Page 255 of Caterina
“These three entities appear unrelated at first. Different registration states. Different managers. Different purposes. Maintenance, risk assessment, hospitality development.”
I tap the top sheet with my gold pen. “Except they all shared the same accountant for three quarters last year. They all routed payment through the same Nevada holding company. They all touched vendors connected to The Regent Club within six weeks of the first threat.”
No one speaks.
I keep going.
“Then there are the insurance inquiries, the regulator tips, the press leaks, the board pressure. All timed around incidents that made my family look unstable, and this casino look shaky.”
Rocco leans forward. “You have nothing.”
I look at him. “I have enough.”
“You have paper.”
“Paper is what took down Al Capone.” I tilt my head. “And it’s how you tried to take us down, right? Well, that and trying to murder children, I mean.”
His nostrils flare.
Carlo watches me with that cold, measuring expression.
Damiano says, “You think paperwork matters after what your father built with blood?”
“No,” I say. “I think paperwork matters because men like you still need banks.”
That shuts him up.
For half a second.
“You stupid girl,” he says.
“Careful,” I say softly.
His eyes narrow.
“I am tired,” I say. “I have had very little sleep. My house is a wreck, thanks to you cowards. And I have already listened to quite a lot of misogyny out of you unoriginal asshats. So if the best you have is ‘stupid girl’, I’m going to be disappointed.”
Carlo watches me more closely now, and I know he finally understands that the act I’m putting on isn’t covering up fear.
It’s rage.
“You think you understand what we took from you?” Carlo asks.
“You took nothing from me,” I say. “You tried and failed. You killed innocent people and have nothing to show for it.”
Carlo’s face morphs, and I know I finally hit a nerve. Hit him where it hurts.
This is always what it has been about. Not just revenge. Not just the casino.
This is about legacy.
Men furious that their names did not survive the way my father’s did.
Men who decided that if they could not take his power directly, they would carve away the future until nothing was left but the root.
My father. Alone.
I lean back in my chair. “That was the plan, wasn’t it? Not just killing us. Not just damaging the casino, but destroying the name forever. Like yours was, each of you.”
