Chapter 13 - The Echo of Betrayal
The victory at the gala did not mean the danger had passed.
Three days after returning to Westchester,
the estate was quiet once again,
blanketed in a thick silver mist from the surrounding forest.
Ruby was in Dominic’s private library,
organizing his personal ledgers while he conducted business in the city.
She loved the quiet rustle of paper and the deep scent of old leather that filled the room.
As she rearranged a stack of old property deeds behind the secret wall panel,
she noticed a small black leather journal tucked between two heavy volumes of Italian history.
It wasn't bound like Dominic's usual ledgers.
Curious,
she opened the book.
Inside were handwriting samples,
bank account numbers,
and dates of internal security shifts at the Vale docks.
At the bottom of the last page was a recent entry detailing the exact timing of Dominic's nightly patrols.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Vincent Rossi,
Dominic's second-in-command and most trusted lieutenant for over eight years.
Ruby’s blood ran cold.
Vincent wasn't just an employee;
he was the man who managed the estate security when Marcus was away.
He was the mole who had leaked Dominic's movements to Julian Moretti,
and now he was preparing to betray Dominic to Don Vance's private enforcement unit.
Suddenly,
the heavy library door creaked open.
Ruby quickly shut the journal,
holding it behind her back as she turned around.
Vincent Rossi stood in the doorway,
his sharp gray eyes sweeping over the room before landing squarely on Ruby.
He was a tall,
thin man in his fifties with a polite smile that never quite reached his cold eyes.
"Organizing the files,
Miss Bennett?" Vincent asked,
taking a slow step into the room.
"Just keeping things tidy,
Mr. Rossi,
" Ruby replied,
keeping her voice smooth and unbothered,
though her heart was hammering wildly against her ribs.
Vincent’s eyes flicked to the slightly open wall panel behind her.
His polite expression slowly dissolved into a chilling,
calculating glare.
"You shouldn't be snooping in places you don't belong,
Ruby,
" Vincent said softly,
closing the distance between them.
"Dominic thinks you're a sweet songbird,"
"but I know you're an intruder."
Ruby tightened her grip on the journal behind her back,
calculating the distance to the heavy brass desk lamp on her right.
"You betrayed him,
Vincent,
" she said firmly,
holding his gaze without flinching.
"He trusted you with his life."
"Trust is a currency for fools,
" Vincent sneered,
reaching into his jacket.
"Dominic has grown soft because of you."
"He refuses to take the syndicate to war,
"
"and Don Vance has offered me his seat once Dominic is removed."
Before Vincent could pull his gun,
Ruby acted with lightning speed.
She grabbed the heavy brass lamp from the desk and swung it with all the force of her broad,
strong shoulders.
The lamp struck Vincent's wrist with a loud crack,
knocking the pistol from his grip onto the rug.
Vincent groaned in pain,
staggering back,
but quickly lunged at her with his bare hands.
Ruby stepped into his guard,
using her momentum and weight to slam her shoulder directly into his chest.
Vincent flew backward,
crashing hard against a glass display case,
shattering the shelves and collapsing onto the floor in a daze.
Ruby retrieved the pistol from the floor,
pointing it steadily at Vincent's chest with hands that did not shake.
"I told you before,
Vincent,
" Ruby said,
breathing heavily,
her eyes fierce with protective rage.
"I take up space,
May you like
"
"and nobody touches my man's home."
