Page 34 of Reckless Desire

The three men spent hours strategizing, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to be one step ahead of Xander and get their family free of his clutches. They mapped out every detail, every possible move he would make, and formulated airtight countermeasures. Satisfied with their plan, Vincent pulled out his phone. His fingers moved swiftly over the screen as he typed out a message to his source requesting an update.

Vincent exhaled, the tension releasing from his shoulders as he read the message. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. He allowed himself a small smirk. The game was on, and he intended to win–no matter the cost. Determination was etched onto his face as he spoke to MJ and Nigel, “We’ve got our leverage, gentlemen. It’s time to put our plan into motion.”

“We come bearing gifts, big brother,” Joshua lightly tapped on the door before pushing it open and walking in with a smile, followed closely by Nicholas, who had an identical expression. They both carried folders under their arms as they entered the room. Vincent, Nigel, and MJ all raised their eyes from the desk simultaneously.

“What y’all got?” Vincent asked, taking the folder from Joshua.

“He hid everything. There’s no other way to put it. X-Bishon was never included in their divorce decree. It’s likely he had her sign her name to the deed under false documentation. We checked into the dates. It was just months before their divorce was final. He has two options: Vince: go back to court where he will face jail time for committing perjury, or pay her half of what he’s earned and remove her name. I know you’ll go with the latter.”

The corners of Vincent’s mouth twitched upward in a small, grim smile.

“And that’s where this comes in,” Josh announced, holding up the file he had. “We were able to terminate representation due to him hiring us to perpetrate fraud. It’s a clean break from Moretti & Valentino.”

“And there’s more than enough of us that were witnesses to what that smug bastard said about Joey. He’s put Dominique through enough. Xander is a cancer,” Vincent spat, his voice harsh as ice. “He’s infected everything he’s touched, and I’ll be damned if I let him continue to spread. We cut him out, and we save what’s left.”

“Xander may be cunning, but he’s no match for your legal expertise, Vince,” MJ said, clapping a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I can’t wait to see his face when he realizes he’s been outmaneuvered. That’s gonna sting.”

“Let’s get it done,” Vincent agreed, his jaw clenched. “I want our family firm’s reputation intact when we take Xander down for good.”

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Vincent’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the polished mahogany table, his eyes never leaving Xander’s face. The heavy silence in the room was punctuated only by the sound of the grandfather clock ticking away in the corner, each second bringing them closer to the moment of truth.

“Let’s get this over with, Bishop,” Vincent said, his voice cold and unwavering. He slid a stack of documents across the table toward Xander, a fountain pen following suit. “Sign everything that has an ‘X’ next to it,” he instructed, his tone brooking no argument.

“What am I signing?”

“What do you think? This releases Dominique from any partnerships we’re not aware of and removes her from the deed of X-Bishon.”

Xander’s jaw clenched in suppressed rage as he glanced down at the papers. Vincent watched as he pulled out the contents–documents detailing his perjury and falsified ownership of Club X-Bishon. The color drained from Xander’s face.

“Care to explain?”

“Where did you get this?” Xander demanded, panic lacing his words.

“Don’t worry about all that,” Vincent countered, leaning back in his chair. “What does matter is that I have them, and they reveal all your shady business dealings. Not to mention using Dominique’s name without her consent. Oh, and let’s not forget your cousin’s trifling ass trying to set up my brother, Joey.”

“Your sugar booger-loving brother raped Malaysia!”

“Save your breath,” Vincent cut him off, his gaze never wavering. “We have her recorded confession that she lied about Joey. She made that up because he didn’t want to date her.”

Xander’s jaw clenched again, his eyes flicking around the room as he attempted to regain control of the situation. “You can’t prove anything,” he said smugly, leaning back.

Vincent leaned forward, his fingers interlaced on the table. “I don’t need to prove it. I just need to expose it.” His voice was low and dangerous as a predator closing in on its prey. “You know as well as I do that your reputation and businesses will suffer immensely if this information becomes public knowledge.”

“Is that a threat?” Xander sneered.

“Merely an observation of something I learned a long time ago. The winner is the player who makes the next to last mistake,” Vincent replied smoothly, his composure unshakable. “Your move, Bishop. Choose wisely.”

“Fine,” he spat through gritted teeth, snatching up the pen and scrawling his name across the bottom of each page. He shoved the signed documents back toward Vincent, his eyes blazing with resentment. “Happy now?” Xander scowled, the words dripping venom.

“Almost,” Vincent replied, an icy smile playing on his lips. With a flick of his wrist, he produced another document, this one thinner than the rest, and slid it smoothly across the table. “You’ll also need to sign this, too. It’s a notice of termination for our legal services. Effective immediately, Moretti & Valentino will no longer represent you or any of your businesses.”

For a brief moment, Xander hesitated, his hand hovering above the paper. Vincent knew he was weighing his options, calculating the cost of losing such a powerful ally. But ultimately, he knew he had no choice. With a furious scrawl, Xander signed the document, severing the last tie between him and the law firm that had once been his stronghold.

Xander pushed away from the table and rose to his feet. “You’ve got what you wanted, Moretti. But don’t think this is the end. I won’t forget what you’ve done.”

“Neither will I,” Vincent’s lips curled into a cold smile as he held Xander’s gaze, unyielding. “Oh, I have no doubt that you’ll try to make good on that threat, Bishop. But remember this … I will always be one step ahead of you, prepared for whatever twisted game you choose to play.”

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