Chapter 7
The silence in the grand gallery was absolute, broken only by the ragged breathing of the terrified woman on the floor. Luciano stood over Bernadette, his tailored three-piece suit completely unwrinkled despite the explosive violence of the last three minutes.
"Everything in this house is yours," Luciano quoted, repeating Marcus's arrogant declaration from moments before. His voice was quiet, raspy, and lethal. He stared directly into Bernadette’s wide, panicked eyes. "But your life belongs to me."
Bernadette’s face became overwhelmingly frightened. The blood completely drained from her rosy cheeks. "Luciano... you can't kill us in front of the entire family. The commission... they won't allow it. We are blood!"
"The commission does not protect traitors," Luciano stated coldly. He slowly stood up and turned his attention to the surrounding capos. His intimidating eyes locked onto a heavy-set man standing near the catering tables.
"Silvio," Luciano commanded, his volume remaining incredibly low.
The capo swallowed hard, his fair skin paling as he stepped forward hesitantly. "Yes, Boss?"
"Marcus claimed he had the backing of the men," Luciano said, his gaze piercing through the capo's fragile composure. "He claimed the family was bleeding money because of my leadership. Did he approach you with this delusion?"
Silvio’s eyes darted nervously toward the unconscious Marcus. The entire hierarchy of the syndicate hung in the balance. "He... he mentioned that he was unhappy with the new shipping routes, Boss. He asked if I would support a change in management. But I swear to you, I told him no. I told him my loyalty was to you."
"And yet," Luciano whispered, taking a slow, measured step toward the capo, "you did not come to me with this information. You allowed a coup to fester in my own house."
Silvio took a panicked step backward. "I didn't think he was serious, Luciano! I thought he was just drunk and venting!"
"You thought," Luciano repeated, the words dripping with absolute disdain. He looked around the room, making eye contact with every single Mafia associate present. "Let this be perfectly clear to everyone in this room. There is no middle ground in this family. You are either entirely loyal, or you are an enemy. Silence is complicity."
He turned back to his lead bodyguard, a massive white American man standing near the doorway.
"Take them to the warehouse in the meatpacking district," Luciano ordered, pointing to Bernadette and Marcus. "Bind them. Do not let them speak to each other. And strip them of their phones. I want them completely blind."
"Yes, sir," the guard nodded, gesturing for four men to move in.
May you like
"Luciano, please!" Bernadette shrieked as the guards grabbed her arms and hauled her roughly to her feet. "What about Felix?! You can't leave my son without his parents!"
"Your son will be sent to boarding school in Switzerland by midnight," Luciano replied, entirely devoid of mercy. "He will be provided for, but he will never carry the Venturi name again. You have destroyed his legacy."
