Chapter 8 - BLOOD ON THE MARBLE
The final confrontation was inevitable. Stripped of his allies and his power, the old patriarch, Don Vincenzo Vale, had retreated to the ancestral estate in the Bronx. Sebastian knew he had to finish it, to sever the head of the snake permanently, or we would spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders.
"You don't have to go with me," Sebastian told me as we stood by the armored cars waiting in the underground garage. "It will be ugly."
"I am the mother of his heirs," I said, my voice steady, surprising even myself with the steel in my tone. "He tried to have my babies killed. I want to look him in the eye when you take his empire away for good."
Sebastian smiled, a proud, dangerous smirk. "My Queen."
We arrived at the Bronx compound with a small army. Vincenzo's remaining guards, seeing the writing on the wall, laid down their weapons and opened the gates for Sebastian. We walked into the grand study, where the old man sat behind a massive mahogany desk, looking frail but defiant.
"So," Vincenzo croaked, his eyes darting to me with pure venom. "You bring the whore into our home, Sebastian. You disgrace the Vale name."
Sebastian didn't shout. He didn't pull a gun. He walked slowly to the desk, his presence dominating the room. "The only disgrace to this family, old man, is you. You tried to murder your own great-grandchildren. You orchestrated lies to tear my family apart. You are weak."
"I did what had to be done to preserve the strength of the syndicate!" Vincenzo spat. "Love makes you blind! She makes you weak!"
"She makes me invincible," Sebastian corrected smoothly. "Because of her, I have something worth killing for. You have nothing but your pride."
Sebastian snapped his fingers. Marco stepped forward, placing a thick stack of documents on the desk.
"Sign the transfer of all remaining offshore assets," Sebastian ordered. "Sign over the deeds to the properties, and confess in writing to the assassination attempt. If you do, I will allow you to live out your days in exile in Sicily. If you refuse, I will kill you where you sit."
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Vincenzo looked at his grandson, realizing he had completely lost. The monster he had trained had finally overpowered him. With shaking hands, the old Don signed the papers.
"Get him out of my city," Sebastian ordered his men. As they dragged the old man away, Sebastian turned to me, the darkness in his eyes fading, replaced by a profound relief. "It's over."
