Chapter 13 - THE MEETING|
By Thursday afternoon, the heavy oak doors of the estate's main study were sealed shut.
Inside, seven senior captains of the Moretti crime family sat around a long mahogany conference table. These were men who controlled the docks, the shipping routes, the casinos, and the construction syndicates across three states.
Silas sat at the head of the table, flanked by Marcus on his right and Dante on his left.
"You called us all the way out to the Hudson estate on twelve hours' notice, Don Moretti," an elderly captain named Sal Vance spoke up, clearing his raspy throat. "Is there a war coming with the Genovese?"
"No war, Sal," Silas said calmly, resting his hands flat on the polished wood. "An announcement."
Silas gestured toward the door.
Vincent opened it, and Rosa walked in, holding Lily by the hand. Lily was dressed in a simple, elegant dark blue dress, holding her teddy bear tightly against her chest.
The seven captains stared in silence, completely baffled by the appearance of a young woman and a toddler inside the syndicate's sacred inner sanctum.
"This is Rosa Romano," Silas declared, his voice ringing with absolute authority. "And this is Lily Moretti. The biological daughter of my late son, Julian."
A collective gasp rippled through the room.
Sal Vance leaned forward, his sharp eyes examining Lily’s face. "Julian's daughter? Is this confirmed, Silas?"
"Confirmed by DNA," Silas replied, pushing a stack of legal documents across the table. "As of this morning, fifty percent of Julian’s former territory—including the Brooklyn docks—will be held in trust for Lily until she comes of age. Marcus will act as her legal conservator."
Dante’s hand clutched his chair's armrest so hard his knuckles turned grey. He had been managing those docks for the past three years.
"And who manages the other fifty percent?" Sal asked carefully.
May you like
"Marcus," Silas answered flatly.
Dante slammed his fist onto the table, standing up so fast his chair screeched against the hardwood floor. "This is madness! You're handing our most profitable territory to a three-year-old child and a brother who soft-hearted!"
