Chapter 24 - The Poisoned Olive Branch
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I stared at the document Vivian held out. The heavy seal of a Swiss notary gleamed in the dim light of the library.
“If it’s money you want, take it up with a team of corporate lawyers,” Luca said, making no move to take the paper. “You don't need to stand in my house to file a lawsuit.”
“I don't want a protracted legal battle, Luca,” Vivian smiled smoothly. “Lawsuits take years. They drain resources. They invite federal scrutiny, which I’m sure you desperately want to avoid given the delicate transition of your businesses.”
She stepped past him and stopped a few feet from me.
“I came to you, Emma, because you hold the key,” Vivian said softly.
“I don't control the Moretti trust,” I replied, folding my arms.
“No, but you control Eleanor,” Vivian countered, gesturing toward my mother, who was watching the exchange with wide, horrified eyes. “Eleanor’s signature is required to release the funds. If she signs this document, acknowledging my legitimacy and authorizing the split, I walk away quietly. I take my half, you keep your half. No press. No scandal.”
“And if we refuse?” I challenged.
Vivian’s gray eyes hardened into chips of ice.
“If you refuse, I don't just sue for the money. I sue for full control of the estate,” she threatened. “I will expose every dirty secret Antonio ever buried. I will drag the Moretti name through the mud until the federal government seizes every asset you have left. And I will make sure the media knows exactly how Luca acquired his fortune.”
She paused, letting her gaze drift toward the hallway where Grace had been playing earlier.
“It would be a shame for a child to grow up under the shadow of a seized empire,” Vivian whispered. “Especially after her father fought so hard to give her a clean name.”
A red-hot wave of fury crashed over me.
“Don't you ever mention my daughter,” I warned, taking a step forward.
Luca’s hand clamped onto my shoulder, gently pulling me back.
May you like
“You have forty-eight hours to review the document,” Vivian said, dropping the paper onto the mahogany desk. “After that, the war begins.”
She turned on her heel and walked out of the library, the heavy doors shutting behind her with a final, ominous thud.
