Chapter 6 - Uncle Franco's Ultimatum
Franco Vance looked impeccably dressed for a midnight execution, wearing a tailored charcoal overcoat and leather gloves. He stepped into the sterile hospital room, his dark eyes sweeping over Elena, Leo, and Clare with cold amusement.
"Well, well, well," Franco sighed, shaking his head as if dealing with two unruly children. "Family reunions are such emotional affairs. Always so messy."
Leo rose slowly to his feet, keeping his body positioned between Franco’s guns and his mother’s hospital bed. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated fury.
"You lied to me," Leo said, his voice dangerously low. "You looked me in the eye at her funeral and told me she died in peace."
"I told you what you needed to hear to keep the syndicate stable," Franco replied smoothly, gesturing for his guards to hold their fire—for the moment. "Your father was a visionary, Leo, but you... you're too soft. You care about honor. You care about people. A real boss cares about ledgers, territory, and power. Your mother was holding back seventy million dollars in legacy assets. I simply liberated them."
Franco’s gaze shifted to Clare, who was pressed flat against the wall near the window. "And who is this? Ah. The little housekeeper from Boston. I told Mrs. Gable to keep a closer eye on the staff turnover. It seems competence is hard to find these days."
"Leave her out of this," Leo growled, his finger tightening imperceptibly on the trigger of his 9mm. "This is between you and me."
"Nothing is between just you and me anymore, nephew," Franco smiled coldly, raising his hand. Two more guards stepped into the doorway, dragging a bruised, terrified-looking young man between them.
Clare gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Tommy!"
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Her brother’s face was swollen, his shirt stained with blood. He looked up, crying out, "Clare! I'm sorry! They grabbed me from the safehouse!"
"You see," Franco said, walking slowly toward Leo, unfazed by the pistol pointed at his chest. "I always tie up loose ends. When your little maid started asking questions about St. Jude's, my men looked into her background. Finding her brother was child's play. Now, here is how this ends: You drop the gun, Leo. You sign over the syndicate leadership and the Swiss portfolio to my council. And in exchange, I let your mother, your little maid, and her pathetic brother walk out of here alive."
