Chapter 15
Rachel ended the meeting before midnight.
Not because everything was solved.
Because Ethan woke upstairs crying.
She heard him through the monitor her guard had reconnected.
Rachel stood immediately.
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“There.”
She stopped.
He continued.
“Every time.”
Rachel turned.
“What?”
“The kid makes a sound and the whole world stops.”
Rachel stared.
“He’s three.”
Daniel smiled cruelly.
“You’ve ruined him.”
Jason flinched.
Maybe because the words sounded familiar now.
Daniel continued.
“He’ll never be strong.”
Rachel walked back.
“Strong like Jason?”
Jason looked down.
“Strong like you?”
Daniel’s smile faded.
She stepped closer.
“You taught one son to destroy something a toddler loved.”
Silence.
“You taught another to believe his tears were manipulation.”
Nothing.
“You taught Alyssa her value was appearance.”
Daniel said nothing.
“And you taught yourself that being obeyed meant being respected.”
Rachel turned away.
Daniel shouted:
“You’re abandoning this marriage over a toy.”
She stopped.
The room went silent.
Rachel looked back.
“No.”
She held his gaze.
“I’m ending it because when Jason broke the toy, you hit me for objecting.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“And because Ethan told me you planned to use him against me.”
No answer.
Rachel looked at the capos.
“Daniel is no longer underboss.”
No paperwork.
No vote.
No ceremony.
Just command.
Every loyal capo nodded.
Vincent did not.
Rachel looked at him.
“You’re done too.”
He laughed.
“You can’t remove everyone who disagrees.”
“No.”
She smiled faintly.
“Only people who conspired to remove me by using my child.”
Silence.
Jason asked:
“What about me?”
Rachel looked at him.
“No phone.”
His jaw tightened.
“No car.”
He looked furious.
“No Carter accounts.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
Rachel answered:
“Live without confusing access with love.”
That hit.
Alyssa quietly placed her own expense card on the table.
“I don’t want mine right now.”
Rachel looked at her.
“Your choice.”
Alyssa nodded.
Jason stared.
May you like
For the first time, he looked less angry than ashamed.
But consequences had only begun.
