Chapter 16 - The Ghost of the Boardroom
The transition from an underground syndicate to a legitimate enterprise named Emerald Infrastructure did not happen without consequences. Even after the older capos capitulated following Salvatore's arrest, another hidden power on Wall Street cast a greedy eye on Leo Castiglion’s rising empire.
On a foggy Monday morning, Mave entered the luxurious Manhattan skyscraper—the official headquarters of Emerald Infrastructure. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), she managed not just numbers, but served as the strategic mastermind behind Leo’s every move. However, her desk today held a brown envelope with no return address.
Inside was a thin yet lethal dossier: stolen photographs of Leo and her from eight months prior, when she was merely cleaning his private study in the suburban mansion. Attached was an anonymous typewritten threat: "The truth about the housekeeper's past and the mafia boss will be exposed to the SEC next Friday, unless assets are transferred."
Mave did not panic. She stood tall, her green eyes flashing with the cold, sharp resilience of a woman who had survived every hardship. Carrying the dossier, she walked straight into Leo’s private office.
Leo looked up from a stack of contracts, his dark eyes instantly softening when he saw her. But the moment he recognized the gravity on Mave's face, murderous intent blanketed the expansive room. "What is it?" Leo asked in a low, gravelly tone, his hand instinctively brushing the spot where he once hid a shoulder holster.
May you like
Mave dropped the dossier onto the desk, pushing it toward him. "We have a rat internally, Leo, or someone outside is trying a classic blackmail stunt ahead of our biggest shareholder meeting of the year."
Leo flipped through the pages, his jaw clenching so hard his facial muscles twitched. Rage exploded inside his chest—not out of fear of exposure, but because someone dared target Mave. "Who?" he roared, his voice booming like distant thunder. "Who dares touch you?"
