Chapter 14 - THE FIRE IN THE SNOW
Police had him surrounded.
He had nowhere to go.
That made him more dangerous.
"You built all of this," I shouted. "For a management contract?"
"You still think small."
"Your father hid billions in off-book property deals."
Torres whispered, "Keep him talking."
Martin said Vittorio used shell companies to buy waterfront land before rezoning decisions became public.
Insider corruption.
Bribed officials.
Fake consultants.
Martin helped.
Then he learned how much money Vittorio had hidden.
"When he died, I was supposed to inherit control of the network."
"He left it to you?"
"No. He left it buried."
Elena found the first accounts.
That was why Martin had her followed.
"Did you kill her?"
His smile vanished.
"I didn't plan the crash."
"Did you sabotage her car?"
"No."
"Then why hide the driver?"
"Vittorio did."
For once, I believed him.
My father had covered up the truth to protect the company from investigation.
Elena died in an accident created by panic, surveillance, and men protecting secrets.
Not a single mastermind.
Something uglier.
A system.
Martin raised the fuel can.
"But Ethan's birthday was me."
I felt my entire body go cold.
"You tried to kill an eight-year-old."
"I tried to trigger the succession structure."
"That's what you call it?"
His eyes hardened.
"You have no idea what I built while you played respectable businessman."
He poured fuel toward the shed.
Torres shouted.
Martin reached for a lighter.
A sniper shot struck the can from his hand.
Police rushed him.
He fought.
Lost.
They dragged him into the snow screaming that the Moretti empire belonged to him.
Inside the shed, officers found the ledger.
Not burned.
Not yet.
And inside the ledger was something that made Hannah sit down.
Payments from Martin.
Payments from Vittorio.
Payments from politicians.
Then one line from two years earlier.
D. CARTER - SYSTEM ACCESS - 250,000.
Sophia's dead husband.
May you like
Daniel Carter had taken a quarter million dollars from Martin.
And suddenly the woman whose daughter saved my son was connected to the same conspiracy.
