Chapter 8 - The Shadow’s Last Stand
While peace had settled over the Moretti family, one final remnant of the past remained unresolved.
At the Cook County Maximum Security Penitentiary, Dr. Julian Vance sat in a windowless interrogation room, waiting for his public defender. His face was gaunt, his hair gray and unkempt, his hands locked in heavy steel handcuffs anchored to the center of the table.
The heavy steel door clicked open.
Instead of his lawyer, Assistant State’s Attorney Marcus Vance—a sharp, uncorruptible prosecutor who had spent five years investigating corporate medical fraud—stepped inside, carrying a thick leather dossier.
Behind him walked Viktor, standing tall and silent near the door.
Dr. Vance looked up, his eyes wild with terror. “Marcus! You’re my cousin! You have to get me out of here! Alessandro Moretti is going to kill me!”
Marcus set the dossier down on the table with a loud THUD.
“Alessandro Moretti isn't going to kill you, Julian,” Marcus said coldly, opening the file to reveal dozens of bank statements, toxicological reports, and signed confessions from HLM operatives. “The State of Illinois is going to put you away for the rest of your natural life.”
Julian slammed his cuffed hands against the table. “I was forced! Bernardo Romano threatened my children!”
“Bernardo Romano is dead,” Marcus countered flatly. “And we have the wire transcripts from your private account in Switzerland. You weren't forced, Julian. You were paid eight hundred thousand dollars a year to slowly blind an innocent man and cover up human trafficking on the docks.”
Julian’s face drained of every drop of color. He collapsed backward into his metal chair, weeping pathetically.
“Mr. Moretti sent a message for you,” Viktor spoke up, his deep voice filling the small room with absolute finality.
Julian looked up at the scarred security chief, trembling violently. “W-What message?”
Viktor leaned forward, looking down at the disgraced doctor with dark contempt.
“He said to tell you that he can see clearly now,” Viktor said smoothly. “And he hopes you enjoy staring at four concrete walls for the next forty years.”
May you like
Marcus closed the file, turned around, and walked out of the room alongside Viktor, leaving Dr. Vance’s hysterical wails to echo uselessly against the cold steel door.
The legal victory was absolute. The justice was complete.
