Chapter 7 - The Trial of Blood and Iron
Two weeks after the arrest of Valentina and Marco, the underworld of New York was summoned to a historic meeting at the Moretti estate.
The grand dining room, where the nightmare had begun, was prepared for a formal assembly of the High Commission—the leaders of the five major families who oversaw the city's private commerce and territories.
Rocco sat at the head of the long oak table, dressed in a sharp, dark grey suit, looking healthier and more formidable than he had in years. To his right sat Mateo; to his left stood a small, elegant armchair that had been placed next to his own.
The doors swung open, and the four commission bosses walked in, accompanied by their senior consiglieres. Among them was Don Carmine Romano—a greedy, older boss who had secretly backed Marco Viti’s financial ventures in an attempt to weaken the Moretti empire.
"Rocco," Don Carmine spoke, taking his seat across the table, his eyes narrow and calculating. "We heard rumors of chaos in your house. Arrests. Police on your grounds. We came to ensure the Moretti family is still capable of maintaining order."
"The Moretti family has never been stronger, Carmine," Rocco said smoothly.
Rocco gestured toward the side entrance. The room fell silent as Elena walked in, leading eight-year-old Sophia by the hand. Sophia was dressed in a neat dark blue dress, her hair braided neatly, carrying herself with quiet dignity.
Behind them walked a private nanny holding baby Leo in a plush white blanket.
Don Carmine frowned. "What is this, Rocco? A family gathering? We came for commission business, not to look at servants and infants."
Rocco slammed his heavy palm onto the table. The sharp crack echoed through the room like a gunshot, making every boss sit up straight.
"You will show respect in my house, Carmine!" Rocco thundered, his eyes burning with intense authority. "This child is my legitimate biological son and heir—Leo Moretti."
Rocco gestured to Sophia. "And this young lady is Sophia Bellini. She is the reason my son is alive today, and she is the reason a plot to undermine my empire was exposed."
Rocco tossed a thick legal dossier onto the center of the table.
"Inside that folder," Rocco explained, looking directly at Don Carmine, "are the bank records showing that three days before my son was left in the trash, Carmine Romano transferred one million dollars to Marco Viti’s offshore account."
Don Carmine’s face paled instantly. The other three commission bosses turned their heads slowly toward Carmine, their expressions darkening with immediate hostility.
"You tried to help Marco destroy my bloodline so you could push a weak puppet into my chair, Carmine," Rocco said, his voice dropping into a lethal register. "You broke the sacred law of the Commission. You targeted a newborn child."
"Rocco... wait!" Carmine stammered, raising his hands as the other bosses pulled their chair back from him, isolating him at the table. "I didn't know Marco was going to hurt the baby! He told me the money was for a land deal in Brooklyn!"
"Sophia," Rocco said gently, turning to the little girl beside him. "Did you see this man’s driver near the back gate the night you found Leo?"
Sophia stepped forward, looking straight at Don Carmine without fear. "Yes, Sir. I saw his silver sedan parked in the alleyway near the kitchen bins at ten o'clock. The driver handed a black plastic bag to Mr. Marco."
Carmine’s jaw dropped. "She’s a child! You can't take the word of a servant girl over a Commission boss!"
"I would take her word over a thousand traitors like you," Rocco said icily.
The senior boss of the Commission, Don Luciano, stood up, looking at Carmine with deep disgust. "Carmine Romano, you have brought dishonor to our council. By targeting an infant heir, you have forfeited your seat and your territory."
Don Luciano turned to Rocco. "Don Rocco, the Commission grants you full authority to strip the Romano family of their business holdings and exile Carmine from this city permanently."
"Agreed," the other two bosses declared in unison.
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Carmine collapsed back into his chair, ruined, stripped of everything he had built over forty years, defeated by the testimony of an eight-year-old girl.
Rocco stood up, extending his hand to Sophia. She took it confidently, standing beside the most powerful man in the city as the Commission bosses bowed their heads in respect to the true heir of the Moretti bloodline.
