Chapter 17 - Camilla Tries To Sell Out The Story To Tabloids
Back in Manhattan, Camilla Russo sat inside a dimly lit diner booth three blocks away from the police barricades. Her phone had been returned to her by the police after a brief interrogation, and her social media notifications were exploding.
Instead of going home, she dialed the direct cell number of a notorious New York tabloid journalist named Rex Miller. The phone connected on the second ring, answered by a sharp, raspy voice.
"Camilla? You're hard to reach tonight; rumor has it L’Étoile Noir was raided by federal agents," Rex said eagerly. "Forget the raid, Rex—I have the real story of the century," Camilla hissed into the receiver.
"I was sitting at table four when a runaway waitress exposed a massive international mafia conspiracy," Camilla fabricated wildly. "She's working with Alessandro Moretti to launder stolen diplomatic funds."
"Do you have proof, Camilla? A photo, a recording?" Rex asked, his journalistic instincts flaring up. "I have my live stream footage, and I know where they're hiding out," Camilla lied smoothly, eager for revenge.
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She named a defunct maritime warehouse near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, claiming she saw them flee in that direction. The tabloid reporter promised her fifty thousand dollars and exclusive front-page credit for the tip.
Camilla hung up the phone with a smug smile, believing she had outsmarted both the mob and the waitress. She had no idea that by calling a journalist tied to Marcus Vance, she had just painted a target on her own back.
