Chapter 20
Lorenzo carried the heavy wooden crest to the large, panoramic window overlooking the East River. He didn't look back at Moretti. He simply smashed the heavy wood through the thick glass, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet office. He tossed the crest out into the twilight, watching it fall end over end until it disappeared into the dark, churning water below.
"It's over, Moretti," Lorenzo stated calmly, turning back to the room.
He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't need to kill the old man. The federal agents storming the building below would ensure Moretti spent the rest of his short, miserable life in a maximum-security prison, stripped of his power, his money, and his legacy.
Lorenzo walked out of the office, the heavy doors closing behind him with a definitive thud.
He returned to the hospital an hour later. The secure maternity suite was quiet and peaceful. Sofia was holding one of her newborn sons, gently rocking him to sleep while Nurse Claire tended to the others.
"Everything is handled," Lorenzo said softly, stepping into the warm light of the room.
Sofia looked up, a bright, genuine smile touching her lips. "Thank you, Dad."
Lorenzo walked over to the clear bassinet, looking down at the tiny, fragile lives he had secured. He had burned the Mercer family to the ground, dismantled the Moretti syndicate, and permanently shifted the balance of power in the city.
May you like
He reached down, his large, tattooed hand gently resting on the edge of the plastic bassinet. He was a ruthless, terrifying monster to the world outside, but in this room, he was simply a grandfather ensuring the safety of his bloodline.
"Welcome to the family," Lorenzo whispered to the sleeping infants. "You will never have to be afraid."
