Chapter 7 - The Confrontation at the Syndicate
Three weeks passed. The news of Selene Vale's downfall and the failure of the Moretti operation sent shockwaves through the city's underworld.
On a crisp Tuesday afternoon, a formal syndicate council meeting was called at the neutral territory of the Grand Regency Hotel downtown. The meeting room was massive, lined with dark velvet drapes, marble pillars, and a long oval table where the heads of the city's five major crime families gathered.
Damian Bellucci entered the room flanked by Marcus and four elite enforcers. He wore an immaculate gray suit with a black dress shirt, his long dark hair neatly styled back, his presence dominating the entire space.
At the far end of the table sat Don Marco Moretti—a seventy-year-old mafia veteran with white hair, sharp blue eyes, and a face lined with decades of ruthless ambition.
Damian took his seat at the center of the table, leaning back with effortless composure.
"Damian," Don Marco began, his voice raspy and deep. "We are here to discuss the incident at the South Pier. My captain, Julian, was severely beaten, and your engagement with Miss Vale was broken off under... violent circumstances."
Damian raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Julian was trespassing on Bellucci maritime property attempting to steal classified shipping ledgers. He was treated with more leniency than he deserved."
"And Selene Vale?" Marco pressed, leaning forward. "Her father is a major contributor to our legal defense funds. You humiliated her publicly."
Damian rested his broad, tattooed hands flat on the oval table, leaning forward until his gaze locked onto Marco's like iron.
"Selene Vale was a thief who infiltrated my home," Damian stated, his voice ringing through the silent council chamber. "She used a stolen keycard to breach my private quarters. Any person—regardless of name or status—who threatens my home or my family will be excised permanently."
A quiet murmur passed among the other crime bosses seated around the table. None of them dared to challenge Damian's logic; the ancient laws of the syndicate strictly forbade internal espionage against a family's primary residence.
Marco Moretti swallowed hard, recognizing the unspoken threat in Damian's eyes. The Bellucci family was stronger, wealthier, and far more lethal than the Morettis could ever hope to be.
"The council recognizes the Bellucci family's right to defend its territory," the senior council chairman declared, slamming a small wooden gavel onto the table. "The Moretti family will pay a five-million-dollar indemnity to the Bellucci estate for the breach, and all disputes regarding the eastern shipping lanes are officially closed."
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Marco Moretti gritted his teeth but bowed his head in reluctant compliance. "Agreed."
Damian stood up, buttoning his suit jacket with smooth, calm authority. "Good afternoon, gentlemen."
