Chapter 6 - Night at the Grand Gala
At 8:00 p.m., the grand dining room of the Marchetti estate was lit by massive crystal chandeliers. The long mahogany table was set with fine china, silver platters, and vintage wine. Seated around the table were six senior captains of the Midwest Syndicate, invited by Aldo under the guise of an executive strategy meeting.
The heavy double doors swept open, and Silvio Marchetti strolled into the room. He was fifty-two, impeccably groomed in a tailor-made charcoal suit, wearing a silver watch and a confident, arrogant smile. Behind him stood his chief enforcer, Frank, a broad-shouldered killer with a cold glare and a hand resting near his coat flap.
"Aldo, my brother!" Silvio called out, spreading his arms wide as he approached the head of the table. "I flew in the moment Mateo called! They said you were ill—I came to offer my full support to the family!"
"I am not ill, Silvio," Aldo said calmly from his chair at the head of the table. "In fact, I have never felt more complete."
Silvio froze as Aldo gestured toward the side entrance of the dining hall.
Isabella stepped into the light. She wore a tailored burgundy velvet dress, her dark hair swept back neatly, and around her neck, the silver olive-leaf locket sparkled under the chandelier light. Walking silently on either side of her were Rocco and Ulisse, their dark eyes fixed entirely on Silvio.
Silvio’s arrogant smile shattered. His face drained of color so fast he appeared ghostly under the bright lights. His eyes locked onto the silver locket, his breath hitching in his throat.
"This... this is impossible," Silvio stammered, taking an involuntary step back. "She... she drowned in Amalfi ten years ago!"
"She survived the ocean, uncle," Isabella said, her clear, young voice echoing off the high ceilings. "And she survived six years on the streets while you spent my father’s money."
The syndicate captains around the table gasped, looking back and forth between the young girl and Silvio in complete shock.
Silvio panicked, his composure slipping away. "She’s an imposter! A street orphan brought here to trick you, Aldo! You've lost your mind in your old age!"
He took a aggressive step toward Isabella, raising his arm wildly. "I won't let some random brat ruin this family!"
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The moment Silvio stepped forward, Rocco let out a terrifying, guttural growl that caused the crystal glasses on the table to vibrate. Ulisse stepped directly in front of Isabella, his upper lip peeling back to reveal lethal, gleaming white fangs.
Isabella looked at her uncle without a single trace of fear. "They don't like you, Uncle Silvio," she said softly. "They remember the smell of your cigars from the night the boat burned."
