Chapter 7 - The Woman They Were All Willing to Sacrifice
The church was abandoned.
Rain poured through broken windows.
Martin stood at the altar.
Beside him sat a woman.
Evelyn.
Lily gasped.
"Mom."
Martin smiled.
"Family reunion."
Alessio raised his gun.
Martin shook his head.
"Lower it."
"No."
"Then your mother dies."
Lily stepped forward.
"Let her go."
"No."
Martin held up a folder.
"Legal records."
He threw them onto the altar.
"Your unborn child is listed under a trust."
Lily frowned.
"What trust?"
"The trust your father created."
Alessio read it.
The document stated that any biological heir of the Romano line could challenge ownership of the empire.
Martin smiled.
"The baby isn't just your child."
He looked at Alessio.
"He's the key to everything."
Lily felt a chill.
"You don't even know whether the baby is a boy."
Martin laughed.
"Exactly."
He had been guessing.
And that gave Alessio the opening.
"You never wanted the child."
Martin frowned.
"You wanted leverage."
Martin's expression tightened.
"And now you know too much."
The lights flickered.
Marco's men moved into position.
Martin realized too late that the church was surrounded.
He grabbed Evelyn.
A struggle followed.
Lily ran.
Alessio caught her.
They moved behind a stone wall.
Gunshots echoed.
Then silence.
Martin had escaped through a hidden tunnel.
Evelyn was safe.
But Lily was bleeding again.
Alessio's heart nearly stopped.
He carried her outside.
"Stay with me."
"I'm fine."
"You are not fine."
She looked up at him.
"Don't let fear turn you into the man you used to be."
He stopped.
She touched his face.
"Our child needs you."
He kissed her forehead.
"And I need both of you."
At the hospital, doctors discovered complications.
Lily had to remain under observation.
The baby was stable.
Barely.
Alessio refused to leave.
Three days passed.
On the fourth morning, Marco arrived.
"We found Martin."
Alessio stood.
"Where?"
"Boston Harbor."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
"Bring him in."
Marco hesitated.
"We can do that."
"No."
Alessio's voice was different now.
"No torture."
Marco stared.
"Boss?"
"Get the police."
Marco nodded.
"You mean it?"
"Yes."
Alessio looked toward Lily's room.
"This ends legally."
It was the greatest change he had ever made.
He could have killed Martin.
He chose not to.
Martin was arrested.
The evidence exposed the hidden network.
The Romano empire was reorganized.
Several properties were sold.
Money was transferred to legitimate businesses.
And Alessio made one announcement to his family.
"No more secret rules."
Dante objected.
"This is how our family survives."
"No."
Alessio looked around the table.
"This is how our family dies."
Nobody spoke.
Enzo lowered his head.
Alessio continued.
"Anyone who wants to continue illegal operations leaves now."
Nobody moved.
Then Dante stood.
"I'll stay."
One by one, the others followed.
The old empire ended that day.
Not with gunfire.
With a decision.
Months later, Lily gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
They named him Matteo.
Alessio held him for the first time and cried.
Lily laughed.
"I've never seen you cry this much."
He looked at his son.
"I have a lot to make up for."
May you like
She touched his shoulder.
"Then start now."
