Chapter 8 - The Shadow of the Past
When they returned to New York three days later, the dynamic inside Virelli Holdings had shifted completely.
Sadie was no longer wearing a blue cleaning uniform. She wore a tailored charcoal wool suit, her dark hair styled elegantly, as she walked side-by-side with Dominic through the grand lobby of the sixty-first floor.
The same executives who had ignored her three weeks ago now stood up, offering respectful greetings as she walked past into the grand conference room.
At the head of the long table sat Vincenzo Virelli.
The old patriarch looked up as Dominic and Sadie entered. A faint, rare smile touched his lips.
“Miss Cole,” Vincenzo said, standing up to greet her, offering her his hand. “The Palermo reports came in. You accomplished in three days what my operations team failed to do in three months.”
“Thank you, Mr. Virelli,” Sadie replied warmly, taking a seat beside Dominic.
“Please,” Vincenzo said gently. “Call me Vincenzo.”
However, the meeting was interrupted when the heavy doors opened, and Dominic’s head of security, Leo, stepped inside, looking pale and holding a secure tablet.
“Boss,” Leo said, looking at Dominic. “We have a problem.”
Dominic leaned forward. “What is it?”
“The federal prosecutor’s office just issued a subpoena for our historical shipping ledgers from Pier 4 in Boston—dating back fifteen years.”
Sadie froze, her eyes widening. “Pier 4? That’s where my father worked.”
Leo nodded slowly, looking at Sadie with sympathy. “Someone leaked old union payroll files to the Department of Justice. They’re claiming Arthur Cole took bribes from Virelli Holdings to cover up illegal shipping routes.”
Sadie stood up instantly, her chair scraping against the floor. “That’s a lie! My father never took a dime from anyone! His name was clean!”
Dominic stood up beside her, grabbing her hand tightly. “Calm down, Sadie. We know it’s a lie.” He turned his furious gaze to Leo. “Who leaked those files?”
“It came from inside our legal department,” Leo revealed softly. “Someone who wanted to destroy Dominic’s standing before the board meeting next week.”
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Sadie looked at Dominic, her heart sinking. “If those forged documents go public, my father’s reputation will be destroyed forever.”
Dominic turned to his father, his voice like iron. “Deploy our legal team. Find the mole in our department, and clear Arthur Cole’s name before sunrise.”
