Chapter 10 - The Last Ledger
The main dining hall of the Rossi estate was a cathedral of excess—vaulted stone ceilings, soaring Gothic windows framing the falling snow outside, and a twenty-foot mahogany table polished to a mirror shine.
At exactly 7:05 p.m., the heavy brass bell rang out its rich, musical summons across the sprawling mansion.
Guards, drivers, groundskeepers, and kitchen staff filled the long tables, their laughter and low conversation bouncing off the stone walls as Carmine began carving the prime rib with theatrical flair.
In the center of the table, seated comfortably beside Gabe—who was gamely passing a basket of warm Italian bread—was a little girl with huge, dark eyes and a bright pink sweater, laughing as she pointed at a massive silver bowl of roasted potatoes.
Across from them, sitting at the head of the table where no outsider had ever been permitted to sit in the history of the Rossi syndicate, sat Zo Rossi.
He held a glass of heavy red wine in his hand, swirling it slowly while watching Lily gleefully try to convince Gabe to give her an extra slice of beef.
There were no cameras tracking this room right now. There were no secrets hidden in canvas bags, no paranoia lurking in the shadows, and no hidden ledgers to balance.
The storm outside lashed against the reinforced glass of Stonegate, howling into the Illinois night with all the fury it could muster. But inside, the fortress was warm, the light was bright, and for the first time in thirty-five years, Zo Rossi realized that some things in life couldn't be calculated, measured, or bought—they could only be protected.
May you like
He took a slow sip of his wine, raised his glass toward Tessa across the table, and let the warmth of the room settle deep into his bones.
The rules of the house had changed forever, and for the first time in his life, Zo Rossi wouldn't have had it any other way.
