Chapter 6 - The Alliance
I left Natalie's apartment with a single, clear objective: absolute destruction of the empire my brother had built on deceit.
However, taking down Victor Moretti wasn't something I could do with raw emotion. Victor was meticulous, heavily protected by corporate lawyers, and controlled sixty percent of the board's voting shares through proxy agreements.
To dismantle him, I needed an ally inside his inner circle.
At 7:00 PM, I walked into the bar of the Drake Hotel, where Evelyn was waiting for me. She was sitting at a corner booth, wearing an elegant cream-colored dress, sipping a dry martini.
"You didn't come home last night," Evelyn said coldly as I sat down across from her. "And Victor told me you made a scene at the office yesterday morning."
"Victor lied to me for four years, Evelyn," I said, leaning forward, keeping my voice low. "And he used you to keep me under his control."
Evelyn set her martini glass down with a soft click. "Luca, I told you—"
"I know Victor promised your father exclusive development rights for the new logistics hub in Indiana," I interrupted smoothly.
Evelyn went still.
"I know about the private offshore holding accounts Victor set up under your father's construction firm to funnel untaxed capital into Moretti Logistics," I continued, watching her eyes widen slightly. "I spent the last twelve hours with a forensic accountant going through our public filings. Victor didn't just manipulate my life, Evelyn. He’s been committing wire fraud and tax evasion for three years to keep the company's valuation artificially inflated."
Evelyn swallowed hard, her poised demeanor slipping. "Luca... my father didn't know about the fraud—"
"Your father will go down with Victor when the Department of Justice audits the company next month," I stated firmly. "Unless you help me expose Victor first."
"Are you threatening my family?!" she hissed, leaning across the table.
"I'm offering your family a way out," I corrected softly. "If your father turns over the signed proxy agreements and offshore transfer receipts to my legal team tomorrow, I will ensure his name is granted immunity by the federal prosecutors I am meeting with on Monday."
Evelyn stared at me, realization dawning on her face. The quiet, passive husband she thought she could manage had disappeared. In his place stood a man who had nothing left to lose.
"And what do you get out of this, Luca?" Evelyn asked, her voice trembling slightly. "You'll ruin the company. You'll lose millions."
"I don't care about the money," I answered truthfully. "I want Victor held accountable. And I want a divorce."
Evelyn looked at me for a long, silent minute. She took a slow sip of her drink, calculating the odds, realizing that aligning with a sinking Victor meant taking her own family down with him.
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"My father keeps the transfer receipts in a private safe at his office," Evelyn said softly. "I can get them for you by tomorrow night."
"Smart choice, Evelyn," I said, standing up from the booth. "Send them to my attorney. And tell Victor I'll see him at the emergency shareholder meeting on Monday morning."
