Chapter 5 - THE CONFRONTATION
The grand study of DeLuca House was cold, illuminated only by the crackling fire in the large stone fireplace and the soft light of a single desk lamp.
Donald Mercer—a tall, arrogant politician with silver hair and an expensive suit—paced nervously in front of the heavy mahogany desk. Beside him, Vivian stood with her arms crossed, her red dress looking completely out of place in the dark, tense room.
Two built DeLuca enforcers stood quietly by the closed double doors, blocking any exit.
"This is an outrage, Roman!" Donald demanded as Roman walked into the room, impeccably dressed in a fresh dark suit. "You've detained us in your study for over an hour! My legal team will hear about this!"
Roman walked calmly behind his desk and sat down in the high-backed leather chair. He didn't offer them seats. He didn't even look at Donald. He poured himself a glass of scotch, took a slow sip, and set the glass down with a soft clink.
"Apex Financial," Roman said quietly.
Donald froze, his arrogant posture faltering for a fraction of a second. "What?"
"Apex Financial Services," Roman repeated, leaning back. "Registered in Delaware. Managed through a series of offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. A predatorial predatory lending firm that targets vulnerable families with high-interest medical loans."
Roman raised his eyes, fixing Donald with a gaze that had broken men far more dangerous than him. "You own it, Donald."
"That... that is a legitimate business investment—" Donald began, sweating slightly.
"It is an illegal extortion ring," Roman interrupted coldly. "And six years ago, your company acquired a debt belonging to Arthur Bennett—the late father of Claire Bennett."
Vivian swallowed hard, stepping back behind her father. "Roman, what does some maid's personal finances have to do with us?"
Roman stood up slowly, towering over the desk.
"Claire Bennett almost died tonight on my property," Roman said, his voice dropping into an icy, lethal register. "Because your daughter used that debt to blackmail her, and then forced her out into a deadly blizzard, knowing the carriage house was locked."
"She's lying!" Vivian shrieked, her composure finally shattering into desperate panic. "She's just a bitter, fat servant trying to get money out of us! She wanted to ruin our engagement!"
CRACK.
Roman slammed his hand down on the mahogany desk with enough force to echo like a gunshot through the room.
"Do not speak her name with your dirty mouth," Roman roared, stepping around the desk, advancing on Vivian.
Vivian backed away until her spine hit the bookshelf, trembling violently.
"You thought you could walk into my house, marry into my family, and use my power while conducting criminal operations on my staff?" Roman said, looking down at her with pure disgust. "You thought I wouldn't notice?"
"Roman, please!" Donald pleaded, stepping between Roman and his daughter. "We can settle this! The debt is canceled! I'll wipe it clean tonight! Just let us leave!"
"The debt is canceled," Roman said softly, pulling a thick folder from his desk and tossing it onto the coffee table. "And so is the engagement."
Vivian gasped, her face draining of all color. "Roman... no! The wedding is in eleven weeks! The political impact—"
"The political impact will be the least of your concerns, Donald," Roman said, turning to her father. "In that folder are complete financial records detailing Apex Financial’s illegal extortion schemes, tax evasion, and money laundering. At 8:00 AM tomorrow, a copy of this file will be delivered to the Federal District Attorney."
Donald looked like he had been struck by lightning. "You'll ruin me!"
"You ruined yourself the moment your daughter targeted Claire Bennett," Roman replied coldly.
He signaled to Frank. "Remove them from my house. Strip them of their security clearances. If either of them comes within five miles of this estate or Claire Bennett ever again, kill them."
"Roman! You can't do this!" Vivian screamed as the enforcers grabbed their arms, dragging them roughly out of the study. "She's just a maid! She's nothing!"
The double doors slammed shut, cutting off her hysterical screaming.
May you like
Silence returned to the study.
Roman stood alone by the fireplace, watching the flames consume the wood. He took another sip of his scotch, his mind turning away from the corrupt Mercer family, drifting back to the quiet, beautiful woman sleeping safely upstairs in his bed.
