Chapter 7
Gordon Pell and Rafael Cross lost their council seats for six months.
Not for watching a fight.
For witnessing an abusive “demonstration” involving a disabled adult and choosing family hierarchy over his expressed distress.
Gordon protested.
“We thought Francesca had authorization.”
“From whom?”
Silence.
Exactly.
Rafael said:
“Your mother said you knew.”
I laughed.
Of course.
Francesca had built compliance through borrowed authority.
Again.
I asked:
“Did either of you ask me?”
No.
“Caleb?”
No.
“Mason?”
No.
Then whose consent mattered?
Francesca’s.
Because she was older.
Because Vincent had been patriarch.
Because nobody wanted to insult retired power.
That ended.
I issued one simple rule:
No person in Romano—adult or child—could be assigned a protector, minder, representative, or spokesperson without their direct involvement and consent whenever they were capable of expressing a preference.
If someone needed support communicating?
Support the communication.
Do not replace it.
May you like
Basic.
Apparently revolutionary.
