Chapter 6 - The Tape That Could Destroy the FalconesThey watched the tape in silence.
Anthony found an old player in one of the Falcone properties.
The image flickered.
Richie Dempsey appeared.
Younger.
Tired.
Beside him sat Elena Moretti.
Nora stopped breathing.
Her mother.
Same eyes.
Same dark hair.
Elena looked directly into the camera.
“If Nora ever sees this, then we failed.”
Nora covered her mouth.
Victor stood behind her.
Elena explained everything.
Salvatore’s corruption.
Gabriel’s obsession.
The Falcone fire.
The attempt on Adrian.
But then she revealed something nobody expected.
Michael Falcone—Victor’s father—had not merely planned to leave organized crime.
He had transferred controlling interests in several legitimate Falcone businesses into a trust.
The beneficiary was Elena’s child.
Nora.
Victor stared at the screen.
Nora turned toward him.
Neither spoke.
Elena continued.
“If Salvatore discovers this, he will kill her.”
The recording ended.
Nora sat motionless.
Anthony examined the trust documents found with the tape.
“This is valid.”
Victor asked, “How much?”
Anthony hesitated.
“Potentially hundreds of millions.”
Nora laughed once.
It was humorless.
“I had seventy-three dollars in my checking account Friday morning.”
Nobody smiled.
Anthony continued.
“The legitimate holdings include real estate, logistics, restaurants and investment assets.”
Victor looked at Nora.
“She owns part of my organization.”
“Technically,” Anthony said, “she may own the controlling interest in the legitimate Falcone corporation.”
Nora stood.
“No.”
Anthony frowned.
“No?”
“I don’t want it.”
Victor studied her.
“It belongs to you.”
“It belonged to a woman who died trying to keep me away from this world.”
Victor absorbed that.
Before he could answer, Dom entered.
He was pale but upright.
“You should be in bed,” Nora said.
“So should you.”
“What happened?”
Dom handed Victor a phone.
A video message.
Adrian appeared.
Bruised.
Alive.
“Nora was right,” Adrian said into the camera. “Gabriel doesn’t want the ledger.”
Victor watched.
“He wants the trust.”
Adrian looked off camera.
“He believes Nora’s ownership gives him legal leverage over Falcone assets.”
Nora felt sick.
Adrian continued.
“And Victor, the mole is Anthony.”
Everyone turned.
Anthony Bellini drew a gun.
Dom reacted first.
Anthony fired.
The shot struck Dom’s shoulder.
Victor lunged.
The two men crashed into the table.
Nora pulled Dom away.
Victor disarmed Anthony and slammed him against the wall.
“You?”
Anthony laughed.
“I served your family thirty years.”
“Exactly.”
“Your uncle promised me everything.”
Victor’s face went cold.
“Salvatore.”
Anthony smiled.
“He’s still running this city from prison.”
Nora understood.
Gabriel was not the only enemy.
The old war had never ended.
Anthony had protected Salvatore.
Fed information to Sullivan.
Manipulated the raids.
Victor asked, “Where is Adrian?”
Anthony spat blood.
“Ask your girlfriend’s father.”
Victor nearly hit him again.
Nora stopped him.
“Alive.”
Victor looked at her.
“We need him alive.”
He released Anthony.
Dom called loyal men.
Anthony was restrained.
But the betrayal cut deeper than Victor admitted.
Anthony had known him since childhood.
Nora watched Victor retreat into himself.
Later, she found him alone.
“You trusted him.”
“No.”
“Victor.”
He looked at her.
“I trusted nobody.”
“That’s not true.”
He glanced toward her.
Nora sat beside him.
“You trusted Anthony enough to be hurt.”
Victor said nothing.
She touched his hand.
“You can be angry.”
“I don’t have time.”
“That doesn’t mean you aren’t.”
Victor looked at their hands.
“My father trusted Salvatore.”
“My father trusted Miller.”
“Both died.”
Nora understood.
“So your solution is never trust anyone?”
“It kept me alive.”
“Did it?”
He looked at her.
“You’re alive,” Nora said. “But that isn’t the same thing.”
Victor stared.
Nobody spoke to him this way.
That was becoming Nora’s role.
Not queen.
Not possession.
Truth.
“I trust you,” Victor said.
The words were quiet.
Nora’s chest tightened.
“Then prove it.”
“How?”
“Let me decide what happens to the trust.”
Victor nodded.
“Done.”
“And when we find Adrian, you listen before you judge him.”
His jaw tightened.
“Nora.”
“You said you trust me.”
Victor exhaled.
“Fine.”
She smiled.
“What?”
“That sounded painful.”
“It was.”
Nora leaned against him.
Victor wrapped an arm around her.
For several minutes, Chicago disappeared.
Then Dom called.
They had located Adrian.
Gabriel was holding him inside an old DeLuca hotel near the lake.
Victor stood.
Nora did too.
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Victor corrected himself.
“I was going to say you’re staying behind.”
“Good thing you stopped.”
He almost smiled.
But when they reached the elevator, Victor took her hand.
Not possessively.
Not to pull her.
Simply held it.
May you like
And Nora realized that might be more dangerous than any promise he had made.
Because she was falling in love with him.
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