LOGINI just want to quickly attend to some comments. Garry Richardson is still one of the characters of this lovely book. I am not going to tell you what happened to him. But all I can say is that, his disappearance is intentional. Secondly, I am not prolonging the book intentionally, as you have seen that this book has more interesting characters and they are all very important. Their little stories are all connected in one way or the other. So, please, be patient and follow the story. Every issue will be resolved gradually. One thing I won't do is rush my story. Thank you for sticking with me. I love you all. Crown Imagination.
At the Virelli estate, Viviana watched the statement from the sitting room. Lucien stood near the window with his arms folded. Neither of them had spoken since Alessandro’s arrest. The news had already reached every social circle connected to the Virelli family. Some friends had called. Others had disappeared. Business associates had begun releasing carefully worded statements denying any knowledge of Alessandro’s activities. Viviana lowered the volume. “Did you know?” she asked. Lucien turned toward her. “No.” His answer came immediately. She looked at him for several seconds. “Do you believe him?” Lucien knew she meant Alessandro. He looked back toward the television. “I don’t know what to believe.” Viviana’s eyes filled with pain. “He said there had been a misunderstanding.” “He says many things.” The bitterness in Lucien’s voice surprised even him. Viviana looked away. Lucien stepped closer. “I am not responsible for what Father did.” She looked at him again. “A
By the following morning, the investigation had entered its final stage. Justice Elena had made something clear before leaving the station the previous night. Alessandro Virelli’s arrest was not the same as a conviction, and the emotional satisfaction of finally identifying the man behind the conspiracy could not be allowed to weaken the case against him. Every statement had to be verified. Every financial transfer had to be traced. Every communication had to be placed in the correct order. The investigators worked through the night, comparing Donatus Richardson’s confession with the statements given by the tattooed man and his female accomplice. Records of meetings, phone calls, travel dates, payments, and property access were brought together until the separate crimes no longer looked separate. They formed one long chain. Alessandro avoided placing his name on the money, but Donatus did. He avoided communicating with the kidnappers, but Donatus did. He had avoided giving dir
Justice Elena’s voice remained steady. “That is why Tina became useless to you. Not because she was dangerous. Not because she had crossed a moral line. Not because she had nearly killed an innocent woman.” She held his gaze. “She became useless because she acted outside your plan.” Alessandro said nothing. But Justice Elena continued. “You gave her pain a direction, just as you did with Donatus.” “I did not control her.” Alessandro defended. “No. You influenced her.” “That is not illegal.” “Influence alone is not.” A faint, cold smile returned to his face. “Then I fail to see why we are still here.” “Because influence was not the end of your involvement.” The smile remained, but his eyes changed. Justice Elena closed the file. “You keep presenting each act separately because each one appears harmless when it stands alone.” She raised one finger. “You told Donatus what he wanted to hear.” A second finger. “You kept reminding him that Joseph had protected Auralink.” A
The silence Alessandro left behind was different from the silence that had filled the room before. Earlier, his silence had been confidence. Now, it was calculation. He sat with his back straight and his hands resting calmly before him, but the certainty in his eyes was no longer there. The recording had ended, the screen had gone black, and yet Alessandro still appeared to be watching something only he could see. Justice Elena allowed the silence to remain for several more seconds. She did not rush him. She did not ask what he had recognized in Ethan Rhodes’s recording. She did not need him to explain it. Instead, she returned to the interrogation table and opened the file Alessandro had dismissed so easily before. “Let us continue,” she said. Alessandro lifted his eyes toward her. His expression was controlled again, but it was no longer effortless. “I believe I have already answered your questions.” “You have.” Justice Elena sat across from him. “That is precisely why
The small black storage drive remained on the table between Joseph Tremont and Alessandro Virelli. It looked ordinary and small. More like it's insignificant. Yet, for reasons Alessandro himself could not explain, he could not take his eyes off it. Joseph finally broke the silence. "Justice Elena." She looked at him. "I believe we should continue in the viewing room." She understood immediately. Without another word, she nodded toward one of the investigators. "Prepare the equipment." "Yes, ma'am." The investigator left immediately. A few minutes later, everyone entered the adjoining viewing room. A large monitor had already been switched on. The technician connected the storage drive carefully before stepping aside. Joseph remained standing. Steve stood beside him. Justice Elena deliberately chose not to sit because her attention never left Alessandro. Though he remained calm. At least... That was what he wanted everyone to believe. Joseph finally spoke. "Twenty-three
The tension inside the interrogation room had become almost unbearable. No one underestimated Alessandro Virelli anymore. Even the investigators who had questioned countless suspects throughout their careers understood that the man sitting across from them was different. He wasn't nervous, or angry, or even trying to escape. He simply looked... prepared. Justice Elena rested both hands on the file before her and looked directly at Alessandro. "Mr. Virelli, I hope you understand the seriousness of the allegations against you." "I do." "And yet you remain remarkably calm." Alessandro smiled politely. "I've learned that panic has never solved a problem." Joseph remained silent. Steve watched every expression that crossed Alessandro's face. The lead investigator switched on the recorder. "We'll continue." Justice Elena nodded. "Mr. Virelli, did you ever transfer money to Donatus Richardson for the purpose of financing criminal activities?" "No." Her eyes never left him. "You a







