Chapter 18 - The Final Judgement
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"I REJECT THIS!" Bruno screamed, completely losing his control. "This is an absolute farce! The council will never accept a peasant nurse as the mistress of this family! It breaks every tradition we have!"
Enzo did not raise his voice. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out the heavy brass compass, and set it firmly onto the table.
Click.
The metallic sound resonated like a gunshot. Every single captain instantly froze, stepping back.
"My grandfather made his choice under the terms of the charter," Enzo said coldly, stepping toward Bruno. "And his word is absolute."
"Enzo, listen to reason—" Bruno began, backing away.
"No, Uncle Bruno," Enzo interrupted quietly. "You listen."
Enzo threw a thick manila folder onto the center of the table, right in front of the captains.
"While you were busy lining up high-society brides to increase your power, I had Marco investigate the Bensonhurst ledgers," Enzo revealed. "Over two million dollars stolen from working families, widows, and our own soldiers... redirected straight into your offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands."
The captains gasped, quickly grabbing the documents and reviewing the bank statements.
"You broke the cardinal rule of this house," Enzo said, his voice dropping an octave, lethal and unforgiving. "You preyed on the very people we were sworn to protect."
Bruno’s face drained of all color. He looked around the room, but every single captain averted their eyes, disgusted by his betrayal.
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"As of this moment," Enzo declared, "Bruno Castellano is stripped of his rank, his assets, and his seat. You are banished from New York forever. If you set foot in this city again, you will be executed."
Two heavy guards stepped up behind Bruno, grabbing him by his arms and dragging him kicking and screaming out of the grand room.
