Chapter 5 - Blood and Betrayal“You fool,” Don Ricci hissed, looking down at his weeping niece with absolute disgust rather than pity. In the mafia, failure and exposure were unforgivable sins, but getting caught was a capital offense.
“Uncle, they tortured me—” Vivian cried out, dragging herself toward his polished leather shoes.
Ricci didn't flinch. He slowly raised his ivory cane, pointing the heavy silver tip directly at Vivian’s forehead.
“You brought a child’s toy into a war room,” Ricci said coldly. “You let a peasant outwit you. You are no longer family.”
Before Ricci could pull the trigger or signal his own guards, Alessandro’s hand shot out like a lightning bolt, grabbing the end of the cane and wrenching it away with brutal force.
“Not in my house, Ricci,” Alessandro said, his voice echoing with absolute authority. “She stands trial under Moretti law, not your archaic family rules. And right now, she’s going to tell us who gave her the instructions to plant that rabbit in Mrs. Bennett’s laundry basket.”
Vivian gasped for air, looking between her uncle and the terrifying mafia king. She realized in that instant that Don Ricci had intended to silence her permanently to protect his own skin.
“It was him!” Vivian screamed, pointing a trembling finger at Don Ricci. “He ordered me to find David Bennett’s widow! He said the girl had something belonging to the syndicate—a microchip sewn into the lining of the rabbit! He wanted it back before Alessandro found out!”
A heavy, deathly silence descended upon the hall. The eleven other family bosses sat frozen, realizing the scale of the conspiracy. Don Ricci hadn't just been protecting his turf; he had been building a shadow empire to overthrow Alessandro from within.
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Don Ricci’s expression twisted into a demonic grin. He reached inside his tailored wool coat, his hand sliding toward a hidden shoulder holster.
“If I go down,” Ricci snarled, “Milan burns with me.”
