Chapter 14 - AN UNEXPECTED INTRUSION
By eight o’clock that evening, the estate’s grand hall was filled with low murmurs, clinking crystal glasses, and the heavy aroma of vintage scotch and expensive cigars. The room held twenty of the most powerful syndicate heads in the state, all gathered under the Rossi banner.
Elena stood three paces behind Luca’s high-backed leather chair at the head of the banquet table. The emerald gown clung gracefully to her frame, and the silver crest rested against the hollow of her throat. Luca sat with one arm draped over the carved armrest, exuding cold dominance as he listened to financial reports on construction fronts and gaming territories.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors swung open without Marcus’s formal announcement.
A tall man with slicked-back silver hair and an arrogance that bordered on suicidal swagger stepped into the hall. It was Enzo Moretti, the ambitious head of the Brooklyn docks and a known rival within the syndicate’s outer council.
"Pardon the intrusion, Don Rossi," Enzo drawled, unbuttoning his fur-collared overcoat and tossing it carelessly to a footman. "Traffic over the bridge was dreadful. I trust you haven't divided the northern territories without me?"
Luca did not move an inch. He took a slow sip from his crystal glass before setting it down on the mahogany table with a quiet, hollow thud.
"You're thirty minutes late to my table, Moretti," Luca said, his voice smooth as silk and cold as ice. "In this house, thirty minutes is the difference between a partnership and a funeral."
Enzo gave an insincere laugh, stepping closer to the head of the table. But as his gaze swept over Luca, his eyes suddenly caught on Elena standing behind him. A predatory spark lit in Enzo’s eyes as he took in the emerald dress, her delicate frame, and finally, the silver Rossi crest resting against her skin.
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"Well, well," Enzo purred, taking an unauthorized step toward her. "I see why the Don has been so reclusive this past week. You've brought a stray into the lion's den."
***
