Chapter 3 - The Architecture of Betrayal
"She found a very dirty room," Gabriel said smoothly, never breaking eye contact with his cousin. "And a house that needs a thorough cleaning."
Vincent’s gaze flicked to me for a fraction of a second—just long enough for me to see the cold calculation behind his friendly facade. The panic he felt was buried deep under layers of cold survival instinct.
"Well, health is everything," Vincent replied, stepping further into the room and setting a leather briefcase on the mahogany dresser. "Especially with the board meeting tomorrow morning. The dock workers in South Chicago are getting restless, and without your signature on the oversight transfer, the whole logistics network stalls."
"Let them stall," Gabriel rasped, shifting slightly. "The docks can wait. What I want to know about is Dr. Adrian Vale."
Vincent didn't blink. "Dr. Vale? He’s the best microsurgeon in the district. You vetted his credentials yourself two years ago when we had that issue with Marco's hand."
"Did I?" Gabriel asked softly. "Or did you recommend him, Vince? Did you handle the appointment schedule while I was bleeding on the floor of the steakhouse?"
The silence that settled over the penthouse was heavy enough to choke on. Luca stood like a statue by the door, his hand still resting millimeters from his holster.
Vincent let out a soft, dry laugh, shaking his head. "Gabriel, you’ve got the paranoid fever talking. You think I conspired with a surgeon to botch your extraction? Why would I do that? If you die, the commission splits the territories between the old guard and the unions. I lose my seat at the table."
"You don't lose your seat if you hold the proxy votes," Gabriel replied, his eyes narrowing. "And you’ve been buying up the proxy shares from the Sicilian faction for the last six months using offshore accounts tied to the exact same shell company that imported medical-grade hardware from Belarus."
Vincent’s polite smile vanished completely. The mask dropped, revealing a man who was no longer playing the dutiful younger cousin.
"You checked the offshore accounts?" Vincent whispered, his voice losing its warmth. "When? You’ve been confined to this bed for three weeks."
"I have friends who know how to read between the lines," Gabriel lied smoothly, casting a subtle glance toward me. "And I have nurses who don't take orders from you."
Vincent took a slow step backward toward the hallway, his hand sliding inside his coat. "It’s a shame, Gabriel. You built an empire on loyalty, but you were always too blind to see that the world changed while you were sitting on top of it. The old ways are dead. The board voted yesterday morning. You’re already out."
May you like
Luca lunged forward, but Vincent was already diving through the double doors, a sharp metallic click echoing through the suite as the security override engaged from the outside.
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