My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 790

Chapter 790

Civilians who had nothing to do with their wars were left alone.

A man could choose this life and accept the consequences.

A child couldn’t.

Neither could an innocent person who had never asked to become part of it.

Those rules were older than any of them. Break them, and you weren’t simply breaking an oath. You were destroying the boundary that kept monsters from becoming something worse.

The mob world could be brutal, but it was still built around family. A man didn’t rise alone. He rose because people stood behind him, because blood meant something, because the next generation mattered.

They could fight men who chose this life. They could destroy rivals who came for their territory. They could spill blood when blood was the price of protecting their own but innocent civilian children were never supposed to pay that price.

Giovanni Toricelli had crossed every line they lived by.

He hadn’t simply broken an oath.

He had taken the very thing their world was built to protect-family-and turned it into a weapon.

Vincenzo slowly leaned back. For the first time since they had boarded the jet, something almost calm entered his expression.

He picked up one of the photographs from the table and studied it for several seconds. His thumb rested against the edge of the paper, careful not to cover the child’s face.

His eyes hardened, “He’s going to answer for every one of them.”

Adriano looked at him.

Vincenzo placed the photograph back on the table. He looked at the rows of files spread across the table.

“These children didn’t choose our world. They didn’t choose a war. They were helpless, and that bastard used their helplessness to make himself richer.”

Adriano’s expression darkened, “So what do we do with him?”

Vincenzo finally looked up, “First, we take away his Council protection. His alliances. His reputation. His money. Every piece of power that keeps men like him untouchable.”

Silvio nodded slowly, “And if the Council refuses?”

Vincenzo’s eyes gleamed with darkness, “Then they can explain to every family sitting in that room why they chose to protect a man who turned children into merchandise.”

Adriano nodded, “Nikolai is Philadelphia’s biggest ally. That puts him under the most scrutiny,” he shook his head, “I doubt he has any idea what his neighbor has actually been doing behind those walls. I can only imagine the look on that proud bastard’s face when he realizes who he’s been standing beside.”

Vincenzo’s mouth curved into a humorless smile, “I want that Council to understand one thing. This is what happens when you make an enemy out of a man who protects his family.”

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His gaze dropped to the photographs again.

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“And this time, I’m not asking them to take my word for it,” he tapped the files, “I’m giving them a reason they can’t ignore.”

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The doors of the council chamber opened. Every conversation stopped. Vincenzo Capone entered, he did not hurry. He simply walked in at his own pace, as if the entire room could wait for him.

His black suit was perfectly fitted, his tie straight, his cuffs fastened, every detail of his appearance controlled. Adriano walked beside him. Silvio followed with a black case in one hand and a thick folder beneath his arm.

The room was already full.

Leonardo Visconti sat with his arms folded, his expression openly irritated.

Valentino Falcone looked even less pleased.

Luciano Deverecci had several papers spread in front of him and the bored expression of a man who believed the meeting had already lasted too long.

At the head of the table sat Nikolai Costello.

Capo dei Capi.

The man who had called the previous ruling.

The man who had looked Vincenzo in the eye and told him to surrender Gianna.

The man who had believed Giovanni.

Vincenzo’s gaze moved across them slowly, then he stopped. Four empty chairs waited on the opposite side.

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