Chapter 6 - THE OTHER DELUCA
Julian DeLuca was everything Victor wasn't.
Warm.
Charming.
Easy.
Which immediately made me suspicious.
He hugged Victor when we entered the office.
Then he kissed my hand.
Victor looked ready to remove his teeth.
“So you're Anna.”
“How do you know?”
“Half of Manhattan knows.”
Great.
Julian denied knowing Caldwell.
Then the flash drive proved otherwise.
Payments.
Meetings.
Contracts.
Julian had secretly financed Caldwell Square.
Victor stared at his brother.
“Tell me this is fake.”
Julian stopped smiling.
“It isn't.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm tired of cleaning up your morality.”
“My morality?”
“You think because you don't traffic drugs or run girls, you're some saint?”
Victor's face became dangerous.
Julian laughed.
“You built an empire on fear, Victor. I built one on money.”
He had partnered with Caldwell because the project would make billions.
The tenant fraud?
Necessary.
The engineering risks?
Exaggerated.
Sofia?
“An accident.”
Victor hit him.
Once.
Julian fell.
He wiped blood from his mouth.
“There he is.”
Security entered.
But half the guards stood beside Julian.
That was when we realized the company no longer belonged to Victor.
Not really.
Julian had spent years replacing people.
Victor had the reputation.
Julian had the infrastructure.
We were escorted out of the building Victor supposedly owned.
Outside, I said, “That went badly.”
Victor looked at me.
“You think?”
“I was trying to lighten the mood.”
“Don't.”
“You're very difficult to comfort.”
“I don't need comfort.”
“You need a personality transplant.”
He laughed despite himself.
Then my phone rang.
Ethan Caldwell.
I nearly ignored it.
Victor stopped me.
Answer.
Ethan was crying.
“My father is going to kill me.”
I almost laughed.
Then I heard genuine terror.
“What happened?”
“I found the files.”
“What files?”
“The ones about your building.”
He swallowed.
May you like
“And your father.”
---
