Chapter 6 - The Unraveling Syndicate
The federal agents dragged Dominic, Marcus, and Arya down the grand staircase of the estate. Their panicked screams and accusations against one another echoed off the high marble walls until the heavy front doors slammed shut, loading them into waiting unmarked SUVs.
The house fell into a profound, heavy silence.
Frank walked back up the stairs, holding a black tablet displaying live updates from the financial district.
"The forensic accountants just locked down all secondary accounts, Vince," Frank reported, standing by my bedside. "Dominic had already funneled twelve million dollars out of the port reserve funds, but we caught it before it hit the offshore accounts in Panama. Every dollar is secure."
"And the harbor contracts?" I asked.
"The Port Authority received your encrypted authorization drive twenty minutes ago," Frank smiled faintly. "The board held an emergency meeting and unanimously reconfirmed you as Chairman of the Board."
I took a long, deep breath, feeling the crushing weight of the past six months finally lift from my chest.
"Where is Tessa?" I asked.
"She's downstairs in the kitchen," Frank replied. "She refused to leave until she knew you were safe. My guys tried to clear the house, but she told them she was still on the clock until five o'clock."
A genuine laugh escaped my lips—the first true laugh I had experienced since the shooting.
"Bring her up, Frank."
Two minutes later, Tessa entered the master suite. Her hair was even messier than before, her navy scrubs wrinkled from the chaotic afternoon, but her hazel eyes were bright and completely calm.
She looked at the empty room, then at the shredded legal documents scattered across the floor, and finally at me.
"Did you win?" she asked simply.
"We won," I corrected.
She walked over to the bed, stepping over the shredded papers, and picked up her clipboard. "Good. Then you need to take your evening muscle relaxants and get your right leg elevated. Your foot is still swollen from all this drama."
I looked at her, stunned by her absolute refusal to treat me any differently now that I was once again the most powerful man in the city's maritime industry.
"Tessa," I said softly. "Do you have any idea what you did today? You brought down a federal conspiracy. You saved my life and my company."
"I did my job, Mr. Corvino," she replied, adjusting my pillows. "You paid for thirty-five dollars an hour of care. I gave you thirty-five dollars an hour of care."
"I know what the agency pays you," I said, reaching out and gently placing my hand over hers. Her skin was warm, slightly calloused from hard work, and completely honest. "And as of five minutes ago, you don't work for that agency anymore."
Tessa froze, looking down at our joined hands, then up into my eyes. "Are you firing me?"
"I'm hiring you," I said. "As my head of personal medical management. Salary: two hundred thousand dollars a year, full medical coverage for your sister, and flexible hours so you can finish whatever nursing degree you want."
Tessa stared at me, her mouth opening slightly in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"I don't make business proposals I don't intend to keep," I said firmly. "I need someone in this house who isn't afraid of my name, who doesn't look at my legs like a tragic failure, and who tells me the truth no matter how brutal it is."
Tessa looked at me for a long moment, a slow, beautiful smile finally breaking across her face—a smile that illuminated the entire room.
"Two hundred thousand?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Two hundred thousand," I confirmed. "Plus a complete health package for your sister."
She let out a soft breath, her eyes shining with tears of relief. "Under one condition, Mr. Corvino."
"Name it."
"You don't miss a single physical therapy session with Dr. Miller," she said sternly. "Because in one year, I expect you to walk out of this bedroom under your own power."
May you like
I looked at her, feeling a sensation in my heart that had nothing to do with spinal cord injuries or nerve endings.
"It's a deal, Tessa," I said.
