Chapter 5
The silence in the dining room was absolute, suffocating the bright, cinematic colors of the celebration. Beatrice stared at the torn papers in her lap, her breath catching in her throat. The arrogant matriarch who had ruled the estate for decades finally understood that her son’s loyalty to his bloodline did not extend to her.
"Rafael, this is madness," Beatrice stammered, her voice shaking as she clutched her pearl necklace. "You are banishing your own mother over a misunderstanding. The girl is clumsy. Valeria was just trying to help her."
"Valeria assaulted my daughter," Rafael corrected, his voice dropping into a lethal, quiet register. Every word sounded measured, cold, and immensely dangerous. "And you conspired to steal my empire to hand it to a child you believe you can control."
"He is your nephew!" Beatrice cried, tears of genuine terror finally spilling over her powdered cheeks. "He is Castellano blood! You cannot cast us out! The other families will view you as a monster!"
"I am a monster, Beatrice," Rafael whispered, stopping just inches away from her. The cinematic light caught the sharp angles of his jawline. "But I am the monster you created to protect this family. And today, I realized the greatest threat to this family was sitting at my table."
He turned his head slightly, his cold, sharp eyes locking onto his lead Capo, a towering man named Silas.
"Silas," Rafael commanded quietly.
"Yes, Boss," Silas responded immediately, stepping forward from the shadows.
"Escort Beatrice and Valeria to the front gates," Rafael ordered, his voice devoid of all human emotion. "Do not let them take anything that belongs to this estate. If they attempt to contact any of our associates, handle it permanently."
"You can't do this!" Valeria screamed, scrambling out of the ruined cake, her luxurious formal dress stained with frosting and blood. "My husband will kill you! He controls the southern transit routes!"
"Your husband works for me," Rafael stated coldly, not even looking at her. "Take them."
The bodyguards moved with ruthless, mechanical efficiency. Two massive men hauled the screaming, hysterical Valeria out of the dining room. Two more men grabbed Beatrice roughly by the arms, dragging the matriarch away from the table.
"Rafael! Please!" Beatrice wailed, her heavy pearl jewelry rattling. "You are cursing your own soul! You will burn in hell for this!"
"I am already there," Rafael murmured softly, watching without a single trace of emotion as she was dragged backward toward the main exit.
The heavy mahogany doors slammed shut behind them, instantly cutting off their frantic shrieks. Julian was left standing near the fireplace, crying silently, terrified of the uncle he had been taught to usurp.
"Take the boy to his father," Rafael instructed another guard. "Tell him his wife will not be returning."
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The dining room descended into a heavy, ringing silence. The wealthy, fair-skinned guests and Capos sat completely frozen, terrified that the slightest movement would draw the Don's lethal attention. The bright cinematic lighting illuminated the catastrophic wreckage of the birthday table.
"The celebration is concluded," Rafael announced, his voice echoing with measured, dangerous authority. "Clear the room. Anyone who speaks of what occurred here today will answer directly to me."
