Chapter 1 - The Truth in the Glass
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Dominic did not break eye contact with his brother. The great hall remained frozen, the air thick enough to choke on. Sophia was still kneeling, her breath hitching in her chest, trembling as her arm shielded Lily.
"Alessandro," Dominic said softly.
"Brother, surely you aren't listening to the ramblings of a child," Alessandro chuckled, though the sound was dry. He shifted his weight, his grip tightening on the silver fruit knife. "She belongs in the servant's quarters. This is a family dinner."
"She said you put something in my drink," Dominic replied, his voice a low, lethal hum. "A little bottle. Like this." He replicated the pinching gesture Lily had made.
Alessandro’s smile faltered. "It's an insult to even entertain this."
Dominic slowly pushed his untouched wine glass across the linen tablecloth. It slid with a soft grating noise until it stopped directly in front of his brother. The red liquid sloshed gently against the crystal.
"Then drink it," Dominic commanded.
The silence that followed was absolute. Thirty made men, capos, and their wives stared at Alessandro. Marco Bellini’s hand slipped beneath his tailored jacket, resting on the grip of his sidearm.
"I prefer my own," Alessandro deflected, beads of sweat forming at his hairline.
May you like
"I insist," Dominic said, leaning forward. "To our family. To my health. Drink it, Sandro."
Alessandro stared at the glass. He knew the rule of the table. To refuse a direct toast from the Don was an act of treason. He reached for the glass, his hand trembling slightly. Before his fingers could brush the stem, he flipped the table up in a violent crash of silver and crystal.
