Chapter 13
Gerald lunged at Evelyn.
Valentina blocked him before he reached her.
He fought against her grip.
“Move!”
“No.”
“She let my men die!”
Evelyn laughed.
Two of Gerald’s dead men had been his closest soldiers.
Her cruelty now had a face.
She leaned toward him.
“They died because you swaggered into a meeting you didn't understand.”
Gerald’s eyes burned.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“And said nothing.”
“Yes.”
His breathing became ragged.
Evelyn’s voice sharpened.
“You wanted war afterward.”
“I needed you angry.”
“You needed Valentina blamed.”
“Yes.”
Gerald stared.
She had cultivated his resentment.
Every accusation against Valentina.
Every complaint about softness.
Every reminder that Carlo had overlooked him.
Evelyn had fed it.
Because an angry man was easier to steer.
Gerald looked sick.
Not frightened.
Humiliated.
That was worse for him.
Valentina released his arm.
He turned toward her.
“You knew?”
“No.”
He searched her face.
He believed her.
That hurt too.
Gerald looked around at the capos.
Years of authority slipping.
Then he did what men like him often did when control disappeared.
He became crueler.
He pointed toward Lily’s empty chair.
“Fine.”
His voice was hard.
“You all want to pretend the brat matters more than twenty dead men?”
Several capos stiffened.
Gerald kept going.
“She's three.”
“She'll forget today by Christmas.”
Valentina’s face went still.
Gerald smiled savagely.
“That's the truth none of you want to say.”
He picked up the leather belt from the grass.
Mateo moved.
Valentina raised a hand.
Stop.
Gerald held the belt loosely.
“I snapped this beside her.”
He smirked.
“I didn't break a bone.”
“I didn't spill blood.”
“I scared her.”
His eyes narrowed.
“That's all.”
Valentina walked toward him.
He lifted his chin.
“Come on.”
His breath steadied.
“Do it.”
“Hit me again.”
“Prove the whole day was about your feelings.”
Valentina stopped inches away.
Then reached up.
Not to strike him.
She removed the capo pin from his torn jacket.
Gerald froze.
The garden went completely silent.
Valentina held the pin between two fingers.
“You don't get to call what happened ‘nothing’ because the victim was too small to fight back.”
His jaw tightened.
“You don't remove me.”
“I just did.”
He laughed.
“You need the senior table.”
Mateo stepped beside Valentina.
“So ask us.”
Valentina looked around.
One by one, the older capos stood.
Vincent first.
Then Mateo.
Then three more.
Gerald’s smile weakened.
Valentina placed the pin on the table.
“No crews.”
Another man stood.
“No north warehouses.”
Another.
“No estate authority.”
Gerald stared.
“No family guard.”
His face hardened.
“You think stripping titles makes me weak?”
Valentina looked at him.
“No.”
A pause.
“Using a belt on a thirsty child already did that.”
Gerald’s breathing stopped.
The words reached everyone.
Evelyn watched with a strange smile.
Then Valentina turned toward her.
“You're next.”
Evelyn raised one eyebrow.
“Am I?”
Still arrogant.
Still poisonous.
“I was never your capo.”
“No.”
Valentina looked toward Greco.
“But you were Gerald’s wife.”
Evelyn’s smile sharpened.
“Not for much longer.”
Gerald turned.
She removed her wedding ring.
Dropped it beside his capo pin.
The metal clicked softly.
“Now we're both free.”
Gerald stared at her.
She had used his ambition.
His grief.
May you like
His marriage.
And at the moment his power collapsed, she discarded him too.
