Chapter 15
I removed Katherine from every family role involving ceremony.
That hurt her more than money would have.
No Christmas seating.
No household placements.
No children’s traditions.
No winter table.
No responsibility for family rites.
She stared when I told her.
“You’re taking my life.”
“No.”
I had learned that answer well.
“I’m taking authority.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“That is the problem.”
She had built identity entirely from deciding where other people sat.
Who ate first.
Who inherited symbols.
Who counted.
Without those decisions, she did not know who she was.
Marcus lost capo authority for one year.
Not permanently.
He accepted it.
Salvatore asked why.
“Because he admitted ambition?”
“No.”
“Because he attacked you?”
“Partly.”
Then I clarified.
“Because he joined a plan to incapacitate me and move Clara.”
That was the center.
Not one punch.
Not one dinner.
Choice.
Peter Lang lost wine service but kept employment elsewhere on the estate.
His son’s debt was removed from Marcus’s control.
Not forgiven as reward.
Transferred into ordinary repayment with no family leverage.
Different.
The five captains who supported the false incapacity plan remained in place after acknowledging what they failed to verify.
Katherine called that weakness.
I called it precision.
I did not need to destroy everyone to prove something happened.
Different people made different choices.
Different consequences.
Then I changed one tradition.
Christmas seating would no longer be assigned by age or blood rank.
Children sat with whoever made them feel safe.
When Clara heard, she immediately chose my seat.
Of course.
I smiled.
“Not exactly what I meant.”
She climbed onto my chair.
“Clara Boss.”
Salvatore laughed.
I let him.
Maybe Katherine was right about one thing.
May you like
Tradition was changing.
Good.
