Chapter 13: Insider Trading
The study fell into a stunned silence. Matteo stopped pacing, staring at Aria as if she had suddenly grown a second head. Dante remained seated, completely still, his dark eyes locked on his wife.
"Julian?" Matteo finally asked, breaking the quiet. "The Senator uses the son who has a documented history of explosive violence and reckless behavior to hide his offshore accounts?"
"Julian is reckless with people, not with money," Aria explained, her voice steady and clinical. "My father controls Julian's trust fund. Three years ago, when I was locked in the house recovering from a 'riding accident,' I spent a lot of time in the family library. Julian was sloppy. He left a secondary encrypted laptop on his desk. I guessed the passcode because his ego is incredibly predictable."
Dante leaned forward, folding his hands on the desk. "What did you find, Aria?"
"A Cayman Islands routing number and a secondary ledger," she answered, meeting his intense gaze. "My father takes kickbacks from rival construction firms to block zoning permits for anyone else. He launders the money through a shell corporation registered in Julian’s name, then uses it to fund his reelection campaigns. It's millions of dollars in federal tax evasion and bribery."
Matteo let out a low whistle, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Federal crimes. If we hand that over to the FBI anonymously..."
"No," Aria interrupted sharply. "The FBI will take years to build a case, and my father has enough judges in his pocket to stall it. If you want to stop the raids on your warehouses today, you have to hit him where it actually hurts. His public image."
She turned to Dante. "You own the Boston Chronicle, don't you? The parent company?"
Dante’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. "Through three dummy corporations, yes."
"I can write down the IP address, the account numbers, and the passwords Julian uses," Aria said, pulling a pen and a piece of Rossi stationary from the desk. She quickly scribbled down a series of complex alphanumeric codes. "Have your hackers pull the data. Give it to your editor at the Chronicle. If you publish the wire transfers on the front page, my father’s political career will be over by breakfast."
Dante looked at the paper, then looked up at his wife. The fragile girl who had trembled at the sound of a broken plate was completely gone. In her place stood a queen, casually handing over the keys to her family's destruction.
"Matteo," Dante said, his eyes never leaving Aria. "Get the tech team on this immediately. I want the article ready for the Sunday edition."
"Yes, Boss." Matteo took the paper, giving Aria a deep, respectful nod before exiting the room.
May you like
Dante stood up, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. "You are terrifying, Mrs. Rossi."
Aria smiled, resting her hands on his chest. "I learned from the best."
