Chapter 3 - The Purge of the Chicago PortAt 2:00 PM that afternoon, the glass-walled executive headquarters of Moretti Logistics on the Chicago River waterfront was in total, chaotic upheaval.
Dominic Russo stood at the center of the marble atrium in heavy steel handcuffs, surrounded by twenty armed federal marshals and thirty private Vance security operatives.
Beside him stood his corrupt corporate litigator, Richard Sterling, who was frantically typing on his phone trying to reach his offshore bankers.
"THIS IS A MISTAKE!" Dominic shrieked, his manicured fingers shaking violently as he pointed at the marshals. "I AM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THIS TERMINAL! YOU CANNOT ARREST ME!"
The heavy double glass entrance doors of the headquarters were thrown open.
Walking down the central marble aisle, flanked by Chief Security Director Marcus Vance, was me.
I wore an magnificent charcoal bespoke suit, my broad six-foot-three frame radiating an unshakeable, sovereign authority.
And walking right beside me, wearing a breathtaking floor-length dark navy silk coat over a tailored cream dress that celebrated her recovered, radiant posture, holding my hand with a firm, unbroken grip, was Laura.
Behind us, a private security nurse walked alongside six-year-old Sophie, who was proudly holding her plush bunny and smiling at the high marble ceilings.
Dominic went paper-white. His jaw sagged open, his bloodshot eyes darting from my face to the little girl holding my hand.
"V-Vincent...?! LAURA...?!" Dominic stammered, taking three panicked steps backward against the reception desk. "WHAT... WHAT IS THIS?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN DALLAS!"
"I was in Dallas, Dominic," I said smoothly, my low baritone carrying cleanly across the high marble atrium, silencing fifty corporate employees. "Where I picked up my wife and my daughter."
Bridget Colton stepped forward, sliding a stack of court-stamped legal notices flat into Dominic’s trembling hands:
IMMEDIATE EVICTION: Revocation of all commercial land leases and corporate credentials held by Dominic Russo along the Chicago River corridor.
CORPORATE SEIZURE: Full legal transfer of Dominic Russo's thirty percent voting shares directly to Chairwoman Laura Bennett-Moretti and Princess Sophie Moretti.
CRIMINAL ARREST WARRANTS: Federal warrants served for Extortion, Interstate Wire Fraud, Forgery, and Conspiracy to Commit Premeditated Assault.
Two uniformed officers stepped forward, tightening the heavy steel handcuffs around Dominic’s wrists behind his back.
"Dominic Russo," Lead Marshal Miller declared coldly. "You are under arrest."
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Dominic thrashed and wept hysterical, pathetic pleas as marshals dragged him out of the Chicago River headquarters in total, public disgrace, surrounded by news cameras capturing his downfall for the evening news.
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