Chapter 14: The Confrontation
Chapter 14: The Confrontation
I had seen and heard enough. Taking a deep breath to center my heart rate, I kicked open the kitchen doors and stepped out from the shadows. I raised my weapon, locking my elbows with absolute steadiness, the tritium sights of my Glock aligning perfectly with Valenti's chest.
"Let them go," I said, my voice cutting through the tense, humid air of the dining room like shattered glass.
Three of Valenti’s men whipped around instantly, raising submachine guns, but Valenti casually raised his left hand, stopping them in their tracks. He didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled—a cold, predatory curve of his lips that didn't reach his dead eyes.
"Ah. The elusive account holder. Kristen, I presume?" Valenti chuckled softly, shifting his weight. "Your sister has been telling us all about you. You owe us 2.5 million dollars. A debt Diane here graciously secured against your corporate assets. Unfreeze the account, transfer the funds, and you can take your pathetic, crying family home."
"The money doesn't exist," I said smoothly, refusing to break eye contact. I kept my breathing measured. "It's a flagged corporate account currently under active federal investigation. The moment you try to route that cash, you trigger an Interpol alert. If you don't walk out that door right now, federal agents will be kicking it down in exactly three minutes."
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Valenti's smug smile vanished, replaced by a hardened scowl. He cocked the hammer of his weapon with a sharp click, pressing the hot barrel harder against Diane's temple until she whimpered.
"Call her bluff," Valenti ordered his men, his eyes locked on mine. "Unfreeze it. Now. Or I paint this lovely imported wallpaper with your sister's brains."
