Chapter 3 - The Bellini Collapse
“Mr. Bellini,” Luca Romano said, his voice dropping into a tone so icy it made the surrounding air feel freezing. “You are demanding compensation from the Romano Family for scratching a Romano-owned aircraft.”
Marco’s knees buckled slightly. He gripped the wing of the jet for support, his eyes wide with stark terror. “R-Romano...? But... but I thought this G700 was leased by the corporate aviation pool! The tail registration—!”
“The tail registration is encrypted under a sovereign trust,” Luca interrupted sharply. “A trust belonging exclusively to my niece, Isabella Romano. You didn't just scratch a rental plane, young man. You harassed, extorted, and threatened the sole hidden heiress of the Romano syndicate.”
Chloe Vance gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She backed away so fast she tripped over a toolbox, crashing hard onto the concrete floor. “No... no, that’s impossible! She’s just a nobody! She worked a standard design job! She lived in a normal apartment!”
“She lived a normal life because she chose to,” Luca said coldly, signaling with two fingers.
Instantly, the four bodyguards stepped forward. Two of them flanked Marco, pinning his arms behind his back with ironclad precision.
“Please! Mr. Romano! It was a misunderstanding!” Marco shrieked, panic cracking his voice as cold sweat poured down his forehead. “We didn't know! If we had known she was a Romano, we never would have—!”
“That is precisely the problem, Mr. Bellini,” Isabella stepped forward, her eyes flashing with a sharp, dangerous intelligence. “You didn't care about the truth. You only cared about power, cruelty, and financial extortion. You thought you could crush someone you believed had no backing.”
She turned to her uncle. “Uncle Luca, check the corporate audit files on the Bellini family logistics contracts. Didn't they request a multi-million-euro bridge loan from our front holdings last month?”
“They did,” Luca smirked grimly. “And as of three seconds ago, that loan application has been permanently denied. Furthermore, all commercial shipping routes operated by Bellini Logistics through our ports are hereby canceled effective immediately.”
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Marco let out a raw, desperate wail. The cancellation of their port access meant total financial ruin for his family's empire within forty-eight hours.
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