Chapter 30 - The Uninvited Guest
We didn't move from our spot on the stone landing. We stood side by side, our shoulders touching, watching as a small inflatable zodiac deployed from the side of the matte-black yacht, carrying a single oarsman toward the rocky shore of our private cove.
The boat crunched softly against the pebbles. A man stepped out, pulling the bow ashore. He was dressed in an immaculate dark gray tailored suit that looked entirely out of place on a sun-drenched beach. He didn't draw a weapon; instead, he removed his dark sunglasses, tucked them into his breast pocket, and began the steep, steady climb up the cliffside stairs toward where we stood.
As he drew closer, I recognized him. It was Arthur Pendelton’s former senior legal counsel—a man named Vance Sterling (no relation to Viktor), who had vanished from Chicago the day the federal indictments dropped.
Roman’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as the lawyer stopped ten paces away, maintaining a respectful, cautious distance.
“Mr. Moretti. Mrs. Vance,” the lawyer said smoothly, offering a polite, chillingly calm nod. “I apologize for interrupting your holiday. But circumstances dictated a rather urgent, in-person consultation.”
“You’re trespassing on private Moretti property,” Roman said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion, carrying the terrifying weight of an executioner. “You have approximately thirty seconds to explain why I shouldn't have you thrown off this cliff into the sea.”
The lawyer didn't flinch. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a heavy, wax-sealed envelope stamped with an unfamiliar, intricate crest, and held it out with both hands.
“I’m not here as an enemy, Mr. Moretti,” the lawyer said evenly. “And I’m certainly not representing Viktor Sterling. I represent the old European commission—the silent elders who watched you dismantle the Vanguard syndicate and clean house in Chicago.”
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“The commission dissolved itself three years ago,” Roman replied, not taking the envelope.
“The commission never dissolves, Mr. Moretti,” the lawyer smiled thinly. “It merely hibernates. And right now, they have a proposition for the new king of the global board.”
