Chapter 9 - THE NEW REIGN
Don Falcone cowered on the concrete floor of his own vault, looking up at the two young men standing over him.
Adrian Moretti—the undisputed king of the city's underworld.
And Julian Vance—the son of the man Falcone had destroyed twelve years ago.
"Please..." Falcone begged, his voice raspy with age and fear. "Adrian... your father and I... we were business partners! I can give you everything in this vault! Millions! Land! The docks!"
Adrian stepped forward, looking down at the old man with dark, cold indifference.
"You took a brother from Julian," Adrian said flatly. "You used a innocent woman as a weapon. And you brought war to my family."
Adrian looked at Julian. "He's yours."
Julian looked at the red folder in his hand, then at the terrified old man on the floor.
He drew his sidearm, pulling the slide back with a sharp, metallic CLACK.
Falcone closed his eyes, weeping softly.
Julian held the gun aimed directly at Falcone's forehead for three long, agonizing seconds.
Then, slowly... Julian lowered the weapon and engaged the safety.
Adrian frowned slightly. "Julian?"
"Killing him in a basement makes us no better than him," Julian said calmly, looking into Falcone's eyes. "Federal agents are surrounding this block right now. I transferred these financial ledgers to the United States Attorney's office ten minutes ago."
At that moment, red and blue police lights began flashing through the high basement windows, accompanied by the wail of approaching federal sirens.
"Don Falcone," Julian said coolly. "You're spending the rest of your natural life in a federal penitentiary."
Falcone slumped onto the floor, realizing that his empire was destroyed not by a bullet, but by justice.
Adrian looked at Julian, a look of profound, soaring respect shining in his dark eyes.
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"You really are something else, Vance," Adrian murmured softly, a genuine smile touching his lips.
"I told you, Moretti," Julian smiled back, slipping his gun into its holster. "I play to win."
