PART 8 – The Headquarters in Milan
The national airline's headquarters was an imposing building of glass and steel towering over Milan's busy streets. As I walked through the revolving door with Vittoria in the stroller and my heart in my throat, I was immediately met by a young security guard who looked at me sternly. But before he could ask anything, a familiar figure appeared behind the counter.
Luca.
He wasn't wearing his pilot's jacket today, but a sharp dark blue tailored suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and stern jawline even more. He looked impeccable, but the dark circles under his bright blue eyes betrayed that he hadn't slept all night either.
"Elena. You came," he said, striding quickly toward me. He cast a loving glance at Vittoria, who immediately grabbed his tie.
"I had no choice," I replied breathlessly. "If I don't stand here, I lose everything."
"You won't lose anything," Luca said resolutely, taking me by the arm and leading me toward a private glass-walled elevator. "Today we turn the tables."
The elevator hummed softly as we were taken to the sixth floor, where the executive offices and legal department were located. Along the way, Luca rapidly explained his plan. It turned out he wasn't just any captain; his family had deep roots in the aviation world, and over the past few weeks, he and a team of private investigators had gathered evidence on the corruption network in which Stefano and his new father-in-law—the powerful real estate tycoon—were entangled.
The doors of the conference room swung open. At a long marble table sat three stern men in suits: the airline's chief counsel, a high-ranking federal police inspector, and... to my total shock, Stefano's lawyer, who had apparently been invited to a 'higher-level emergency meeting.'
When Stefano's lawyer sees me and Luca walking into the room together, his jaw drops in astonishment. His arrogant smile vanishes in a fraction of a second.
"What... what on earth is the meaning of this?" the lawyer stammers indignantly, springing to his feet. "This is a private meeting of my client's client! What is this woman doing here?"
"She is here because she is the primary witness in a case of organized slander, blackmail, and fraud," Luca said with a voice echoing through the entire room, full of authority and ice-cold contempt.
He walked to the head of the table, placed a thick dossier of evidence down, and looked the lawyer straight in the eyes. "And believe me, counselor... your client, Stefano Moretti, has no idea what's about to hit him."
