The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 114: The Meeting

"Not Victoria Sterling," Elliot clarifies. "Different person but-" He shares a photo on screen.

A young woman in her late twenties. Strikingly beautiful and standing beside someone familiar.

Charles Sterling in what looks like a charity event.

"When was this taken?" Bella asks.

"Three years ago," Elliot says. "Before everything, before Victoria Sterling died and before we took down Charles."

I stare at the photo, at Victoria Bridges’s face.

"I must have seen her picture on the news tabloid," I say slowly. "Of Victoria Sterling’s funeral. She was a woman dressed in black, standing apart from everyone else. I thought she was just another mourner."

"She was planning revenge even then," Tony says grimly.

Lisa pulls up more information. "Victoria Bridges, age 32. She’s Charles Sterling’s goddaughter. Her father was Sterling’s business partner. Charles mentored and trained her in business, and-" Lisa stops reading.

"And what?" I prompt.

"And corporate espionage, strategic manipulation according to these files, Charles called her ’his most promising student.’"

The room goes cold.

"After Charles was arrested," Elliot continues, "Victoria Bridges liquidated all her assets and disappeared. Then six months ago, Vivian Cross appeared with perfect credentials and targeted Tony’s business."

"The hotel deal was never about business," I realize. "It was about access. About getting close to Tony and destroying our relationship."

"She succeeded," Tony says bitterly. "We almost broke up because of her."

"She manipulated everything," Bella adds. "The late nights, the distance, making Katherine feel second. It was all calculated."

Susan’s looking at files on her laptop. "But why? What does she actually want?"

Tony’s phone buzzes with a text message from an unknown number.

He shows us:

Figured it out yet? Good. Now you know who’s coming for you, and Tony - I’m taking everything. Your business, your empire. Everything you built, watch it burn. -Victoria

"She wants Marvin Industries," I say. "Revenge for Charles by destroying what Tony created."

Chen’s already making calls. "I’m getting a warrant. We bring her in-"

"On what charges?" Timothy asks. "We have no evidence connecting her to Marcus, to the explosions, to anything. Just a fake identity and a grudge."

"Which isn’t enough," Chen admits.

Luca’s phone rings. He answers and listens, then his face darkens.

"My contact at the SEC just sent me something. Vivian Cross - Victoria Bridges has been quietly buying shares in Marvin Industries for months. Through shell companies via proxies."

"How much?" Tony asks.

"Thirty percent. Maybe more if the proxies are confirmed."

Tony sits down heavily. "That’s - that’s almost controlling interest."

"She’s been planning a hostile takeover," I realize. "While pretending to be your business partner."

"There’s a board meeting scheduled," Luca continues. "It’s an emergency session tomorrow at noon."

"Let me guess," Bella says. "Vote to remove Tony as CEO?"

"And install new leadership." Luca looks at Tony. "She’s going to take your company. Legally."

"Then destroy it," Tony finishes. "As revenge."

"We have," I check my watch, "eight hours until that vote."

"Can we stop it?" Susan asks.

"Expose her," Timothy suggests. "Her real identity - fake credentials and connection to Charles Sterling."

"We need evidence," Chen says. "Solid evidence and eight hours to build it."

Tony stands. "Then we build it. Everyone has assignments. Lisa and Elliot - dig into Victoria Bridges. Everything, create a profile we can present to the board.

Timothy and Luca - legal strategy. How do we block the vote or prove fraud?

Bella and Susan - contact board members. Warn them about Victoria and tell them what she really is."

"What about you?" I ask.

Tony looks at me. "We confront Victoria directly."

"That’s dangerous-"

"She wants us; she’s been planning this for years. We give her what she wants."

"As bait," I understand. "Draw her out and make her make a mistake."

"While everyone else builds the case to destroy her."

It’s risky, but it’s our best shot.

"When?" I ask. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Now, before she knows we’ve identified her."

Tony’s already calling Victoria’s number.

She answers on the second ring. "Tony. Working late? Or are you calling to beg for the deal back?"

"I know who you are. Victoria Bridges."

Silence. Then a laugh. "Took you long enough. I was starting to think you were slower than Charles said."

"We need to talk. Face to face."

"Do we? I’m rather busy planning my corporate takeover of your life’s work."

"The hotel, where we first met. One hour."

"And Katherine?" Victoria’s voice is amused. "She’ll want to come. Can’t let her man out of her sight after I almost split you up."

"Katherine will be there. This is between the three of us."

"Fine. One hour. But Tony, come armed if you want. It won’t matter because I’ve already won."

She hangs up.

I look at Tony. "What if she’s right? What if she has already won?"

"Then we lose the business, but we survive together. That’s what matters."

"Is it? After everything you’ve built-"

He cups my face. "I built it for us and for our future, but Katherine, if I have to choose between the business and you, there’s no choice. It’s you... always you."

I kiss him, pouring everything into it with gratitude, love, fear, and hope.

"Let’s go get our life back," I say.

Thirty minutes later, we pull up to the hotel.

The Regency, where this all started. Where Vivian or Victoria first drove a wedge between us.

Full circle.

She’s waiting in the bar, not hiding anymore. Looking exactly like herself - Victoria Bridges and not Vivian Cross.

Beautiful, dangerous, and confident.

"Anthony. Katherine." She gestures to the empty seats across from her. "So glad you could make it. Drink?"

"We’re not here for drinks," Tony says coldly. "We’re here to end this."

"End it?" Victoria smiles and sips her wine. "Oh, we’re just beginning."

We sit. Both of us are tense but ready.

"You see," Victoria continues, "while you’ve been playing detective, I’ve been making moves. The board vote? It’s not tomorrow at noon."

My stomach drops.

"It’s tonight in one hour. Emergency session, I called." She checks her watch. "And the board members, the ones your sister is trying to warn? They’re already here. In the conference room upstairs, waiting for me."

"We’ll expose you," I say. "Tell them who you really are. Your connection to Charles Sterling-"

"Go ahead." Victoria leans back, completely relaxed. "I’m not hiding. I’m Victoria Bridges, Charles Sterling’s goddaughter. I’ve told them everything, about Charles, about my revenge, and how I’m going to destroy everything Tony built."

"And you know what?" Her smile is razor-sharp. "They don’t care. Because I’m offering them triple returns in the first year. Money trumps morality. Every. Single. Time."

Tony’s jaw clenches. "There has to be something you want. Some way to stop this."

Victoria leans forward. "There is - You. I want you both dead. That’s what I want, and that’s what Charles would have wanted."

"But since I can’t kill you yet, I’ll settle for destroying everything you’ve built and watching you live with the loss."

She stands and smooths her dress.

"The vote starts in sixty minutes. You’re welcome to attend, watch me win, and watch your empire burn."

She walks toward the elevator, stops, and then turns back.

"Oh, and Tony? That promise ring Katherine took off? The one you’ve been carrying around?"

My hand instinctively goes to my pocket. The ring is there.

"You should throw it away," Victoria says. "You’ll never get the chance to put it back on her finger. I’ll make sure of it."

She disappears into the elevator.

Tony and I sit there. Stunned.

Sixty minutes to save everything he’s built.

But how do you fight someone who’s thought of everything?