Chapter 138
Asher’s POV
I dropped the thick folder onto Isabella’s desk, and the papers inside let out a satisfying thump. She glanced at it, then at me, her expression unreadable.
“This is all of it?” she asked, reaching for the folder.
“Everything Marcus kept,” I said, taking a seat across from her. “You know how he is, always five steps ahead. He knew the mafia wasn’t exactly a trustworthy business partner, so he documented everything. Deals, payments, names, dates. Half of this could put someone away for life.”
Isabella flipped open the folder, her sharp eyes scanning the first few pages. The only sound in the room was the rustle of paper as she skimmed through the files, occasionally pausing to take a longer look. I leaned back, watching her.
“This is insane,” she muttered, pulling out a sheet filled with transaction records. “They laundered this much through legitimate businesses?”
I nodded. “Marcus tracked every penny. He even noted which politicians looked the other way.”
She let out a low whistle. “This could get a lot of people in trouble.”
“That’s the idea.”
She kept reading, her brows furrowing deeper the further she went. “This isn’t just tax fraud and money laundering. Some of these… Jesus, Asher. These are hit orders.”
I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. “Yeah. Marcus recorded everything. Not just the deals, but the consequences when someone didn’t hold up their end.”
She lifted her gaze to mine. “You know what happens when we go public with this, right?”
I nodded. “We piss off a lot of dangerous people.”
“Understatement.” She tapped the folder. “These guys don’t just take bad press and move on. They erase problems.”
I leaned forward, resting my arms on her desk. “That’s why we have to be smart about it. If we time this right, if we get it to the right people, they won’t have time to bury it before the FBI is knocking at their doors.”
She studied me for a moment, then leaned back in her chair. “You’ve really thought this through.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think,” I said. “And I owe you, you sacrificed a lot for me”
She scoffed. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn this into some kind of debt.” She gestured between us. “This isn’t about owing me, Asher. This is about doing what’s right.”
I gave her a small smile. “It can be both.”
She sighed, shaking her head but not disagreeing. “You always have to carry the weight of something, don’t you?”
I glanced at the files on her desk. “You lost someone because of this. The least I can do is help make it count.”
She flipped through a few more pages, then set the folder down. “This is enough to get the FBI’s attention. Probably enough to start an investigation before the mafia even realizes they’ve been exposed.”
I nodded. “So, we release it?”
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Chapter 138
“Tomorrow morning. She tapped a pen against the desk. “I’ll send it to the biggest outlets first, then follow up with an exclusive intervies, des there, it’ll be impossible to contain.”
I sat back, exhaling. “That’s it, then. We’re actually doing this.”
Isabella smirked. “Don’t sound so surprised. You brought me the ammo, Asher. You really think I wouldn’t pull the trigger?”
“Never doubted it for a second.”
She leaned forward. “You nervous?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “I should be. But honestly? I just feel… ready.”
She nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”
For a moment, we just sat there, the weight of what we were about to do settling between us. Then she shook her head and grinned. “You realize this means we’ll probably be tooking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives, right?”
“Great,” I said dryly. “I love paranoia. Really makes life exciting.”
She laughed. “Well, at least you’ve got that ‘brooding under pressure‘ thing going for you.”
I smirked. “That’s the nicest way anyone’s
“Hey, I’m trying to be supportive.”
ever called me emotionally unavailable.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Isabella stretched her arms behind her head. “You know, you and Marcus are more alike than you think.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Not sure if that’s a compliment.”
“It is,” she said. “You both plan ahead. You both know how to play the long game. And, when it comes down to it, you both do what needs to be done, even if it’s dangerous.”
I considered that, then chuckled. “Marcus would be insufferable if he heard you say that.”
She grinned. “Which is exactly why I’ll be telling him first chance I get.”
I shook my head, standing up. “Alright. Tomorrow morning, then.”
She nodded. “Tomorrow morning.”
I turned to leave, but before I reached the door, she called after me.
“Asher.”
I looked back.
“Thank you.”
I held her gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Yeah. You too.”
I stepped out into the hallway, my mind already running through the possible fallout. We had everything we needed to take the mafia d just had to survive the storm that was coming.
The news broke at exactly 8:00 AM.
ow, we
I sat in my car outside the café where I was supposed to meet Luca, my phone propped against the dashboard as Isabella’s interview played. She looked calm, composed, like she wasn’t about to throw a lit match into a pile of gasoline.
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Chapter 138
“The documents we’ve obtained paint a damning picture of organized crime operations spanning years,” she said smoothly. “We’re talking about deep- rooted corruption, money laundering, and direct ties to political figures who turned a blind eye to criminal activities”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, waiting for the part that mattered.
The anchor nodded, looking serious. “This is highly sensitive information. Can you share how it came into your possession?”
I leaned forward, bracing myself.
Isabella didn’t hesitate. “As you can imagine, people involved in this world don’t always agree with each other. Sometimes, rival organizations see an opportunity to take down a competitor. That’s what happened here. Someone on the inside wanted these records exposed, and they made sure they got into the right hands.”
I exhaled slowly.
Smart.
By hinting, without outright saying, that the information came from a rival mafia family, she was redirecting the inevitable blowback. The Don and his people wouldn’t immediately look in our direction. They’d be too busy trying to sniff out a traitor among their own.
The anchor pressed on. “So, to clarify, this wasn’t a government leak? No federal informants?”
Isabella gave a small, knowing smile. “Let’s just say the source had a vested interest in seeing justice served. What matters is that the evidence speaks for itself.”
I let out a slow breath. She had just pulled off the impossible, releasing explosive information while keeping us out of the immediate line of fire.
My phone buzzed. A message from Luca.
Damn. She’s good.
I smirked and typed back.
Yeah. Let’s just hope the mafia believes her.
Setting my phone down, I started the car. The hardest part was done, now I just have to keep the company running until Marcus is back on his feet.
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AD
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