Chapter 17 - The Corporate Predator
The internal investigation was swift and ruthless under the direction of Carmine and the private security team. Gone were the days of bloody torture in old warehouses; the underworld now executed punishment via a modern corporate format: isolation, financial freezing, and total reputational destruction.
The mastermind behind the blackmail quickly surfaced: Jonathan Vance, a cousin of Marcus Vance who had fled to Zurich. Furious over losing control of the shipping docks, Jonathan attempted to use Mave as leverage to force Leo into handing over 40% of Emerald Infrastructure's shares.
On a drizzly evening mirroring the night Mave first stepped into the Castiglion estate, Jonathan intercepted her in the corporate parking garage, believing he held the upper hand. He smirked maliciously as Mave stepped out of the private elevator alone.
"Think you've really changed your life, poor housekeeper?" Jonathan slinked out of the shadows, waving a smartphone containing copies of the security files. "One tap of a button, and your career and your mafia lover's entire operation go up in smoke."
Mave paused, turning to face him with a cold, mocking smile. She wasn't trembling at all. "Do you really think Leo and I built this empire on luck, Jonathan?"
Instantly, blinding headlights from four black SUVs cut through the gloom. Carmine and six tailored security operatives emerged from the corners, cutting off all escape routes. Stepping from the lead vehicle, Leo strode forward in his long black trench coat. His heavy footsteps echoed with the crushing pressure of a true ruler.
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Jonathan went pale, his phone slipping in his grip. "C... Castiglion! You can't touch me here! This is municipal property!"
Leo stopped an inch away from Jonathan. Towering over him, the mob boss cast a suffocating shadow. "You're right, Jonathan. I won't kill you here," Leo whispered, his voice dangerously frozen. "Instead, I'll ensure that before the sun rises, you are stripped of every asset, sued internationally for extortion, and locked away in the darkest federal penitentiary in America. Never threaten my woman again."
