Chapter 5
My husband gave me three names.
Not willingly.
I already had them from Victoria’s photographs.
Dominic Raye.
Martin Cole.
Felix Romano.
Felix hurt.
My father’s cousin.
The man who carried my coffin flowers when Dad died and told me nobody could take my place unless I surrendered it.
Apparently people say beautiful things when they believe loyalty is free.
I brought all three into the conservatory breakfast room.
Marcus remained absent.
I wanted their reasons uncoached.
Dominic started with concern.
“Valentina, your trip became unpredictable.”
“So?”
“The family needed stability.”
“I was gone nineteen days.”
Silence.
Martin tried a different route.
“Marcus said you were considering extending your time abroad.”
“I wasn’t.”
Felix looked at the table.
Good.
He knew where this was going.
I turned to him.
“What were you told?”
“That you were tired.”
I almost laughed.
“Everyone is tired.”
“He said you wanted less responsibility.”
“No.”
Felix nodded slowly.
“I know that now.”
Better.
“What did you think Catherine’s pendant meant?”
Nobody answered.
There it was.
All three had seen it.
None questioned it.
That was the signal.
Victoria displaced.
Catherine elevated.
Marcus operating from my study.
Serena beside him.
No formal announcement required.
Mafia families notice seating before speeches.
I looked at Dominic.
“When did you first call Marcus instead of me?”
His face tightened.
“Day eleven.”
“And after?”
“Twice.”
“Martin?”
“Day thirteen.”
“Felix?”
He whispered:
“Day nine.”
Earliest.
Worst.
“Why?”
He finally looked at me.
“Because Marcus said if your mother lost control of the house, somebody needed to keep Romano from looking weak.”
I stared.
“My mother being ill made the organization weak?”
“That’s how he framed it.”
No.
That was how they accepted it.
An elderly woman’s decline became justification for transferring power between adults nowhere near her bedroom.
I leaned back.
“You three did not help Marcus because you believed I was gone.”
Silence.
“You helped because you were curious what power looked like without me.”
Felix closed his eyes.
May you like
Correct.
Curiosity is how betrayal often begins before courage arrives.
