Chapter 6 - The Mafia Boss Chose His Wife Over His Empire
Vincent had always believed power meant control.
Control over people.
Control over money.
Control over fear.
Then Evelyn changed the rules.
Victor threatened the manor.
Vincent threatened Victor.
Victor threatened Evelyn.
Vincent surrendered his most valuable warehouses.
Victor demanded the tunnels.
Vincent offered them.
Mason nearly lost his mind.
“You can't do this.”
“I can.”
“You're giving him the entire northern route.”
“I know.”
“That route is worth hundreds of millions.”
“I know.”
Mason stared at him.
“Why?”
Vincent looked toward the kitchen window.
Evelyn was outside with the children.
“Because I don't need an empire.”
Mason frowned.
“You spent twenty years building it.”
“And eight months losing my wife.”
Mason fell silent.
The exchange was arranged.
Victor arrived at Hawthorne Manor with ten men.
Vincent arrived with none.
He walked alone.
Evelyn watched from the upstairs window.
Her heart pounded.
She hated the fear.
She hated the violence.
But she trusted the man walking toward it.
Victor smiled.
“You came alone.”
“As promised.”
“And the tunnels?”
“Yours.”
Victor laughed.
“You're finally learning.”
Vincent handed him the documents.
Victor inspected them.
Then pulled out a gun.
Evelyn gasped.
Vincent didn't move.
“You think I'm leaving you alive?”
“No.”
Victor smiled.
“I learned something from you.”
Vincent stared at him.
“What?”
“You care about her.”
Victor raised the weapon.
At that exact moment, the manor's lights came on.
Not the house lights.
Every floodlight on the property.
Mason's team emerged from the woods.
State police vehicles appeared on the road.
Victor turned.
Evelyn had contacted the authorities hours earlier.
The ledger had not been missing.
She had found the duplicate.
And she had delivered copies to federal investigators.
Victor's empire collapsed in a single night.
His men surrendered.
His accounts froze.
His network disappeared.
Vincent watched him being arrested.
“You planned this?”
Evelyn stepped beside him.
“Yes.”
“You lied to me.”
“I learned from you.”
He smiled.
She smiled back.
Then he became serious.
“What happens to us?”
Evelyn looked toward the manor.
“I don't know.”
He nodded.
“I'll wait.”
“For how long?”
“As long as it takes.”
She turned toward him.
“That's not very mafia-boss-like.”
“I retired.”
She laughed.
“You can't retire from being you.”
“Maybe I can become someone better.”
She studied him.
Then took his hand.
“Start here.”
He squeezed her fingers.
May you like
And for the first time, Vincent Caruso chose something more difficult than violence.
He chose patience.
