Page 119 of Merciless Daddy

“Yes.”

“He didn’t ask me anything.”

I looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Nobody asked about the companies. Or Father’s accounts. Or what you’d told me. They didn’t ask me to convince you to stay.”

“Nothing?”

“Tonio asked whether you were always this bossy, but that’s about it.”

Kiryl took my hand.

“They told me the money and documents were mine even if you left Sal. Pietro gave me an emergency number that doesn’t go through the Scordatos.”

I looked toward the porch again. Sal had turned slightly. His profile was hard against the lake.

He’d done all this for nothing.

I walked Kiryl toward the house. When we reached Sal, my brother stopped. They studied one another.

“Thank you,” Kiryl said.

Sal inclined his head. “You’re welcome.”

That was all.

He opened the door and let us enter first.

Kiryl slept for three hours after eating again. Tonio took personal credit for this.

“You see? Food creates peace.”

The strategy meeting began at six in the library.

Angela joined through a secure screen. Pietro sat near the fireplace. Tonio occupied the sofa with an ice pack against his bruised jaw. Sal stood beside the table.

I sat across from him.

“Gianni still needs Yelena’s signature,” Angela said. “The marriage was never completed legally, but he’s trying to transfer Sokolov-controlled assets through a spousal authorization structure.”

“He forged it before,” I said.

“The banks rejected the copy.”

“Because the witness code was wrong. He’ll try to force a live signature.”

Sal’s expression gave nothing away. Angela changed the display. “Northbridge retained a backup server. Air-gapped. Physical storage.”

“Location?” Sal asked.

“Unknown.”

“I can find it,” Pietro said. “We need the courier.”

I knew before he finished.

“Gianni trusts one person with physical keys,” I said. “The courier who carried his mother’s letters after she died.”