Chapter 5 - Cold Justice
"Please, Alessandro," Marco sobbed, sliding out of the chair and falling to his knees on the Persian rug. He grabbed the edge of Alessandro's suit jacket. "For the sake of my father, who died taking a bullet for your family. Don't do this. Let me just take Sofia and leave. We will disappear. You will never see us again."
Alessandro looked down at the weeping underboss. For a brief second, the memory of his father’s funeral flashed in his mind, of a young Marco standing by his side, promising to always have his back. But then, the image of Elena’s bruised face and Emma’s tearful whisper on the phone replaced it.
Alessandro stepped back, pulling his jacket out of Marco's grip.
"Your father was a man of honor, Marco," Alessandro said coldly. "He would have shot you himself for what you did today."
Alessandro turned to Gianni. "Take him to the basement. Lock him in the secure holding cell. Do not touch him. Do not feed him. He waits there until I decide what to do with him."
"And the wife, boss?" Gianni asked. "Sofia is still at the hospital."
"The hospital bill has been paid," Alessandro said, his tone unwavering. "We are not monsters. Let her finish her treatment. But she is to be monitored. The moment she is discharged, she is to be escorted out of Italy. She will never return."
"No! Please, Alessandro!" Marco screamed as Gianni and another guard dragged him out of the study. His cries echoed down the long marble corridor until the heavy doors clicked shut, restoring a tense, heavy silence to the room.
Alessandro stood alone in his study for a long time. He walked over to the window, looking out over the dark Sicilian hills.
The threat of Volkov was still out there. The Russian would not take the rejection of a $200 million deal lightly. But Alessandro was not afraid of a war. In fact, he welcomed it. It would give him a chance to clean the vermin out of his territory once and for all.
The door to the study opened softly.
Elena stood in the doorway, holding a sleeping Emma in her arms. She looked tired, her face still pale, but the fear in her eyes had been replaced by a quiet, profound relief.
"Is it over?" she asked softly.
Alessandro walked over to her. He gently took the sleeping child from her arms, carrying Emma over to the plush velvet sofa in the corner of the study. He laid her down gently and covered her with a cashmere throw.
"It's over, Elena," Alessandro said, turning back to her. He reached out, his thumb gently brushing the edge of the bruise on her jaw. "The traitor is gone. You are safe. Both of you."
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Elena leaned into his touch for a brief fraction of a second before catching herself, a slight blush rising on her cheeks. "Thank you, Alessandro. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't come."
"I made a promise," Alessandro said, looking down at the wolf ring on his finger. "To both of you."
