Chapter 4 - The Hall of Judgement
The Caruso estate on Long Island was a massive stone fortress surrounded by tall wrought-iron gates, dark pines, and high security walls.
By 7:00 PM, heavy black luxury sedans lined the long cobblestone driveway. Inside the grand dining hall, beneath heavy crystal chandeliers and oil paintings of long-dead bosses, sat the leaders of the East Coast syndicates.
At the center of the mahogany table sat Salvatore Caruso. He was sixty-two years old, with silver hair, sharp blue eyes, and an air of aristocratic authority. He was surrounded by his personal bodyguards, sipping a glass of vintage wine and chatting smoothly with Don Lucchesi and Don Moretti.
"Matteo is young," Salvatore was saying, leaning back in his leather chair. "He has managed the city well, but emotional liabilities cannot be tolerated in our position. A man who lets a child dictate his schedule is a man who will compromise when the federal prosecutors come knocking."
The heavy oak doors of the dining hall swung open with a loud, echoic thud.
Matteo walked inside.
He didn't wear a winter coat. He wore a midnight-black suit, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his step slow and deliberate. Behind him walked Marco and Sal, carrying two heavy leather cases.
The conversation around the long table died instantly. The atmosphere in the room turned arctic.
"Matteo," Salvatore said, offering a smooth, welcoming smile as he raised his glass. "We were just discussing the schedule for the new Brooklyn harbor development. You're late."
Matteo walked to the head of the table, standing directly opposite his uncle. He didn't sit down. He rested both hands flat on the polished wood, leaning forward slightly.
"I was finishing a conversation with my cousin, Nico," Matteo said, his deep voice carrying clearly to every corner of the room.
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Salvatore's hand froze for a fraction of a second before he carefully set his wine glass down. "Nico? I thought he was overseeing the logistics in Jersey."
"Nico is in a holding cell beneath Pier 19," Matteo replied calmly. "And he has spent the last four hours talking to my head of security."
