Elena Moretti POV:
"I will make the laws of this country bow to us as well."
The moment the words left my mouth, Dante’s rough thumb pressed hard into the back of my hand. His grip was entirely too tight, borderline painful, but I didn't flinch. I looked up and saw the raw, fanatical hunger burning in his blue eyes. It was the mafia tyrant in his blood, the genetic predisposition to conquer and consume everything in his path. He craved power, but more than that, he craved watching me wield it.
I smoothly pulled my hand from his grip. I picked up the red marker from the laminated map and tossed it perfectly into the crystal pen holder on the desk. It landed with a sharp, satisfying *clack*. Every item in my space had a designated drop point. It was a habit born from the utter helplessness of watching my mother die when I was a child—I needed to control the physical space around me, down to the millimeter.
Dante leaned in, his chest brushing against my arm. He lowered his head and pressed a hard, open-mouthed kiss to the side of my neck. His breath was hot against my skin.
"I will clear every physical obstacle in Washington for you," he murmured against my pulse point. "Whoever stands in your way, I will bury them."
I placed my hands flat against his solid chest and pushed him back just enough to look him in the eye.
"We do not need bullets this time, Dante," I said, my voice cold and steady. "We need dollars."
Time moved like a well-oiled machine. The underground blood money of the Moretti empire flowed seamlessly into the blinding light of the legal world. Wall Street digital screens spun in a blur of green numbers. Over the next five years, the Moretti Group’s stock prices skyrocketed, devouring real estate, tech startups, and pharmaceutical giants. We bought the system.
Five years later. Washington, D.C.
I sat in front of the vanity mirror in the top-floor Presidential Suite of the Four Seasons. The makeup artist stood behind me, carefully clasping a twenty-million-dollar diamond necklace around my throat. The cold stones rested heavy against my collarbones.
The suite door opened. My lead corporate lawyer stepped onto the thick carpet. His expensive leather shoes made absolutely no sound. He was an ambitious man who had clawed his way up from the slums, and his silent footsteps were a permanent survival instinct from his past. I had hired him on Wall Street five years ago because I recognized that ruthless, desperate hunger in his eyes. It was the exact same hunger I had when I was fighting to survive in Chicago.
He walked up to my vanity and held out a thick, heavy background check file. His knuckles were white, and the edges of the paper were slightly crumpled from his tight grip.
I didn't turn around. I didn't reach for the file. I simply met his eyes through the reflection in the mirror. My gaze was flat and unblinking.
He instantly realized his mistake. He lowered his head submissively, opened the file to a specific page, and began to read.
"Target Senator Thomas," the lawyer reported, his voice crisp. "He has three offshore shell companies. His bribery weakness is tied to a specific real estate zoning permit in his home district. We have the exact ledger amounts."
I raised my hand. The makeup artist immediately backed away and left the room. The heavy door clicked shut. We were alone.
I reached out and took the file from his hands. I didn't look at the data. I turned to my right and dropped the entire folder into the high-security paper shredder next to the desk.
The machine let out a piercing, screeching sound as it devoured the documents.
The lawyer’s eyes widened in brief shock, but he recovered instantly. He lowered his gaze to the floor, folding his hands in front of him, waiting for my command.
I stood up. I smoothed the skirt of my dark red couture gown.
"We do not need threats tonight," I said, my voice echoing in the quiet suite. "We need charity."
An hour later, I stepped into the grand ballroom on the ground floor. The space was packed with the political and financial elite of the country. I linked my arm through Dante’s. The moment we stepped onto the red carpet, the camera flashes erupted. The blinding white light was almost painful, but I didn't blink.
An older, stubborn-looking senator holding a crystal champagne flute walked directly toward us. His chin was tilted up in a display of old-school political arrogance.
"Mrs. Moretti," the senator sneered, looking me up and down like I was a mobster's trophy wife. "I hear your family has a colorful history back in Chicago. Extortion, was it? We don't play those gutter games in Washington."
The temperature around us plummeted. Dante’s eyes went dead. His large hand immediately slid toward the inside of his suit jacket, right where his holster sat.
I didn't look at Dante. I simply moved my hand and pressed my fingers firmly down on his wrist, stopping his violent impulse.
I smiled at the senator.
"Your shell company in the Cayman Islands missed a tax filing of exactly four point two million dollars last quarter, Senator," I said. My voice was smooth, flat, and lethal. "And the zoning board in your district received a dark money donation of eight hundred thousand. Would you like me to recite the routing numbers?"
The senator’s face lost all its color. His hand trembled so violently that a few drops of champagne spilled over the rim of his glass and stained his cuff.
My lawyer stepped out from the crowd at the perfect moment. He utilized his body to block the view of the nearby reporters. He smiled politely and slipped a thick, embossed business card into the senator’s shaking hand.
"The Moretti Group is more than happy to provide legal, transparent sponsorship for your upcoming reelection campaign, Senator," the lawyer said.
The senator swallowed hard. Caught between absolute terror and overwhelming greed, he humiliatingly gripped the card and nodded stiffly.
The ballroom speakers crackled. The host’s voice rang out, announcing the guest of honor. The grand chandeliers dimmed, leaving only a single, blinding spotlight aimed at the stage.
I let go of Dante’s arm. I walked toward the podium alone. The sharp click of my high heels echoed through the silent, massive hall.
I stood behind the microphone. I looked down at the sea of faces—the untouchable politicians who thought they ran the world. My eyes swept over them with pure disdain.
I began to speak about the future of technology and medical funding. Every word I spoke was backed by billions of dollars in liquid capital. The sheer financial weight of my speech crushed the air out of the room. They realized they were no longer the predators; they were the pets.
As I finished, the crowd erupted into thunderous, deafening applause.
I looked into the shadows near the exit. Dante stood there, watching me bathe in the blinding light. A dark, intensely proud smile curved his lips.
"This is your true throne."
