Chapter 17 - The Senator's Last Move
We returned to New York not as fugitives, but as absolute monarchs.
The transition from Elena the housekeeper to Elena the fiancée of the Don was a shock to the city's elite, but no one dared speak a word of disrespect. Not after what happened to the Bratva.
However, there was one loose end that refused to stay buried.
A month after the safehouse attack, I was sitting at my desk in the penthouse, finalizing the acquisition of a legitimate shipping company to merge with Alessandro’s empire, when Dante walked in. He looked grim.
"Boss," Dante said, addressing Alessandro who was reviewing contracts on the sofa. "We have a problem. Senator Cole is making a play."
Alessandro didn't look up from his papers. "I told Cole to resign. Did he not understand the instruction?"
"He didn't resign," I chimed in, pulling up the morning news feeds on my monitors. "He’s doing a press conference. Right now."
I cast the video to the massive screen on the wall. There stood Senator Cole, looking polished and defiant on the steps of City Hall.
"For too long, organized crime has held this city hostage!" the Senator boomed into the microphones. "Today, I am launching a special task force to indict Alessandro Moretti! Furthermore, I have evidence that his current fiancée, a former domestic worker, is being held against her will and forced to launder money through offshore accounts!"
Alessandro’s pen snapped in half in his hand. The lethal, cold fury that I had come to know so well descended over his features.
"He’s trying to spin a narrative," I said, my mind racing, analyzing the threat just like Alessandro had taught me. "He thinks if he paints me as a victim, he can subpoena me and force me to testify against you. And if he takes you down, he regains his power."
"Dante," Alessandro growled, standing up, his voice vibrating with lethal intent. "Prepare the cars. We are going to City Hall. I am going to rip his tongue out in front of the press."
"No," I said firmly, standing up from my desk.
Both men stopped and stared at me.
"If you kill him or threaten him publicly, you prove his point," I explained, straightening my tailored blazer. "You are a businessman now, Alessandro. We operate in the light. Let me handle this."
"Elena, he is a dangerous, desperate man," Alessandro warned.
"So am I," I replied, flashing the heavy diamond on my finger.
Thirty minutes later, I walked into the press room at City Hall. I wasn't flanked by armed enforcers, but by three of the most expensive corporate lawyers in Manhattan. I wore a stark white power suit and heels that clicked sharply against the marble floor.
Senator Cole was in the middle of answering a reporter's question when he saw me. He froze, the color draining from his face.
"Senator Cole," I projected my voice, cutting through the chatter of the journalists. The cameras instantly swiveled toward me. "I understand you are concerned for my well-being?"
"Elena," he stammered, trying to regain his composure. "You don't have to be afraid. We can protect you."
I smiled. It was a cold, razor-sharp smile I had learned directly from my fiancé.
"I have never been safer," I addressed the press directly. "My name is Elena. I am the Chief Operating Officer of Moretti Enterprises, and I am proudly engaged to Alessandro Moretti. Senator Cole’s allegations are nothing more than a desperate smokescreen to cover up his own crimes."
I turned to my lawyers, who handed copies of a thick dossier to the front row of reporters.
"In those files," I continued, staring dead into Cole's panicking eyes, "is undeniable proof that Senator Cole used his political influence to smuggle weapons through Brooklyn, skimmed millions from taxpayer funds to pay off gambling debts, and conspired with foreign crime syndicates."
The room erupted. Reporters were shouting, cameras were flashing.
"You little bitch," Cole hissed under his breath, lunging toward me.
He didn't make it two steps. The NYPD officers flanking the podium, who were secretly on Alessandro’s payroll, instantly grabbed the Senator, slamming him against the podium and snapping handcuffs onto his wrists.
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"Senator Cole, you are under arrest," the police captain announced.
I watched him being dragged away in front of every news camera in the state. I didn't need bullets to destroy Alessandro’s enemies. I just needed the truth, a killer instinct, and a really good suit.
