Chapter 5 - The Snake in the Room
By midnight, the five highest-ranking captains of the Moretti and Romano families were assembled around the massive oak table in Aleandro's war room.
Dominick Romano sat at the far end, his eyes bloodshot with rage. Beside him sat Uncle Bruno, Aleandro’s oldest advisor, and three senior lieutenants.
Aleandro entered the room, but he didn't come alone.
Sophia walked beside him, wearing a dark silk dress provided by the estate staff, with Emma sleeping soundly in her arms.
Dominick slammed his fist on the table. "What is this insult, Aleandro?! Why is that murderess out of her cell?! And why is she holding a child in our council chamber?!"
Aleandro sat at the head of the table. He gestured for Sophia to sit in the high-backed velvet chair right beside him.
"She is here," Aleandro declared smoothly, "because she is the mother of my heir. And the woman you are accusing of murder saved my life tonight."
A shocked silence fell over the room.
Uncle Bruno gasped, his bushy eyebrows rising. "Your heir? Aleandro, you can't be serious! That child is a maid’s bastard!"
"Watch your tongue, Bruno," Aleandro warned, his tone dangerously calm. "Emma is a Moretti. Her blood is as pure as mine."
Dominick sneered, leaning across the table. "This is a distraction! My sister is dead! The poisoned glass came from your kitchen staff!"
"The poison was intended for me, Dominick," Aleandro revealed, placing a thick dossier on the table. "Valentina intercepted the tray before the server could bring it to my table. Whoever placed the cyanide on that tray didn't care about Valentina. They wanted me dead so they could trigger a war between our families."
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Dominick hesitated, his fury momentarily checked by the realization. "A war... between Romano and Moretti?"
"Precisely," Aleandro said, turning his cold gaze toward Uncle Bruno. "A war that would leave only one senior survivor qualified to take over the combined syndicate assets... isn't that right, Uncle?"
