Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Moretti
That night, a storm battered the coastline, sending heavy rain lashing against the high stained-glass windows of Rossi Manor.
At 11:30 PM, Vincent sat in his private vault located beneath the manor’s wine cellar. The vault contained six server racks housing the estate's encrypted communications, millions in liquid currency, weapons, and original land titles for the Rossi family's waterfront holdings.
Luca stood beside the central console, reviewing a secure satellite link connection with their contact in Chicago.
"We found something, boss," Luca said, his voice tight. "It took four hours to bypass the sealed state court records in Illinois."
"Speak," Vincent ordered, lighting a cigar.
"Clara Vance isn't her birth name," Luca said, pulling up a mugshot on the primary monitor.
The woman in the photo was unmistakably Clara, though her hair was darker and her face was thin and bruised. The police ledger beside the photograph read: Claire Vance-Moretti. Arrested 2021, Cook County.
Vincent’s chest tightened instantly, a cold wave of icy rage washing through his veins. "Moretti?"
"She was married to Dominic Moretti," Luca explained, his finger tracing the line of text on the monitor. "Old man Moretti’s younger nephew. The one who ran their illegal pharmaceutical distribution in the Midwest."
"Is she an operative?" Vincent’s voice dropped into a terrifyingly calm register.
"It's complicated," Luca said. "Dominic Moretti was killed three years ago during an internal power struggle inside the Chicago outfit. Claire—or Clara—was caught in the crossfire. She took a bullet to her shoulder and spent six months in federal custody before the charges were dropped for lack of evidence. She disappeared into the private care sector right after."
Vincent stood up from his chair, tossing his cigar into an ashtray. "She’s Dominic Moretti’s widow. And she walked straight into my house, into my son's bedroom."
"Boss, let me handle this," Luca said, reaching for the sidearm holstered beneath his jacket. "I'll take her down to the docks for questioning right now. We'll find out what Moretti promised her."
"No," Vincent stopped him with a raised hand, his eyes burning with dangerous intensity. "If Moretti sent her, she’s reporting back to someone. If we snatch her now, they’ll know we’re onto them. I want to see how deep this rot goes."
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"And Matteo?" Luca asked nervously. "She was in his room last night!"
"I'll watch the feeds myself," Vincent said, turning toward the vault exit. "Assign two extra men to the hallway outside the nursery. If she moves so much as an inch outside her approved routine, put her in zip-ties and bring her to the basement."
