Chapter 13 - The Florentine Ghost
I needed undeniable, concrete proof of Julian’s financial ties to Chloe and the mercenaries before I could initiate my final escape.
Julian returned from Milan the next evening, bringing me an incredibly expensive diamond necklace and speaking softly about our future.
I wore the necklace to a lavish charity gala in the heart of Florence that weekend, playing the perfect, dazzling companion for the international press.
Halfway through the crowded event, I deliberately spilled a glass of red wine down the front of my designer gown.
I excused myself to the ladies' lounge, perfectly timing my exit to evade Julian's hovering security detail.
I slipped through the kitchen service doors and exited into a dark, narrow cobblestone alleyway behind the historic venue.
A sleek, unassuming black sedan was already waiting with the engine running.
I climbed into the back seat and stared directly into the cold, calculating eyes of Dmitri, the lead mercenary who had hunted my children in Monaco.
I had used a fraction of my hidden trust funds to locate him through the dark web, offering him a massive, untraceable cryptocurrency payment in exchange for a fifteen-minute conversation.
Dmitri casually counted the digital transfer on his encrypted tablet and smirked.
He confirmed absolutely everything.
Julian had approached his tactical team two years ago, paying them millions to seamlessly insert Chloe into Mark’s life.
Julian had strictly ordered Dmitri to apply maximum psychological pressure on me during the escape, ensuring I would run directly into Julian’s waiting, open arms.
I asked Dmitri for the digital paper trail.
I needed the exact routing numbers Julian had used to fund the Vance family's destruction.
Dmitri handed me a small, encrypted flash drive.
He warned me that Julian Rossi was a highly dangerous, totally unforgiving man.
Dmitri admitted he was permanently leaving Europe tonight because he knew Julian would eventually execute loose ends.
I slid the flash drive into my evening clutch, feeling a terrifying sense of absolute clarity.
I was entirely on my own against a billionaire who controlled half the politicians and police forces in Italy.
I quickly returned to the gala through the service doors, dabbing my ruined dress with club soda.
When I walked back into the grand ballroom, Julian was already pacing near our table, looking incredibly tense.
His dark eyes locked onto me, immediately scanning my face for any sign of deception.
He asked me where I had been, his tone dropping its charming warmth for a sharp, interrogating edge.
I smiled calmly, completely unfazed by his intense scrutiny.
I told him the stain was incredibly stubborn, but I was finally ready to go home.
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He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, his grip bruising and possessive.
He did not know that the flash drive resting against my side was the exact weapon that would end his reign forever.
