Chapter 5
I asked Vera one question.
“Why Nina?”
Her eyes filled with something that looked almost like regret.
Almost.
“Because she is the one person you would always choose.”
I stared.
“And Mother?”
“The one person everyone expects you to honor.”
There.
Perfect trap.
Save Nina first—
Vera could tell the older family Luca abandoned the matriarch.
Save Grace first—
she could tell everyone the boss protected tradition before his own daughter.
Either way, my reaction could be narrated as failure.
“What if I saved both?”
She looked toward the shattered sculpture.
“You weren’t supposed to have enough time.”
That sentence sat ugly between us.
Even before Harlan removed the safety catch, Vera intended terror.
Nina restrained.
Grace positioned.
Eight seconds.
A father running.
Family watching.
Then safety cables stopping both pieces before impact.
She had convinced herself danger that stops in time is not danger.
I leaned forward.
“You needed my daughter screaming.”
Vera looked away.
“You needed my mother believing she might die.”
Silence.
“You needed me to choose.”
“Yes.”
Finally.
I almost admired the honesty.
Then Harlan laughed from across the room.
“You’re all pretending the point wasn’t valid.”
I turned.
He looked at the older capos.
“Half this family thinks Luca puts Nina before command.”
That sounded familiar.
I had heard versions of it.
I left dinners early for Nina.
Moved meetings for school events.
Refused to let family politics enter her nursery.
Apparently fatherhood remained suspicious.
“And Grace?”
Harlan continued.
“The other half thinks she still controls him.”
I almost smiled.
“So you designed a test to satisfy both rumors.”
“Yes.”
“And then removed the safety under Nina.”
His expression changed.
“That part was different.”
“Why her?”
Silence.
I stepped closer.
“Harlan.”
He looked toward Vera.
Not at me.
Interesting.
Then he said:
“Because if Nina was gone, Vera’s branch mattered again.”
There.
The real ambition.
May you like
Not just revenge.
Succession.
