Chapter 15 - The Matriarch's Ledger
The next morning broke crisp, cold, and clear.
We gathered around the rustic dining table in the great hall. Teresa was already seated, looking remarkably rested, a steaming cup of espresso before her.
Between her hands lay an antique, leather-bound ledger with brass corners—something she had kept hidden inside her personal travel case.
"What is that, Ma?" Luca asked, pouring himself coffee while shooting me a soft, lingering look that made warmth rush to my cheeks.
Teresa tapped the worn leather with a single, manicured nail. "When Antonio ran the Five Families forty years ago, the Vance patriarch was nothing more than an ambitious street captain. My Antonio never trusted him. He kept a duplicate record of every off-the-books bank account, every offshore shell company, and every political bribe Julian’s family ever orchestrated."
Luca’s eyes widened. "The black ledgers? I thought Father burned those before he died."
"Antonio wanted them burned," Teresa said with a cunning smile that showed exactly where Luca inherited his tactical genius. "I told him I did. But a smart woman always keeps a knife behind the breadbox."
She slid the ledger across the polished wood to Luca.
"Julian Vance is holed up at the old grain silos by the Calumet River. He thinks he’s preparing for a siege. But with these accounts, you don't need to fire a single bullet to destroy his empire. You freeze his funds by noon, and his own mercenaries will hand him over to you in chains."
Luca opened the ledger, his eyes scanning the yellowed pages filled with numbers, account codes, and signatures. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face.
"Ma," Luca said, shaking his head in sheer awe. "You are more dangerous than all of us combined."
"Don't flatter me, boy," Teresa chuckled, winking at me. "I just want this nonsense over with so we can plan an actual wedding that doesn't involve social-climbing vipers."
I nearly choked on my tea.
Luca laughed aloud—a deep, joyful sound that echoed through the lodge—and reached across the table to squeeze my hand. "One step at a time, Ma. First, I bury the Vances. Then, we talk about the future."
"Marco!" Luca called out, snapping the ledger shut.
Marco stepped into the room immediately. "Yes, Don Moretti?"
"Contact our banking liaisons in Zurich and the federal prosecutor we keep on retainer. Send them photos of pages twenty through thirty-five. By the time Julian wakes up, I want him bankrupt, indicted, and utterly abandoned. We move out in two hours to oversee the seizure."
"Yes, sir!" Marco turned to execute the orders.
Luca stood, looking down at me. "Stay here with my mother. There are twelve men securing the perimeter. Nothing gets through that gate without my authorization."
"Be careful, Luca," I said, rising to stand before him.
May you like
He reached out, his hand resting gently against the nape of my neck, leaning in to place a firm, possessive kiss on my forehead. "Always. I have everything to come back to now."
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