Chapter 12
The study was dark,
the heavy mahogany furniture and leather books creating an atmosphere of serious authority.
Marcus stood behind his desk,
staring down at the contents of the package that had been delivered to the gate.
The personal note was short,
written on expensive cream stationery,
signed by Isabella's father,
Lorenzo Rossi.
It was not an apology,
nor was it a plea for mercy;
it was a direct threat.
The document attached was an old,
forgotten contract from the early days of Thorne Enterprises,
a joint venture agreement that contained a highly controversial clause.
If exposed to the public,
it could trigger a federal audit into the company’s historical tax filings,
potentially freezing billions in assets.
Lorenzo was offering a trade:
Marcus drops all charges against Isabella,
and the document remains buried forever.
Marcus let out a short,
humorless laugh,
the audacity of the Rossi family never failing to amaze him.
They truly believed they could blackmail him,
that they could use his own empire as leverage against his family's safety.
"They don't know who they are dealing with,"
Marcus whispered to the empty room,
his eyes narrowing into slits of pure steel.
He picked up the desk phone,
dialing a number he had not used in years,
a contact buried deep within the federal regulatory agencies.
A man owed him a massive debt,
a life-saving favor from a decade ago,
and it was time to collect.
"This is Marcus Thorne,"
he said when the line connected.
"I need an immediate,
discreet investigation launched into the Rossi Group's international trade licenses."
"Marcus,
that's a heavy request,"
the voice on the other end hesitated.
"That family has deep roots."
"And I have a spade,"
Marcus replied coldly.
"Find every violation,
every smuggled asset,
every unpaid tariff,
and bring it to light by tomorrow morning."
"Consider it done,"
the man sighed,
knowing better than to refuse Marcus Thorne when he was in this state of mind.
Marcus hung up the phone,
feeling a grim satisfaction settle over him.
The Rossi family thought they were playing a game of chess,
but they didn't realize Marcus was willing to flip the entire board.
He would not be blackmailed,
he would not negotiate with terrorists,
and he would certainly not let Isabella walk free after what she did to Khloe.
He picked up the document,
dropping it into the heavy metal paper shredder beside his desk,
watching the ancient leverage turn into meaningless ribbons of paper.
May you like
The war was escalating,
but he was more than ready to finish it once and for all.
