Chapter 4 - The Brooklyn Tribunal
The subterranean conference room beneath Moretti Plaza was built with reinforced concrete walls and soundproof acoustic paneling—a room designed decades ago for meetings that required absolute privacy from federal wiretaps.
Julian Moretti sat at the end of the long glass table, pouring himself a glass of sparkling water. He was thirty-five, impeccably dressed in a tailored navy suit, possessing the slick, arrogant charm of a man who believed his family name made him invincible.
The heavy steel doors unlocked with a sharp mechanical click.
Dominic walked into the room, followed by Marco and two towering security enforcers. Dominic didn't take a seat. He walked straight to the head of the table, throwing a thick paper folder onto the glass surface directly in front of his cousin.
"What's this, Dominic?" Julian asked, offering a smooth smile. "I thought we were discussing the Brooklyn harbor development project today."
"Open it," Dominic said flatly.
Julian opened the folder. His slick smile faltered instantly. Inside were the audit reports Clara had uncovered, along with bank receipts showing millions of dollars diverted from Moretti housing projects into offshore accounts in Grand Cayman.
"This... this is a misunderstanding, Dominic," Julian stammered, the color draining from his face. "This looks like an accounting error made by the junior staff in Brooklyn—"
"The junior staff?" Dominic interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You mean Clara Carter?"
Julian swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the door. "Clara Carter was an incompetent employee. I fired her yesterday to protect the firm's integrity—"
Before Julian could finish his sentence, Dominic reached across the table, grabbed Julian by his silk tie, and hauled him over the glass surface, slamming him face-first onto the table.
The glass creaked under the impact. Julian let out a sharp cry of pain as Dominic's hand gripped the back of his neck like a vice.
"You stole from my company," Dominic growled, his face inches from Julian's ear. "You falsified records. But worst of all... you threatened a woman and her child to cover your own pathetic greed."
"Dominic! Please! We're family! We're blood!" Julian gasped, terror taking complete control of his voice.
"Blood?" Dominic laughed—a cold, terrifying sound that chilled the room. "You don't know what blood means, Julian."
Dominic signaled to Marco. Marco stepped forward, holding a tablet displaying a legal document prepared twenty minutes ago by the family's top attorneys.
"You are going to sign every asset you own over to the Moretti Educational Foundation," Dominic ordered, pressing Julian's head harder into the glass. "Your penthouse, your shares in the logistics division, and your private accounts. Then, you are going to take a permanent flight to our agricultural estate in Palermo, Italy. You will work the olive groves for the rest of your natural life. If you ever set foot on North American soil again... Marco will handle you personally."
Julian was shaking violently, tears running down his face. "I'll sign! I'll sign everything! Just let me go!"
Dominic released his grip, stepping back as Julian collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, clutching his pen to sign the transfer documents.
Dominic turned his back on his cousin, walking toward the exit.
May you like
"Marco," Dominic said without looking back. "Restate Clara Carter's position immediately. Title her Chief Financial Auditor of the Brooklyn Division. Full salary, back pay for twenty years of stolen wages, and full security detail for her apartment."
"Consider it done, Boss," Marco replied with a sharp nod.
