Page 32 of Indigo Deception
Security also confirms the building is clear—hit team neutralized.
Silence stretches between us, heavy with everything unsaid. Six months of deception and something else that grew alongside it, something neither of us planned for.
"Are you going to take me in?" he finally asks.
"That depends," I say, holstering my weapon, "on what you do next."
12
Epilogue
ANGELO
One year after.
The Metropolitan Museum is filled with New York's elite crowd, struggling to make connections with powerful men and women in the building.
I stand alone with my third glass of champagne, watching them all.
A year ago, I would've been working the room, closing deals between handshakes. Now I'm just going through the motions.
Rebuilt, my kingdom—that’s what Forbes called it last month—is now stronger than ever.
What a load of shit.
Sure, the money's back. The power too. But rebuilding isn't the same as restoration. The foundation has shifted. I've shifted.
I downed the champagne in one swallow, ignoring the disapproving glance from a senator's wife. Let her judge. None of these peopleknows what it cost me to stand here tonight, under these lights, pretending I'm whole.
A year passes strangely when you're haunted. Eighteen-hour days blur into nights spent staring at the ceiling, seeing her face. I've rebuilt my empire with hands that still reach for her in my sleep.
I made the SEC an offer they couldn't refuse: the Kovacs network gift-wrapped with a bow, in exchange for them backing the hell off my company. My new financial analyst—some Harvard kid who's brilliant but will never be her—structured it as a "mutual cooperation agreement."
Much cleaner than an immunity deal.
Kaif from the SEC had stared at me across the conference table, knowing she was being played but unable to resist the bigger win. "You're a lucky man, Bellanti," she said as we shook hands.
Lucky. Right.
The Kovacs are finished. As for Veronica, she's still in witness protection and has gone back to her disgusting habit—gambling.
She thought she hid it well, but I’ve known since our college days at Wharton. I just didn't bring it up out of respect for her.
But now? Now, all bets are off. Now, I make sure she loses exactly the amount of her monthly stipend to online poker sites. It's petty, but some nights it's the only thing that helps me sleep.
"Magnificent event, Mr. Bellanti." The mayor's hand lands heavy on my shoulder, smiling widely. "The foundation's work with those scholarship programs—truly inspirational."
I force my face into the smile that's sold a million copies of magazines. "Education changes lives, Mayor. Sometimes it's the difference between becoming a CEO or a criminal."
He laughs as if I've said something funny.
Across the room, Matteo catches my eye. He’s leaning against the bar, his hand on his wife, Elena’s waist. He has been my shadow this past year, watching me like he's afraid I'll shatter if he looks away. Maybe he's right.
Olivia stands with her husband, Marco, near the bar, beautiful in Valentino. She still has that look—the one that's called my bullshit since we were kids.
Lorenzo is off in Sicily with his daughter and Sophia, doing business. Same with Isabella and her husband, Nico Moretti.
Father stayed back. His leg has been giving him some issues, and although he’s too stubborn to admit it, he’s growing old and needs to rest as much as he can.
