Chapter 4 - The Internal Cleansing
By dusk, the atmosphere inside the Moretti mansion had shifted from quiet tension to a coiled spring ready to snap. The household staff had been thoroughly vetted; anyone whose loyalty to Dominic was even remotely suspected had been quietly reassigned to a remote fruit orchard three states away under Marko's watchful eye.
In the master suite, Adrian stood before the full-length mirror, buttoning a crisp white shirt and fastening his gold cufflinks. The tremors in his hands were completely gone—suppressed by an ironclad injection of pure adrenaline and the first dose of Dr. Vance’s neutralizer. He looked sharp, dangerous, and utterly terrifying.
A soft knock echoed at the door.
“Come in,” Adrian said without turning around.
The door creaked open, and little Lily stepped inside, clutching her battered gray rabbit. Her mother, Elena, hovered anxiously behind her in the hallway, but Adrian waved her off.
“Mr. Moretti?” Lily whispered, tilting her head. “Are you still sad?”
Adrian turned, walking over to crouch down to eye level with the three-year-old girl. The harsh, ruthless image of the Mafia boss melted away, replaced by something infinitely more complex—a man who recognized that his life had been saved not by an army of mercenaries, but by a toddler in lion pajamas.
“No, Lily,” Adrian said softly, his voice steady and warm. “I’m not sad anymore. In fact, I’m about to go hunting.”
Lily blinked her big, innocent eyes. “Did the bad tea go away?”
“The bad tea is gone forever,” Adrian promised, gently touching the ear of her gray rabbit. “You and your mother are moving to a safe house tonight. Marko will take you there. You’ll have a big yard, a room full of new toys, and all the chocolate milk you can drink.”
“Will you come visit us?” Lily asked.
“When this is all over,” Adrian replied, standing up and offering her a rare, genuine smile. “I promise.”
As Elena gently led Lily away to prep for transport, Marko slipped into the room, locking the heavy oak door behind him.
“Everything is in position, Boss,” Marko reported, his face grim. “The private penthouse suite at the Grand Moretti Hotel is prepped. All twelve regional capos have been summoned for a midnight emergency summit. Dominic told them you’re stepping down due to medical incapacity, and that he’s taking full operational control.”
“And our loyalists?” Adrian asked, adjusting his black wool overcoat.
“Waiting in the wings. The floor is ours. Not a single man moves without your word.”
May you like
Adrian reached into his holster, pulling out his custom-engraved Beretta 92FS. He checked the magazine, the satisfying clack-click echoing in the quiet room.
“Let’s go welcome my brother to his new office,” Adrian said coldly.
