Chapter 3 - The Gathering of Shadows
For the next two days, I played the role of a dying king.
I remained confined to a wheelchair, wrapped in a blanket, speaking in raspy, weak whispers whenever my capos came to pay their respects. Silas stood beside my chair during every meeting, acting as my "translator" and taking over the daily operations of the syndicate with increasing arrogance.
In secret, however, Marco—my most loyal young lieutenant, whom Silas had overlooked—was quietly gathering evidence under my direct orders.
Late on Wednesday night, Marco slipped into my private study through a concealed bookshelf entrance.
"Boss," Marco whispered, handing me a leather dossier. "You were right. Silas has been funneling millions from our shipping docks in Brooklyn into offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. But that's not all. He’s been in contact with the Russian syndicate in Brighton Beach."
I flipped through the bank records and encrypted wire transfer receipts. "He promised them our territory in exchange for backing his takeover."
"The summit is tomorrow night at the Grand Plaza Hotel," Marco added, his face grim. "Silas has arranged for sixty of his personal mercenaries to surround the ballroom under the guise of 'extra security' for you. Once the meeting begins, he intends to present false medical papers proving you suffer from irreversible brain damage from the poisoning, forcing a vote to appoint him as regent."
"And if any capo dissents?" I asked.
"His mercenaries will execute them in the hall," Marco answered. "He’s burning the entire council down to take the throne."
I closed the dossier, my eyes cold as ice. "Then we will give him the stage he so desperately wants."
I turned toward the doorway, where Elena stood watching us. She walked over, resting her hands on my shoulders.
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"Be careful, Dominic," she whispered. "Matteo and I just got you back. Don't leave us again."
I pulled her onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. "I fought through hell to find my family, Elena. No traitor is going to take my life away from me now."
