Chapter 7 - The Night the Leone Empire Burned
Marco attacked the Leone warehouse at midnight.
He knew Casius would come.
Casius knew that too.
“You can't go alone,” I said.
“I won't.”
“You have Dante.”
“I have you.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“This isn't your fight.”
“It became mine the moment my sister was kidnapped.”
He wanted to argue.
I didn't let him.
We went together.
The warehouse was empty.
Too empty.
Casius stopped.
“Trap.”
The lights came on.
Salvatore stood on the balcony.
Beside him was Nadia.
She was tied to a chair.
I ran forward.
Casius grabbed me.
“Wait.”
Salvatore smiled.
“You finally understand, nephew.”
Casius looked up.
“You killed my mother.”
Salvatore laughed.
“No. Your father did.”
Casius's expression hardened.
Salvatore pointed toward me.
“Your mother was going to expose all of us.”
“Victoria?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you kill her?”
“She chose you.”
Silence.
That answer broke something in Casius.
He lifted his weapon.
Salvatore shook his head.
“You won't shoot.”
“You're wrong.”
Before anyone could move, explosives detonated outside.
The warehouse caught fire.
Marco's men surrounded us.
Salvatore disappeared.
Casius pushed Nadia free.
I pulled her toward the exit.
The roof began collapsing.
We ran.
Outside, police sirens approached.
Marco had leaked information to law enforcement.
He wanted Casius arrested.
But the ledger was safe.
Dante had copied everything before we entered.
Federal agents arrived.
For the first time, the Leone organization couldn't hide.
Casius surrendered the records.
Salvatore was arrested.
Marco escaped.
But the ledger implicated half the city's criminal network.
Over the next month, arrests spread.
Companies collapsed.
Politicians resigned.
Bank accounts were frozen.
Casius testified.
Publicly.
For years, he'd been considered a criminal mastermind.
Now prosecutors treated him as a cooperating witness.
His testimony dismantled the system his family had built.
At the hearing, the judge asked him why he cooperated.
Casius looked at me.
Then answered:
“Because I finally understood that protecting my family meant protecting them from me.”
I cried.
He took my hand outside the courthouse.
“I don't know what happens now.”
I looked at him.
“You find out.”
We moved out of the estate.
Casius sold most of the family properties.
He kept only the legitimate businesses.
Dante became head of security for the new company.
Mrs. Bellini returned.
My mother lived with Nadia.
The family slowly became something none of us had ever experienced.
Normal.
Messy.
Loud.
Warm.
Then Marco called again.
“Congratulations.”
Casius answered.
“Where are you?”
“You know where.”
“No.”
A pause.
“Soon.”
The call ended.
I looked at Casius.
“You think he'll come for us.”
May you like
“Yes.”
“Then we'll be ready.”
