Chapter 5 - The Confrontation
The Grand Salon of the Commission was located in a heavily fortified estate on the outskirts of the city.
It was a place where the heads of the five major families met to settle disputes, divide territory, and enforce the laws of the underworld. It was a neutral ground, protected by a joint security force that answered to no single Don.
Inside the high-ceilinged room, five elderly men sat around a massive circular table of polished oak. At the head of the table sat Don Falcone, the oldest and most respected of the leaders.
To his right sat Enzo Duca.
Enzo looked relaxed, a smug smile playing on his lips. He had already presented his story to the Commission: Alessandro had gone mad, paranoid, and had executed his own loyal staff before fleeing the estate. Enzo was asking for the Commission’s blessing to officially take over the Duca syndicate.
"The boy was always too unstable," Enzo said, shaking his head with mock sorrow. "His father’s death broke him. He sees enemies in every shadow. He locked down the estate, threatened his own family, and disappeared. For the stability of the city, I must step in."
Don Falcone leaned back, his eyes narrowed. "Alessandro has been a competent leader, Enzo. We do not grant control of a syndicate based on your word alone."
"I have proof of his instability," Marcus Duca chimed in, standing behind his father. "He has been keeping a common maid and her child locked in his private quarters, treating them like royalty while accusing his own blood of treason."
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the salon were pushed open.
The guards at the entrance tried to block the way, but they were pushed aside by Matteo and four heavily armed, loyal Duca soldiers.
Alessandro Duca walked into the room.
He had changed into a fresh suit, but his face was set in stone. He did not look like a man on the run. He looked like an emperor returning to his throne.
And beside him walked Sophia, holding Emma’s hand.
The little girl was quiet, her small hand swallowed by her mother’s, her eyes wide as she looked at the grand room.
"Alessandro," Don Falcone said, his voice carrying a mix of surprise and curiosity. "You dare to interrupt the Commission?"
"I am here to claim justice, Don Falcone," Alessandro said, his voice echoing off the high walls. He walked directly to the table, stopping just a few feet from his uncle Enzo, who had gone pale.
"This is absurd!" Enzo shouted, standing up. "He is a madman! He brings a servant and a child into the sacred halls of the Commission!"
"I bring witnesses," Alessandro countered. He looked at Don Falcone. "Three years ago, my father died of what was ruled a sudden coronary arrest. Eighteen months ago, Ricardo Alvarez, a loyal driver for our family, died of the same cause. And this morning, an attempt was made on my life using a highly sophisticated, sweet-smelling poison hidden in my espresso."
The room went silent. The other Dons exchanged glances.
"Do you have proof of this, Alessandro?" Falcone asked.
Alessandro gestured to Matteo, who stepped forward and placed a heavy laptop on the table, along with several documents and a small glass vial containing a clear liquid.
"This vial was recovered from my cousin Marcus’s private safe during our departure from the estate," Alessandro said. "It contains a rare cardiac toxin, imported from Eastern Europe through the ports Marcus manages. It leaves no trace in a standard autopsy, but it has a very distinct scent. A scent of crushed cherry pits."
"Lies!" Marcus yelled, his face flushing red. "He planted it!"
"And I have the bank records," Alessandro continued, tapping the documents. "Fifty thousand dollars paid to my cook, Danny, from a shell company registered to my uncle Enzo. Danny has already confessed to my head of security. He was hired to put this toxin in my coffee."
Enzo sneered, trying to recover his composure. "A cook's confession and some forged bank slips? That is not enough to condemn a member of the Commission, Alessandro. You have no direct witness."
"Yes, I do," Alessandro said.
He knelt down next to Emma. The little girl looked at him, then at her mother, who gave her a reassuring nod.
"Emma," Alessandro said softly, his voice incredibly gentle compared to the cold tone he had used with the Dons. "Can you look at that man over there?" He pointed to Enzo.
Emma looked at Enzo. Her small brow furrowed, and she shrank back slightly, clutching her rabbit.
"Have you seen him before?" Alessandro asked.
"He came to our house," Emma whispered, her voice clear in the quiet room. "Before Papa went to sleep. He gave Papa the little bottle with the funny smell. He told Papa to drink it so his headache would go away."
The room erupted into whispers.
Enzo’s face went completely white. "She’s a child! She's three years old! You are coaching her!"
"A three-year-old child does not know the chemical scent of an exotic toxin, Enzo," Don Falcone said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. He looked at the vial on the table, then at Enzo. "But she knows what killed her father. And she knows who gave it to him."
Falcone stood up, and the other Dons immediately followed suit.
"Enzo Duca, Marcus Duca," Falcone announced. "By the laws of the Commission, you are stripped of your rank, your territory, and your protection. You have committed the ultimate treason: murdering your own Don and conspiring to murder his successor."
"No! Please!" Marcus screamed as the Commission's neutral guards moved in, grabbing him and his father by the arms.
Enzo looked at Alessandro, his eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and despair. "You think you've won, Alessandro? You think this maid and her brat will make you happy? You're a monster, just like the rest of us!"
Alessandro did not answer. He watched in silence as his uncle and cousin were dragged out of the room, their cries fading into the grand corridors.
He turned back to Sophia.
She was looking at him, tears of relief streaming down her face. She had finally gotten justice for her husband. The truth was out, and the monsters who had ruined her life were gone.
May you like
Alessandro reached out, his hand gently wiping a tear from her cheek.
"It's over," he whispered. "You're safe now."
