Chapter 3 - The Setup
The lead FBI agent stared at the laptop screen, the color completely draining from his aggressive face.
The glowing digital ledger clearly displayed multiple offshore wire transfers routing Sal's stolen three million dollars directly into an account registered under the agent's own name.
Dante lowered his hands slowly, a dark, dangerous smirk spreading across his handsome face.
He realized exactly how brilliant and ruthless his new Chief Financial Officer truly was.
“Agent Miller,” Dante said smoothly, reading the man’s name tag.
“It seems you have some explaining to do to your superiors regarding your sudden, massive influx of illegal wealth.”
Agent Miller panicked, his hands shaking as he slammed the laptop shut.
“This is a setup!” Miller screamed to his heavily armed tactical team.
“He's framing me! Arrest them both right now!”
The tactical team hesitated, exchanging nervous glances.
They were trained to follow orders, but the evidence of their boss's corruption was glaringly obvious and already being transmitted to the federal oversight committee.
Emily sighed heavily, adjusting her reading glasses.
“Agent Miller,” Emily spoke up, her voice entirely bored.
“If your team arrests Mr. Marino, the automated dead-man switch I just activated will email those wire transfer receipts to every major news outlet in Chicago.”
She picked up her lukewarm coffee mug.
“However, if you take your men and leave this building quietly, the transfer will look like a simple banking error, and you can keep your badge and your pension.”
The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence, broken only by the blaring fire alarms.
Miller glared at Dante with pure, unadulterated hatred.
He knew he was completely trapped by a woman who looked like she belonged in a suburban PTA meeting.
“Fall back,” Miller ground out through clenched teeth, holstering his weapon.
The tactical team lowered their rifles and slowly backed out of the office, retreating toward the elevators.
As Miller reached the door, he turned back to look at Dante.
“This isn't over, Marino,” Miller threatened darkly. “I'll burn this entire empire to the ground.”
Dante didn't flinch.
He waited until the heavy oak doors closed before turning his full attention to Emily.
She was already opening a fresh spreadsheet on her backup tablet, completely ignoring the fact that she had just outsmarted the federal government.
“How did you know Miller's routing numbers?” Dante demanded, moving closer to her desk.
“He arrested my previous boss three years ago,” Emily replied casually.
“I handled the asset forfeiture paperwork. He was sloppy with his personal accounts. I kept the information for a rainy day.”
Dante stared at her, feeling a strange, unfamiliar emotion burning in his chest.
It was not fear, and it was not anger.
It was profound, overwhelming respect.
“You just saved my life, my freedom, and my syndicate, Emily.”
“I saved my paycheck, Mr. Marino,” she corrected him, not looking up from her screen.
“Evanston Residential Care Facility raised their rates last week. I need the money.”
Dante reached across the desk and closed her tablet, forcing her to look up at him.
“You are no longer my secretary,” Dante stated, his voice commanding and absolute.
“You are now the Chief Financial Officer of the Marino Syndicate. Your salary is immediately increased to fifty thousand dollars a month.”
Emily’s eyes widened slightly, the exhaustion momentarily breaking as the massive number registered in her pragmatic brain.
Before she could negotiate a dental plan, the intercom buzzed again, this time with a secure, encrypted tone.
Dante pressed the button, his expression instantly darkening.
May you like
“Boss,” a panicked voice whispered through the speaker.
“It's Sal. He never made it to the warehouse. Someone intercepted the guards in the freight elevator and took him.”
