Chapter 6 - The Price of Treason
The basement beneath Villa Rosa was a labyrinth of cold, damp stone corridors constructed during the Prohibition era. It lay twenty feet below sea level, where the sound of the ocean crashed directly against the outer walls.
Vivien sat huddled on a wooden chair in the center of a windowless cell, her expensive cream dress stained with dirt and grease. Her refined composure had completely shattered; she was sobbing hysterically, her body shivering from the damp cold.
The heavy iron door groaned open.
Dominic stepped into the cell, accompanied by Carlo. He had removed his suit jacket, wearing only a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"Dominic! Please!" Vivien fell from the chair onto her knees, crawling toward his shoes. "Please, forgive me! I was scared! Victor Maro threatened to kill my father if I didn't get him the harbor contracts! I never meant to hurt your mother!"
Dominic looked down at her with total detachment. "You threatened a nine-year-old child, Vivien. You brought violence to my mother's bedside. There is no fear in the world that excuses that."
"I was desperate!" she sobbed, grabbing the hem of his trousers.
Carlo stepped forward and pulled her back, forcing her back into the chair.
"Where is your father?" Dominic asked quietly.
Vivien swallowed hard, wiping her nose with the back of her trembling hand. "He's... he's at the marina. Waiting for Maro’s boat to take him to the Bahamas."
Dominic turned to Carlo. "Send team two to the marina. Bring Judge Morrow here."
"No! Please! Leave him out of this!" Vivien screamed.
"He put you in my house to act as a parasite," Dominic said coldly. "He shares your debt, and he will share your fate."
Dominic turned to leave the cell, but paused near the doorway. He looked back at her over his shoulder.
"Marin Hayes is currently sitting upstairs in my living room," Dominic said softly. "She is having coffee with my mother. Her son is on his way back to Newport in a private limousine, protected by six of my best men. She will never have to worry about rent, medical bills, or her son’s safety ever again."
May you like
Vivien stared at him, her eyes burning with a mixture of envy and bitter realization. "You love her," she whispered, a harsh, pathetic laugh escaping her lips. "The grand Don of New England... falling for a servant girl with nothing to her name."
Dominic did not answer her. He didn't need to. He simply stepped out of the cell, and the iron door slammed shut behind him, locking her into the darkness.
