Chapter 17
Mason slowly raised his head, his eyes darting toward the examination table where Caleb sat watching them. The ten-year-old bully, who had tied his younger cousin to a chair and kicked him without mercy just twenty-four hours ago, now looked entirely broken. The arrogance that Bianca and Francesca had nurtured in him had been surgically removed by the sheer terror of his new reality.
"Go on," Alessandra commanded softly, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and guiding him into the room.
Mason took two tentative steps toward the table. He swallowed hard, his throat tight with tears he was desperately trying to hold back. He looked at Caleb's bruised ribs, the physical evidence of his cruelty stark in the bright, sterile light of the medical suite.
"I... I'm sorry, Caleb," Mason stammered, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I won't ever do it again. I promise."
Caleb looked at his older cousin, his wide blue eyes searching Mason's face for sincerity. Despite the pain and the terror he had endured, Caleb possessed a gentle heart that the mafia world hadn't yet corrupted.
"It's okay, Mason," Caleb said softly. "But you can't be mean anymore."
"I won't be," Mason whispered, a single tear escaping and sliding down his pale cheek.
Alessandra watched the exchange, her expression unreadable. She didn't believe in apologies; she believed in behavioral modification. Mason’s tears were a start, but true loyalty required breaking him down to the foundation and rebuilding him in her image.
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"Silas," Alessandra called out. The broad-shouldered underboss stepped into the room immediately. "Take Mason to the training grounds. He will run laps until he drops, and then he will scrub the kennels. He doesn't eat until his chores are finished."
"Yes, Boss," Silas nodded, placing a heavy hand on Mason's shoulder and leading the terrified boy out of the room. Alessandra watched them go, her resolve hardening. She would forge Mason into a loyal soldier, a shield for Caleb, or she would discard him.
