Chapter 9 - THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BLACK LEDGER
Elena finally told Dominic everything.
Not because she trusted him.
Because there was no longer anywhere left to hide.
"The Black Ledger wasn't a list of criminal transactions."
Dominic stared at her.
"Then what was it?"
"Names."
"What names?"
"Judges. Police officers. Politicians. Bankers. Businessmen."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"People we paid?"
"People who paid us."
He went silent.
Elena continued.
"Your father created the ledger."
"My father?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Insurance."
Dominic looked away.
"And Antonio?"
"Antonio wanted to use it to control the city."
"And you?"
"I wanted to destroy it."
Dominic looked at her.
"Why didn't you?"
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I found one name."
"Whose?"
She looked directly at him.
"Yours."
Dominic froze.
"My name was in it?"
"No."
Elena shook her head.
"Your name was beside a payment."
"To whom?"
"Your father."
Dominic stared.
"What payment?"
"An account was opened the day you were born."
"How much?"
"More than two hundred million dollars."
Dominic's face became unreadable.
"And the money?"
"Still exists."
"Where?"
Elena whispered:
"Under Lily's name."
Silence.
Dominic looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because your father believed that if anything happened to the family, his granddaughter would inherit everything."
Dominic stepped back.
"Lily?"
Elena nodded.
"She is the legal beneficiary of the Moretti family trust."
Dominic suddenly understood.
Antonio wasn't after the ledger.
He was after Lily.
Not because she was Dominic's weakness.
Because she controlled the fortune.
Antonio received the same information thirty minutes later.
He stared at his computer.
"Lily Carter."
The screen showed her birth record.
Then the trust documents.
Antonio smiled.
"So that's why."
He picked up his phone.
"Prepare the transfer."
A man hesitated.
"She is six."
Antonio's expression hardened.
"She's an asset."
Dominic reached the location where Lily was being held.
This time, he didn't bring an army.
He brought Elena.
And Detective Collins.
They entered through the front.
Antonio was waiting.
Lily stood beside him.
Dominic raised his hands.
"No weapons."
Antonio smiled.
"Smart."
Elena stepped forward.
"You wanted the trust."
"Yes."
"You can have it."
Dominic looked at her.
Elena whispered:
"Trust me."
Antonio laughed.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Elena pulled a document from her coat.
"The original trust."
Antonio stared.
"Give it to me."
"First Lily walks out."
"No."
"Then you get nothing."
Antonio's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked uncertain.
Lily watched him.
Then she noticed something.
The floor.
A thin red line.
A laser sight.
She looked at Dominic.
He saw her eyes move.
He understood.
"Elena," he said calmly.
"Yes?"
"Step left."
She moved.
Dominic moved right.
Antonio looked between them.
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot.
A scream.
Dominic grabbed Lily.
Marcus stormed through the side door.
Antonio disappeared into darkness.
When the emergency lights came on—
May you like
the trust document was gone.
So was Elena.
