Chapter 14
Ethan looked around the room.
“Now.”
His voice was relaxed again.
“Everybody can stop pretending.”
Outside the windows, black cars lined the curb.
Cole men stood near the doors.
Vanessa stared at her brother.
“You brought them here?”
“Yes.”
“You knew I’d be inside.”
He shrugged.
“You’re still inside.”
Her face twisted.
That answer told her exactly how much she mattered.
Luca’s guards moved toward the entrances.
Alessandra did not.
Ethan smiled at her.
“No dramatic hand signal?”
She looked at him.
“No.”
“Getting nervous?”
“No.”
He laughed.
“You should.”
Then Alessandra looked toward the restaurant windows.
Ethan followed.
One of the Cole men outside lowered his head.
Then stepped away from the door.
Another followed.
Then another.
Ethan frowned.
“What are they doing?”
Nobody answered.
The restaurant doors opened.
A broad man in a gray coat entered.
Ethan’s second-in-command.
Caleb Ross.
Ethan’s face hardened.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Caleb looked at him.
“You told us Alessandra was coming to challenge Luca.”
“I did.”
“You told us she would try to pull Vescari men into Moretti territory.”
“Yes.”
Caleb’s gaze moved toward Tobin’s empty chair.
“You didn’t tell us you threatened her while she was pregnant.”
Ethan laughed.
“You came here for a moral awakening?”
Caleb’s face remained still.
“No.”
“We came because you said this was about protecting our crews.”
He looked toward the capos behind Alessandra.
“It isn’t.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I built you.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened.
“You paid me.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
Power shifted.
Ethan looked around.
His men outside were no longer facing the restaurant.
They were facing away from him.
Neutral.
Not Alessandra’s.
Not Luca’s.
Just no longer his.
That frightened Ethan.
Finally.
But arrogance fought to stay alive.
He laughed.
“You think this changes anything?”
Luca stepped forward.
“Yes.”
Ethan turned.
Luca removed his family signet from his right hand.
Not surrender.
A statement.
“You used my house.”
“My marriage.”
“My weakness.”
“My name.”
His voice dropped.
“You don’t use it again.”
Ethan smirked.
“You can’t erase me.”
“No.”
Alessandra answered.
Ethan looked toward her.
She stepped closer.
“But everybody can stop answering when you call.”
Silence.
That was worse.
No police.
No paperwork.
No dramatic execution.
Just power being withdrawn.
One captain after another looked away from Ethan.
Caleb walked past him.
Ethan’s face changed.
Vanessa watched.
Then slowly removed her engagement ring.
Luca looked at her.
She smiled bitterly.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
She placed it on the table.
“I’m not leaving because I suddenly found a conscience.”
Her eyes moved toward Alessandra.
“I’m leaving because I refuse to stand beside a man staring at his ex-wife like the last five years were a mistake.”
Alessandra’s expression stayed cold.
Vanessa stepped closer.
“You won’t keep him.”
“I don’t want him.”
That answer cut deeper than any insult.
Vanessa’s face tightened.
Alessandra continued.
“You spent five years competing with a woman who wasn’t competing.”
Silence.
Vanessa swallowed.
Then recovered.
Barely.
She looked toward Luca.
“You know what?”
Her voice sharpened.
“Go play father.”
“Buy matching suits.”
“Teach the little boy how to wear your ring.”
Her lips curled.
“You’ll still wake up knowing you missed his first word because you were too afraid somebody might think your body failed.”
Luca flinched.
Vanessa saw.
One last successful wound.
Then Luca looked at her.
“Yes.”
Her smile faded.
He continued.
“I will wake up knowing that.”
A pause.
“And you’ll wake up knowing it stopped controlling me.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
Her last weapon had lost its edge.
Alessandra turned toward Ethan.
“You’re finished here.”
He laughed.
“In whose opinion?”
Every capo behind her stepped forward.
Once.
The sound of shoes against marble filled the restaurant.
Ethan looked around.
No one needed to touch him.
His face finally showed fear.
Small.
Earned.
But before he left, he looked toward Luca.
“You still think Tobin is the only thing Alessandra kept from you?”
Alessandra’s expression changed.
Ethan saw it.
His smile returned weakly.
“There.”
Luca turned toward her.
“What does he mean?”
May you like
Ethan had one final secret.
And unlike the others, Alessandra clearly already knew it.
