Chapter 5 - The Translation That Changed Everything
The proof of Rafael's survival led Dominic to an old shipping company on the Brooklyn waterfront.
Mave accompanied him.
The building appeared abandoned.
It wasn't.
Inside were records tying several businesses to the Bellini organization.
But the most important discovery wasn't financial.
It was linguistic.
Mave found handwritten symbols inside the margins of the documents.
"These are coded."
Dominic looked at her.
"Can you read them?"
"Not immediately."
"Try."
Mave spent three hours studying the symbols.
They weren't one language.
They were combinations.
Russian syntax.
Georgian abbreviations.
Romani number patterns.
French shipping terminology.
A code built from eight languages.
Her father's work.
She translated the first message.
RAFAEL WILL KILL THE ROSSY HEIR AT THE EAST HARBOR MEETING.
Dominic froze.
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
"Who else will be there?"
Mave translated the next page.
"The Bellinis."
The final page contained one sentence.
AND THE CLEANING WOMAN WILL BE BLAMED.
Mave stared.
"They planned to use me."
Dominic stepped closer.
"Not anymore."
"I can still be useful."
"You don't have to prove that."
She looked at him.
"I want to."
He nodded.
"Then we'll do this together."
The following evening, Dominic attended the meeting at East Harbor.
Mave stood nearby wearing a black coat.
She looked nothing like the cleaning woman who had scrubbed floors the night they met.
She carried her father's documents.
The meeting began.
Rafael appeared.
Alive.
Older.
Cold.
Dominic stared at him.
"Uncle."
Rafael smiled.
"You're a difficult child."
"You killed my father?"
"No."
"You sold him out."
"Your father sold everyone."
Dominic's jaw tightened.
Rafael looked at Mave.
"Armand's daughter."
Mave stepped forward.
"Who are you working for?"
Rafael laughed.
"Still asking questions."
"I learned from the best."
He stared at her.
"Your father never understood the rules."
"What rules?"
"Power belongs to whoever controls information."
Mave looked at the documents.
"Then you've already lost."
Rafael's smile faded.
She began speaking.
First in Russian.
Then Georgian.
Then Romani.
Then French.
Then four more languages.
She translated the coded documents aloud.
Every threat.
Every payment.
Every name.
The men standing around Rafael realized what she was doing.
The evidence was public.
Recorded.
Witnessed.
Rafael lunged.
Dominic intercepted him.
The harbor erupted.
Security rushed in.
Police surrounded the warehouse.
Rafael was arrested.
But one person was missing.
Charles.
He had escaped.
Mave knew where he had gone.
"The original boardroom."
Dominic understood.
"He wants the ledger."
They returned to Rossy headquarters.
Charles was there.
Waiting.
He held a gun.
Mave stepped forward.
"You won't shoot me."
Charles smiled.
"You'd be surprised."
Dominic raised his weapon.
"Let her go."
Charles looked at Mave.
"You always had a gift."
"Why did you betray us?"
"Money."
"That's all?"
"No."
His smile disappeared.
"Your father humiliated me."
"What did he do?"
"He chose your mother."
Mave froze.
Charles had loved her mother.
When Melissa chose Armand, Charles joined Rafael's side.
Years of resentment had turned into betrayal.
Mave stared.
"You destroyed my family because you were jealous."
Charles said nothing.
Then a gunshot came from the hallway.
Charles fell.
Dominic turned.
No shooter.
Only silence.
Mave looked at the window.
May you like
Someone had escaped.
The war wasn't over.
