silas kept a hard copy locked in a safety deposit box."
I stood at the head of the conference table, my hands resting flat against the cold metal surface, staring at the flashing red indicators on the map.
"They're scheduled for the quarterly board review in Chicago next Tuesday," I noted quietly.
"Yes, Boss," Tony nodded. "They think it's business as usual. They're planning to motion for a structural reorganization of the shipping lanes—effectively cutting us out of the European supply chain and seizing full control of the ports."
"Let them fly in," I said, a cold, hard resolve settling into my voice. "Let them book their flights, prepare their presentations, and walk right into the boardroom on the thirty-fifth floor. We aren't going to ambush them in an alley or start a war in the streets. We're going to dismantle them with the clean, unyielding weight of the truth."
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"Should I ready the transport team?" Tony asked.
"No," I replied, straightening up from the table. "Just you and me, Tony. Sometimes an empire doesn't need an army to clean its house. It just needs the master of the ledger to show up for work."
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