Chapter 6 - The Trial of the Basement
While the gala celebrated a new era of Rossi dominance, the reckoning of the past remained locked beneath the earth.
At two o'clock in the morning, after returning from the Waldorf Astoria, Dominic led Skyler down the stone staircase into the high-security holding facility beneath the Rossi manor.
Skyler had asked to go.
Behind reinforced steel bars sat Bianca Moretti and her father, Victor.
Bianca looked unrecognizable. Her designer dress was wrinkled and stained, her auburn hair tangled, her eyes bloodshot and filled with a mixture of rage and terror.
When she saw Dominic walk down the corridor holding Skyler’s hand—Skyler looking breathtaking in her velvet gown and sapphire pendant—Bianca threw herself against the steel bars, screaming hysterically.
"You!" Bianca shrieked, pointing her trembling finger at Skyler. "You fat, pathetic servant! You stole my life! You stole my empire!"
Skyler stopped in front of the cell.
She didn't flinch. She didn't shout. She looked at Bianca with a look of profound, quiet sorrow.
"I didn't steal anything from you, Bianca," Skyler said softly, her voice echoing off the concrete walls. "You had everything this world could offer—wealth, beauty, status, protection. But you were so consumed by cruelty that you were willing to poison a sweet, innocent old woman just to secure more power."
"She spilled wine on my dress!" Bianca roared frantically.
"She is a mother who suffered from memory loss," Skyler countered firmly. "And you treated her like trash because you thought no one would stop you."
Dominic stepped forward, resting his hand on the small of Skyler’s back.
"Skyler," Dominic said quietly, looking at Bianca with total indifference. "Their lives belong to you. If you want them executed tonight, Marco will handle it in the woods. If you want them sent to federal prison for life, the documents are ready."
Bianca froze, her eyes widening in sheer horror as she realized her life was resting entirely in the hands of the maid she had struck.
"Please!" Victor Moretti wept from the corner of the cell, dropping to his knees. "Miss Gallagher! Spare us! We will leave the country! We will give you everything we own!"
Bianca fell to her knees as well, sobbing hysterically. "Please, Skyler! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!"
Skyler looked at the weeping, broken woman who had once treated her like an invisible insect.
"I won't have blood on my hands," Skyler declared calmly. "Hand them over to the federal authorities. Let them spend the rest of their lives in a federal prison, stripped of their money, their name, and their power."
Dominic nodded once to Marco. "You heard her. Transfer them to the FBI team at sunrise."
As the guards dragged Bianca and Victor toward the transfer transport, Skyler turned toward Dominic, letting out a long, peaceful sigh.
"Thank you, Dominic," she whispered.
May you like
Dominic pulled her gently into his arms, holding her close against his chest. "You gave them mercy they didn't deserve, Skyler. You have a golden heart."
"No," Skyler smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I just wanted to leave the dark behind us."
