Chapter 8
The council broke without a decision.
That was a victory for Marcus.
Lorenzo had expected obedience.
Instead, he got questions.
Why had he planned to elevate Alina without consulting senior family members?
Why had Alina investigated Marcus in secret?
Why did Ramona control donor committees without independent review?
Why had Derek accepted side payments?
Nobody left clean.
Back in their suite, Alina removed her earrings one at a time.
Lorenzo stood near the door.
“You should have told me.”
She did not turn.
“So should you.”
A pause.
Then:
“Why were you going to give me authority?”
Lorenzo watched her reflection in the mirror.
“Because you're better at the numbers.”
Alina’s mouth tightened.
“That isn’t enough.”
He exhaled slowly.
“No.”
She waited.
“Because I knew Marcus was becoming too powerful.”
Alina turned.
“And instead of confronting him, you quietly moved power toward me.”
“Yes.”
“Without asking whether I wanted it.”
His eyes dropped for a fraction of a second.
“Yes.”
Alina’s voice softened.
That made it worse.
“You keep calling it protection when you make decisions for people.”
Lorenzo did not defend himself.
Downstairs, Marcus was making calls.
By morning, four mid-level captains threatened to stop cooperating with Alina’s audit unless Lorenzo withdrew the governance plan.
Ramona had turned the issue from theft into legitimacy.
Then Anthony brought Lorenzo another problem.
One capo who had always been loyal to him—
Emilio Ferraro—
had changed sides.
Lorenzo stared at the seating chart.
“Why?”
Anthony hesitated.
“Marcus showed him proof that Alina planned to shut down the widow-and-medical fund.”
Alina looked up.
“I never did.”
Anthony handed her a copy.
The document used her letterhead.
Her phrasing.
Her digital signature.
Another forgery.
But this one contained a sentence Alina recognized.
Word for word.
Something she had said privately in bed.
May you like
To Lorenzo.
No one else should have heard it.
