Chapter 7 - CHECKMATE
Isabella lunged forward, drawing a concealed silver derringer from her gown, but Claire was significantly faster. With a swift, brutally practiced motion, Claire disarmed the traitor, twisting the gun away and dropping Isabella to her knees on the polished floor. Police sirens began to wail in the distance—Claire had already forwarded Isabella’s meticulously documented ledgers, detailing years of extortion and murder, directly to the federal authorities. Roman didn't need to fire a single shot. He chose to let the law entirely dismantle the woman who had tried to bury him. As the FBI tactical teams stormed the ballroom to drag a screaming Isabella away in handcuffs, Roman and Claire slipped out quietly through the private VIP elevator, leaving the chaos far behind. The empire was completely secure, and the traitors were permanently purged.
