Chapter 6 - The Gathering of Lions
The private library of the Moretti estate smelled of aged leather, pipe tobacco, and polished mahogany—a sanctuary of quiet power that had remained untouched for years.
Sitting behind the massive oak desk, I ran my fingers over the tooled leather blotter while my five brothers gathered around the room. It had been three days since the fall of the Cole empire, and the shockwaves were still rippling through the city’s financial and political underworld. Headlines blared across every major morning paper: “Cole Enterprises Collapses Overnight,” “Federal Probe Targets Real Estate Tycoon,” “The Rise and Fall of the Cole Dynasty.”
“The bankruptcy auction for Cole Enterprises is scheduled for next Tuesday,” Nico reported, leaning casually against a bookshelf while tossing a secure burner phone between his hands. “Not a single major investment firm is touching them. Gabriel’s forensic reports scared off every vulture in the city. The entire portfolio is going to be bought up by Moretti Holdings for pennies on the dollar.”
Gabriel pushed his glasses up his nose, typing rapidly on his tablet. “And Richard Cole’s personal accounts have been completely drained to pay off legal settlements and municipal fines. He and Margaret have been evicted from their temporary hotel suite because their credit cards are permanently flagged. They’re currently staying in a dingy motel on the south side of the city.”
I listened in silence, my expression calm. There was no room left in my heart for pity. Mercy was a luxury reserved for those who showed basic human decency, and the Coles had traded theirs for arrogance and cruelty.
“What about Adrian?” I asked quietly, looking up at Dominic.
My oldest brother was standing by the fireplace, staring out into the courtyard where the autumn leaves were falling. He turned slowly, his dark eyes meeting mine.
“Adrian has tried to contact every single business associate, political ally, and family friend he ever knew,” Dominic said, his tone flat. “Not a single one of them has returned his calls. They know that associating with a disgraced Cole is corporate suicide while the Moretti family holds the ledger. He’s completely isolated.”
Luca chuckled, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. “He’s currently holed up in a cheap diner three blocks from the old corporate headquarters, drinking cheap whiskey and waiting for a miracle that isn't coming. Vanessa Hart packed her bags and boarded a red-eye flight to Florida three days ago the moment she realized his bank accounts were hollowed out. She didn't even say goodbye.”
It was poetic justice. The woman who had orchestrated my humiliation for status had abandoned ship the second the gold plating chipped off.
“Good,” I said softly, standing up from the heavy oak desk and walking over to the window. “Let him sit in that diner. Let him feel what it’s like to have the entire world look right through you, pretending you don't exist.”
Dominic walked over, placing a warm, heavy hand on my shoulder. His gaze was fierce, protective, and unyielding.
“You don't ever have to worry about looking over your shoulder again, El,” Dominic said softly. “The Moretti name is your shield. No one will ever lay a hand on you again.”
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I looked at my brothers—Dominic, Matteo, Luca, Gabriel, and Nico. Five men who controlled empires, navigated dangerous underworlds, and commanded absolute fear from society's elite, yet stood ready to burn the world to the ground the moment their sister was harmed.
“I know,” I smiled, a genuine, radiant smile that reached my eyes for the first time in years. “Because the lesson has finally been taught.”
