Chapter 6 - THE MONDAY MORNING SHOWDOWN
The executive boardroom on the eightieth floor of the Moretti Tower was a sea of dark suits, expensive cologne, and high-stakes tension. Antonio Bellandi—Victoria’s father, a heavy-set man with a permanent scowl and silver hair—sat at the head of the table, flanked by Uncle Raymond, who looked increasingly nervous as he adjusted his silk tie.
"The time is 9:02 AM," Antonio announced, tapping his gold pen against the glass table. "The majority proxies have been verified. Since Roman Moretti is medically incapacitated and unable to fulfill his corporate duties, we are moving to execute the immediate transfer of Moretti Shipping assets to Bellandi Logistics."
"I wouldn't sign that paperwork just yet, Antonio," a voice boomed from the back of the room.
The double doors swung open.
Roman Moretti walked into the room. He wasn't using a wheelchair. He walked with a slow, measured stride, his posture perfectly straight, though Hannah—who walked right beside him wearing a professional charcoal blazer over her blouse—could see the tiny bead of sweat tracing down his temple from the sheer agony of every step. Behind them came Marcus Vance, carrying a thick silver briefcase.
The boardroom went completely silent. Several elderly board members gasped, some standing up instinctively out of old respect—and fear—for the man who ran the city.
"Roman!" Raymond stammered, his face turning an ash-gray color. "You're... you're supposed to be in the ICU!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle," Roman said, taking his rightful seat at the absolute head of the table. He didn't show a single hint of pain as he sat down. He looked at Antonio Bellandi with a terrifying smile. "You're sitting in my chair, Antonio."
Antonio’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "This changes nothing, Roman. Even if you're alive, the proxies have already been cast. Raymond and I hold fifty-one percent of the voting power. We have the legal right to force the sale."
"You did hold fifty-one percent," Marcus Vance stepped forward, opening his briefcase and sliding a stack of notarized documents across the table. "Until 8:00 AM this morning, when Mr. Moretti executed the emergency clause of the 1994 Corporate Bylaws."
Raymond scrambled to grab the papers, his glasses sliding down his nose as his eyes flew over the text. "No... this is impossible. The spouse clause? Roman, you're not married! The wedding with Victoria isn't for another month!"
"The contract with Victoria Bellandi has been terminated due to a material breach of loyalty," Roman said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet rhythm that made every man in the room hold his breath. "Namely, her direct involvement in the assassination attempt on my life and the kidnapping threat against my son."
"That's a lie! You have no proof!" Antonio shouted, standing up, his fists slamming against the table.
"We have the confession of Silas Vance, your daughter's enforcer," Marcus Vance said smoothly, tapping a thumb drive onto the presentation screen. A video appeared, showing the scarred hitman sitting in a dark room, completely broken, detailing every instruction Victoria had given him before the crash on Lower Wacker Drive.
The board members began to whisper frantically among themselves, looking at Antonio and Raymond with disgust and terror. In the mafia world, corporate warfare was normal, but going after a boss’s young child crossed a line that meant an immediate death sentence.
"And as for the spouse clause," Roman continued, turning his head to look at Hannah, who stood steady at his side. "Allow me to introduce my wife. Hannah Reed-Moretti. We were married in a private civil ceremony at seven o'clock this morning. Under the charter, her background as an independent professional automatically grants her a veto power over any hostile asset transfers for the first ninety days of our union."
Victoria, who had been sitting quietly in the back corner of the room, stood up, her face twisted in a look of pure, unadulterated hatred. "You married her? A common nurse? A nobody from the south side? You're a joke, Roman! The whole city will laugh at you!"
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Roman stood up slowly, his tall frame dominating the room. The sheer aura of power radiating from him made Victoria take an involuntary step backward.
"The city can laugh all it wants, Victoria," Roman said, his eyes flashing with a lethal, black fire. "But they will do it while paying their shipping tariffs to my wife. Security, remove the Bellandis from my building. And take my uncle Raymond down to the basement. We have a family matter to settle."
