Chapter 6 - The Midnight Exchange
By 3:00 AM, the bodies of the mercenaries had been removed through the service tunnel by Leo's loyal crew, leaving no trace of the firefight in the main corridors.
Dominic sat in the grand parlor on the ground floor, swirling a glass of twenty-year-old scotch, waiting for the confirmation call from his strike team.
The heavy parlor doors swung open.
Adrian walked into the room alone, dressed in a sharp dark suit, holding a leather binder under his arm. He looked completely composed, his stride steady, his eyes bright and alert.
Dominic’s scotch glass froze inches from his lips.
The color slowly drained from Dominic's face as he stared at his brother, as if seeing a ghost walking through the moonlight.
"Adrian?" Dominic stammered, scrambling to his feet, trying desperately to regain his composure. "What... what are you doing awake? I thought you were resting."
"I couldn't sleep, Dominic," Adrian said smoothly, pouring himself a glass of water from the crystal carafe on the sideboard. "I was reviewing the Rotterdam contracts you left on my desk."
Dominic's eyes darted frantically toward the doorway behind Adrian, searching for any sign of his mercenary team. "Did you... did you hear any noise in the west wing twenty minutes ago?"
"Noise?" Adrian asked innocently, taking a slow sip of water. "No. The house was completely quiet. Why? Were you expecting someone?"
Dominic swallowed hard, sweat beginning to bead along his hairline. "No... of course not. Just... the wind in the old trees."
Adrian walked over to the grand fireplace, throwing the leather binder onto the glass coffee table between them.
"I signed the documents, Dominic," Adrian announced flatly.
Dominic looked down at the binder, his heart pounding in his chest. "You... you signed the port transfer?"
"I signed a document that will be presented to the family council at nine o'clock this morning," Adrian corrected him, his dark eyes fixing onto Dominic with an intensity that made his younger brother step back. "I want every board member, every captain, and every senior attorney in the main hall at sunrise."
"Why?" Dominic asked, his voice shaking slightly. "We can finalize the deal privately—"
"Because a house divided against itself cannot stand, Dominic," Adrian quoted softly, a chilling, faint smile touching his lips. "It's time everyone sees who is truly running the Moretti empire."
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Dominic stared at his brother, terrified by the sudden resurrection of the brilliant, unyielding leader he thought he had successfully destroyed over three years.
"Nine o'clock then," Dominic whispered, his hand trembling as he set his whiskey glass down on the marble mantelpiece.
