Chapter 14 - Under the Surface
The confrontation at the Drake did not end in violence, but the silent promise of it hung heavily in the air. Silas had vanished into the Chicago night before Vincent could reach him, leaving Alderman Miller looking pale and extremely nervous.
The next morning, the sun rose over a gray, misty Lake Forest. Tessa was in her conservatory, but she wasn't tending to her orange trees. Her laptop was open on a rustic wooden table, surrounded by piles of financial statements, corporate registries, and court filings.
Vincent walked in, his walnut cane tapping softly on the limestone tiles. He carried two cups of espresso, setting one down beside her laptop.
"You’ve been up since four," he said gently, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"Look at this, Vincent," Tessa said, pulling him closer to the screen. "I spent the night digging into the transit committee’s recent filings. Alderman Miller just approved a series of emergency environmental reviews for the land we purchased for the St. Louis terminal."
Vincent’s eyes narrowed. "Environmental reviews? That land was cleared by the state EPA three months ago."
"Exactly," Tessa said, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "But Miller used a loophole to trigger a municipal re-evaluation. It freezes all construction on the site for ninety days. And guess who just filed an application to purchase the adjacent parcel of land?"
"Ferrum Holdings," Vincent said, the puzzle pieces falling into place.
"They aren't trying to build a rival terminal," Tessa explained, her voice tight with anger. "They are going to use that adjacent land to set up a toxic waste transit hub. If that permit goes through, our terminal becomes legally unusable. The value of our logistics firm will plummet, and our contracts with the independent drivers will be voided."
"It’s a financial chokehold," Vincent murmured. "Silas is trying to starve us out of the legitimate market before we even get started. He wants to force me to buy him out using the old, dirty money we buried."
"If we use that money, the federal prosecutors will have the paper trail they need to dismantle the entire Corvino Logistics charter," Tessa said, looking up at him with wide, anxious eyes. "He’s trying to force you back into the mud, Vincent."
Vincent walked to the large glass windows of the conservatory, looking out at the vast, peaceful expanse of the lake. The water was calm, but he knew the currents underneath were deadly. Silas Vance thought he was playing a game of modern leverage, but he had forgotten one crucial detail.
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Vincent Corvino had not survived thirty years of underworld wars by simply being strong. He had survived because he was the smartest man in the room.
"Rocco," Vincent said into his phone, his voice cold and steady. "Find out where Silas Vance keeps his ledger. Every syndicate has one. If he’s funding this St. Louis play, he’s using dirty cash from the Detroit docks. I want to see his balance sheet."
