Chapter 7
By midnight, three capos had admitted they knew about the parallel fund.
Two defended it.
One called it theft.
Nobody agreed on where support ended and corruption began.
Power started shifting by the hour.
Marcus still had allies.
More than Lorenzo expected.
That angered him.
Ramona saw it.
She enjoyed every second.
During the emergency council meeting, she sat with one leg crossed over the other.
Calm.
Elegant.
Almost amused.
“You thought they followed you because they loved being ordered around?”
Lorenzo’s gaze stayed on her.
“They followed because things worked.”
Ramona leaned forward.
“Until they didn’t.”
Alina sat at Lorenzo’s right.
Ramona’s eyes moved to her.
“And then she arrived.”
Alina did not react.
Ramona continued.
“You started shutting down side arrangements. Centralizing contracts. Demanding audits.”
Alina’s fingers rested loosely on the table.
“You mean asking where money went.”
“You mean deciding our side of the family couldn't be trusted.”
Alina’s voice remained quiet.
“I followed transactions.”
Ramona smiled.
“Numbers don’t tell you why people needed them.”
Alina met her eyes.
“Then explain the missing two million.”
The smile vanished.
That silence changed the room.
Marcus stepped in.
“Not missing.”
“Where?”
He did not answer.
Alina leaned back.
Her breathing stayed even.
“There it is.”
Marcus’s hand tightened around his chair.
Lorenzo watched the exchange.
For the first time, the conflict was no longer his to dominate.
That unsettled him.
Then Ramona reached into her folder.
“Fine.”
She slid a document across the table.
“If we're exposing secrets, let’s expose all of them.”
Lorenzo picked it up.
Draft governance plan.
Prepared six months earlier.
It transferred significant operational authority from Lorenzo to Alina.
His signature was authentic.
Alina stared at him.
“You did this?”
Lorenzo’s eyes remained on the page.
“Yes.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
He looked at her.
“After the audit.”
Ramona smiled slowly.
May you like
Now both spouses had hidden plans from each other.
And Marcus finally had the wedge he wanted.
