Chapter 7 - The Unraveling of Lies
"What is the meaning of this?" Vittoria demanded, standing up from her chair, her eyes flashing with feigned indignation. "You barge in here with armed guards like common thugs? This is a legitimate board meeting regarding the future of the Moretti holdings!"
"A meeting you called under false pretenses," Alessandro said, walking slowly toward the head of the table. He didn't sit down. He stopped just behind Vittoria’s chair, leaning down so his voice was a low, terrifying murmur. "You assumed I would die at Il Cielo. You paid the head pastry chef twenty thousand dollars to slip digitalis into the chocolate soufflé."
"That is absurd! You have no proof!" Vittoria’s voice rose an octave, betraying her rising panic.
"Proof?" Alessandro tossed the manila folder onto the center of the table. The pages slid across the polished wood, stopping directly in front of Salvatore.
Salvatore glanced down. The top page displayed a bank statement showing a direct wire transfer from an account registered under Vittoria’s maiden name to a shell company controlled by Salvatore, dated twelve hours before our anniversary dinner.
"The chef confessed twenty minutes ago," Alessandro lied smoothly—a classic interrogation tactic, though the physical evidence in the folder was already damning enough to lock her away for a lifetime. "He told us about the red dress. About the little bottle. About the woman who promised him safe passage out of the country."
Vittoria looked around the table, seeking support from the other capos. But one by one, they averted their eyes, sliding their chairs back from her as if her very presence was cursed.
"You can't prove I ordered the poison," Vittoria hissed, her mask of sophistication completely shattering. Her face twisted into a snarl of pure hatred. "You were supposed to die, Alessandro! You and your little pet! You've ruined everything!"
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The confession hung in the air, echoing off the high glass windows of the penthouse.
Every single person in the room heard it.
