Chapter 16 - The Broken Mafia Prince
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By noon, Matteo’s high-priced defense attorney, Arthur Vance, arrived at the penthouse looking pale and exhausted.
"It’s a bloodbath, Matteo," Vance said, throwing his coat onto a chair. "The feds have frozen every primary asset account. The District Attorney’s office just issued a warrant for your arrest regarding the domestic violence charge."
Matteo sat on the couch, staring at his trembling hands. "What are my options?"
"Your father wants us to fight," Vance explained rapidly. "He wants to claim Elena was mentally unstable due to her pregnancy, that she forged the financial documents, and that her injuries were caused by an accidental fall down... well, we’ll claim she fell off a step stool."
Matteo looked up at his lawyer. The arrogance that had defined his entire life was completely gone, replaced by a hollow, haunting shame.
"She didn't forge anything," Matteo whispered. "The papers were real. Vivian planted them."
"It doesn't matter who planted them!" Vance snapped. "What matters is surviving! If you go to trial on the assault charge with her testimony and the driver’s statement, you’re looking at seven to ten years in state prison. If the federal RICO charges attach, you’ll spend the rest of your life behind bars!"
Matteo stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the city. He thought of Elena lying on the kitchen floor. He thought of her hand guarding their unborn son. He remembered how he had walked out to eat steak while she bled out.
"Call the District Attorney," Matteo said quietly.
Vance blinked. "What?"
"I’m turning myself in," Matteo said, his voice firm for the first time in days. "I’m giving a full, unconditional statement about what happened in the kitchen."
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"Are you insane?!" Vance yelled. "Your father will disown you! The family will treat you as a traitor!"
"My father is the reason I turned into a monster," Matteo replied, tears finally spilling from his eyes. "Tell the DA I’ll plead guilty to the assault. But tell them I want guarantees that my wife and my son receive total immunity and full access to the unencumbered trust funds."
