Chapter 157: Headlines
After sending the encrypted instructions to Halloway, Luca set his terminal aside and picked up his crystal wine glass.
As he quietly observed the ballroom, he noticed a steady stream of unfamiliar executives making their way from table to table, raising glasses and exchanging business cards.
It didn’t take long for him to understand why so many influential figures attended the Northstar gala every year.
The charity itself was only part of the attraction.
Over time, events like this had become unofficial marketplaces where the city’s elite built connections, negotiated partnerships, and quietly expanded their influence.
Across the ballroom, Richardson Travenier, chairman of the hospitality group that owned The Meridian Hotel & Resort, made his rounds with his daughter, Rose. Father and daughter greeted guests with practiced smiles while compliments and polite laughter echoed around them.
Elsewhere, several entertainment executives escorted aspiring actresses and models from one VIP table to another, introducing them to wealthy investors. Once introductions were made, the women naturally slipped beside their new acquaintances, linking arms or leaning close while the businessmen casually rested hands around their waists without the slightest concern for appearances.
Watching the charity gala gradually transform into another networking playground for the wealthy, Luca lost whatever interest he still had in staying.
He finished the last sip of wine, set the empty glass down, and turned toward the two women beside him.
"How about we head home?"
"I’m ready," Naomi replied immediately before glancing at Vivienne. "What do you think, Sister Vivienne?"
Vivienne looked around the ballroom one last time before smiling softly.
"Let’s go."
Harvey looked over in surprise.
"Leaving already, Luca?"
This was usually the busiest part of the evening. Countless executives would spend the next few hours building relationships that could turn into billion-dollar deals.
Then again...
Harvey smiled to himself.
Luca was already the executive chairman of the Hale-Viv Conglomerate. He had no reason to chase after anyone else’s approval.
Ironically, most people inside the ballroom still had no idea who he was.
The majority recognized Harvey immediately and gravitated toward his table, while Luca remained largely undisturbed apart from the occasional polite toast.
If they knew the quiet young man sitting there had dismantled Gordon Luiz’s empire within days, the entire ballroom would probably be lining up to introduce themselves.
---
As the group reached the ballroom entrance, their departure caught the attention of several nearby guests.
It was difficult not to notice them.
Luca carried himself with effortless confidence, while Vivienne and Naomi each possessed their own striking beauty. Even the two female bodyguards following a few steps behind radiated an unmistakable air of professionalism.
"Mr. Hale!"
Alani hurried through the crowd, her heels clicking briskly across the marble floor.
She stopped in front of him, a trace of disappointment flickering across her elegant features.
"Are you leaving already?"
Luca offered a polite smile.
"I am, Ms. Stones. Until next time."
She hesitated only briefly before gathering her courage.
"Would it be possible to have your personal contact information?"
Luca answered just as politely.
"I don’t handle the conglomerate’s day-to-day operations. If your company ever needs assistance, Secretary Cecelia can coordinate everything. There’s really no need to add my private number."
It was a gentle rejection, delivered without leaving room for misunderstanding.
With Vivienne, Naomi, and the security team accompanying him, Luca walked out of the ballroom without looking back.
The heavy doors slowly closed behind them.
---
Harvey watched them leave before shaking his head with a smile.
"Brother Luca really is something else. Completely immune to all these high-society games."
A voice sounded behind him.
"You know that young man?"
Richardson Travenier approached with a glass of aged red wine in hand.
His daughter, Rose, followed beside him, accompanied by two attendants carrying silver trays.
Although Richardson maintained a polite smile, there was a faint hint of displeasure in his eyes.
After all, this was a charity gala hosted inside his flagship hotel, and someone had left halfway through the evening without even stopping to exchange a few words with the host.
There was no rule against leaving early.
Still...
He considered it poor etiquette.
The Travenier Hospitality Group operated the premier luxury hotel chain throughout New Orleans and catered almost exclusively to affluent clientele. While Richardson held no political office, his influence throughout the city’s hospitality industry was substantial.
Harvey noticed the subtle irritation immediately.
The rumors were apparently true.
Richardson really could be surprisingly petty over minor social slights.
Since they’d worked together before, Harvey decided to offer a quiet warning.
"Of course I know him."
He took a sip of wine before continuing.
"He’s the same man who’s been behind nearly every major headline in New Orleans these past few weeks."
Richardson’s expression changed instantly.
"...Wait."
"You’re saying that’s Mr. Hale? The one who took over the Luiz Conglomerate... I mean, the Hale-Viv Conglomerate?"
His hand jerked so suddenly that wine nearly splashed onto his tailored cuff.
Currently, there wasn’t a single executive in New Orleans who wanted to offend Luca.
Everyone had watched Gordon Luiz, once considered untouchable, lose everything almost overnight before being hauled away in federal custody.
Years earlier, when Gordon attended events like this one, Richardson had practically followed behind him.
If Rose had returned from studying overseas just a little sooner, Gordon might’ve even tried arranging a marriage between her and Dexter.
Now that entire faction had vanished.
"Thank you for the info, CEO Adams," Richardson said sincerely.
Harvey merely nodded.
Anyone who’d spent enough years navigating the business world knew exactly when it was wiser to keep a respectful distance.
---
By the time Luca returned to the villa and stepped into his private study, a new encrypted notification appeared on his terminal.
[Boss, all required clearances have been approved.]
[Please report to the Federal Office of Public Integrity tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. A private thirty-minute deposition session with Gordon Luiz has been authorized.]
A cold smile slowly spread across Luca’s face.
"Perfect."
He was already looking forward to seeing Gordon’s expression after learning that Dexter wasn’t actually his biological son.
Without wasting another moment, he opened a secure line to Captain Rico.
"Boss?"
Rico answered almost immediately.
"Tomorrow morning at seven. Pick me up with the complete intelligence file we’ve compiled over the past few days."
"We’re going to the Federal Office of Public Integrity."
"Understood, Boss."
After ending the call, Rico quietly shook his head.
For the first time in days...
He actually felt a little sorry for Gordon.
Even after being arrested, the man had spent every waking moment instructing his lawyers to protect Dexter, insisting they shift as much responsibility onto himself as possible to reduce his son’s sentence.
It was obvious how deeply Gordon cared about the boy.
The cruelest part?
By tomorrow morning, that devotion would be rewarded with a truth capable of breaking even the strongest man.
The irony couldn’t have been more brutal.
Gordon hadn’t fallen because of his own old crimes.
Those had been buried long ago.
For thirty years, he’d erased every trace, leaving investigators with almost nothing.
Everything unraveled because Dexter couldn’t control himself.
His assault on the college student’s family forced Gordon to rely on Silas Sr. to clean up the mess.
That single cover-up created the evidence trail federal investigators had been searching for.
In the end...
The son Gordon had sacrificed everything to protect had dragged him into prison.
And that son wasn’t even his own flesh and blood.
When Gordon finally learned the truth...
Rico had no doubt the revelation would destroy whatever remained of the old man’s spirit.