Chapter 14 - The Final Ledger
Victoria Cole looked down at Julian’s wedding ring, her expression flickering with momentary disgust before smoothing back into icy indifference. She leaned back against the leather seat, crossing her legs.
""Julian Vance was an expendable tool, Salvatore,"" she said, looking up into Sal’s eyes. ""Did you really think this was about an eight-million-dollar debt? Or some petty revenge for my father?""
Sal pulled the Sig Sauer from his belt and placed it flat on the table between them, barrel pointed directly at her chest. He sat down in the opposite chair, folding his hands. ""Talk. You have two minutes before I let Frank handle this cabin.""
Victoria took a slow sip of her champagne, testing his patience. ""My firm doesn't care about street wars, Salvatore. Ouroboros is a syndicate of sovereign funds. We needed your shipping lanes, yes, but more importantly, we needed your silence. Twenty years ago, when you seized control of the Port of New York, you acquired a ledger containing the private trust records of every offshore power broker from London to Tokyo.""
Sal’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew exactly what she was talking about—The Black Ledger of 1998, the blackmail vault that had kept the federal authorities off his back for three decades.
""You kept that ledger hidden,"" Victoria continued, leaning forward, her eyes gleaming with ambition. ""We knew Julian was searching your estates for the encryption keys under our direction. When he failed to find them, we decided to take the child. A father will give his life for his daughter, but a grandfather will give up an empire for his blood. We were going to trade your grandson for that ledger.""
Sal let out a low, humorless laugh that sent a chill through the cabin.
""You did all of this... killed my guards, broke my daughter's heart, invaded my family's hospital... for a ledger that doesn't exist anymore?""
Victoria froze, her smile fading. ""What are you talking about? My father confirmed you kept it.""
""I burned that ledger fifteen years ago, Victoria,"" Sal said, his voice dropping to a whisper. ""The day Elena was accepted to university. I decided that day that I didn't need paper to keep men afraid of me. My reputation was enough.""
Victoria stared at him, her manicured fingers beginning to tremble against her champagne glass. ""You're lying. You wouldn't destroy that kind of leverage.""
""Look into my eyes, Victoria,"" Sal whispered, leaning closer until she could see the cold, merciless void behind his pupils. ""Do I look like a man who relies on paper to protect what's mine?""
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She swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat. The realization hit her like a physical blow: she had waged a war, lost her father, and ruined her empire over a phantom.
""Now,"" Sal said, picking the weapon back up. ""You are going to open that titanium briefcase on your lap.""
