Chapter 11 - THE SEEDS OF NEW EMPIRES
Three months passed. The winter frost had settled deep over the city, turning the harbor into a landscape of dark water and ice, but inside the executive offices of the newly minted Moretti-Vance Development Corp, the heat was humming.
Elena stood at the center of a glass-walled conference room overlooking the riverfront site. Gone were the delicate pastels and subdued tones she had worn to appease the Cole family. Today, she wore a tailored charcoal suit with a subtle burgundy silk lining.
Spread across the table were blueprints for the Riverfront Civic Center—a multi-billion-dollar green urban initiative designed to feature low-income family housing, public parks, and a state-of-the-art vocational academy for construction trades.
"The union reps just signed the master labor agreement," Gabriel said, stepping into the room with two cups of dark roast coffee. He set one down in front of her. "Twelve hundred former Cole Infrastructure workers have been rehired with full benefits, a forty-percent wage increase, and back pay for the six weeks they lost during the fallout."
Elena picked up the coffee, taking a slow, measured sip. "And the financial backing?"
"Matteo’s Swiss fund secured the remaining low-interest bonds yesterday morning," Gabriel replied, leaning against the edge of the table. "The city council voted unanimously to grant you the tax exemption status last night. Mayor Vance called it 'the most redemptive development deal in the state’s history.'"
"They only call it redemptive because they’re terrified of Dominic," Elena murmured, a subtle smile touching her lips.
"That," Gabriel chuckled, "and the fact that Luca sent the city treasurer a very clear breakdown of what happens to municipal budgets when contractors don't get paid on time."
A quiet knock echoed against the glass. Dominic walked in, his dark topcoat over his arm. He looked at the vast site below, where massive blue cranes—now bearing the crest of the Moretti crest—were already lifting raw steel into place.
"The precinct in the South District has a new chief of police," Dominic noted, coming to stand beside Elena. "Sheriff Evans was formally indicted on sixteen counts of official misconduct and extortion this morning. His bail was set at two million dollars. No one has posted it."
Elena looked up at her eldest brother. "And Adrian?"
May you like
Dominic’s expression didn't change, but his eyes grew cold. "He was evicted from his extended-stay motel in Ohio two days ago for non-payment. Nico’s people report he’s currently working night shifts at a commercial truck wash outside Akron. He uses a false name, but his hands are too soft for the work. He won't last the winter."
"Let him work," Elena said softly, turning her gaze back to the blueprints. "Hard labor builds character. It's the only honest thing he'll ever do."
