Chapter 8 - THE REAL TARGET

Emma turned toward Thomas as the cassette kept playing.

Carlo demanded to know why.

Raymond laughed.

“Ask your maintenance man what he copied.”

The recording ended with a crash and shouting.

Thomas sat heavily.

Vincent said, “What did you copy?”

Thomas rubbed his scarred palms.

“Payroll records.”

Emma stared.

“You almost died over payroll?”

“No.”

Thomas explained.

During an after-hours repair, Thomas found duplicate Langford and Moretti renovation invoices.

The same vendors billed twice for the same work. Money was being skimmed through fake contracts.

Carlo knew nothing.

Thomas copied invoices and gave them to him.

The trail led to Raymond Langford and Moretti executive Anthony Bellini—Marco’s father.

Marco’s father had worked for Carlo and died fifteen years earlier.

Thomas nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

Marco stepped back.

Carlo planned to expose it.

Then the fire happened.

After the fire, Anthony threatened to expose Moretti accounts tied to organized crime if Carlo went to police. Carlo buried everything.

Vincent’s jaw tightened.

Thomas said, “Carlo chose his company over the truth.”

Isabella whispered, “And I let him.”

Vincent looked at his mother.

“You knew?”

“Enough.”

He walked toward the window.

Emma expected anger.

Instead he looked tired.

“Everyone keeps calling this family powerful,” he said. “It sounds more like we were trapped.”

Then Isabella opened the ledger.

A list of payments ran through old shell companies.

One name appeared in recent entries.

VICTORIA LANGFORD.

The dates extended into the current year.

Emma frowned.

“She wasn’t alive when the fire happened.”

“No,” Vincent said.

“But she inherited the machine.”

His phone rang.

Marco answered instead.

His expression went dark.

“What?”

He ended the call.

“Raymond Langford’s office is empty.”

Vincent looked at him.

“Gone?”

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Marco nodded.

“And somebody just tried to access Thomas Carter’s hospital room using a Moretti security badge.”