Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ALESSANDRO
I walk into the dining suite of the mansion, fully armed and with every instinct screaming at me to shoot first. Valerio is a half-step behind me, his hand resting casually on his holster, his eyes scanning the room with the same lethal calculation as mine.
The elders have never called an impromptu meeting with me before. The frantic, coded urgency of the summons smelled like a setup the moment it came through. After the bloodbath at the warehouse, I don’t like this feeling. I don’t trust it.
When we cross the threshold, the tension in the air is heavy enough to choke on.
The three elders are seated at the head of the long mahogany table, their withered faces unreadable.
But they aren't alone. Every leather chair in the room is occupied, and the perimeter is lined with captains, underbosses, and high-ranking members of the Gallo organization.
The heavy hitters. The men who keep the money moving and the blood flowing.
I step up to the foot of the table, my posture rigid, my hand hovering near my weapon.
I narrow my eyes, letting my gaze sweep over every single face in the room, before slamming my palms flat against the wood. "What the fuck is going on here?"
Enzo raises a hand, his expression calm. "Relax, Alessandro."
The word relax threatens to send me into a homicidal orbit, but I force my muscles to stay locked, my breathing shallow as I let them talk. The room is a powder keg, and I have my finger on the lighter.
"The elders called this meeting because we have something of monumental importance to discuss with you," Enzo says, gesturing to the empty leather seat at the foot of the table. "Sit down."
I dig my heels in for a tense second, reluctantly pulling out the chair and dropping into it. Valerio shifts seamlessly behind me, a silent, heavily armed shadow guarding my back.
Vittorio leans forward, his aged hands interlaced on the polished wood.
"When you first arrived here with the intention to take over the Gallo empire, we rejected you.
We didn't like you, Alessandro. Over the years, your father told us really nasty things about you.
He painted you as reckless, wild, and entirely untamable. "
A sharp, familiar ache cuts through my chest at the words, but my face remains a mask of stone. I don't say a damn thing. The man is already rotting in the ground. What is the point of defending myself against a ghost?
Salvatore chimes in, his raspy voice cutting through the quiet room. "Luca has always been loyal to the Gallo empire. He was here, under our noses, so we naturally believed he was the one fit to lead us into the next era."
The air in my lungs turns toxic. "I’m starting to get seriously pissed off," I rumble, my voice flaying into a dangerous, low growl. "Get straight to the point."
Enzo exchanges a look with the other two elders before fixing his gaze back on me. "The point is, Alessandro, we have realized that we were holding onto the past. In doing so, we were ignoring a present—and a future—that could take this organization to the next level."
My brows furrow, a deep frown on my face. I watch him closely, waiting for the catch. I look around the room, the heavy silence dragging out as I wait for the other shoe to drop. "What do you mean?"
Salvatore leans back in his chair, a rare, grim respect softening the lines of his face. "The truth is right in front of us, Alessandro, and we’d be stupid to ignore it any longer."
Enzo nods in agreement, looking around at the captains and high-ranking members before fixing his eyes back on me.
"You survived Luca’s ultimate betrayal. While we sat in our councils, you protected the family business from collapsing under Luca's greed.
You removed a rot and a threat from this organization—one that we were either too weak or too blind to stop ourselves. "
The three old men exchange a final glance, and then, slowly, they stand up from their chairs. The gesture ripples through the perimeter of the room, every single captain and underboss rising to their feet in perfect unison.
Enzo bows his head slightly. "We formally apologize to you, Alessandro. For the doubts, the delays, and the disrespect." He looks up, his eyes dead serious. "We fully accept you as our Don."
I swallow back a scoff, the sound burning in the back of my throat. Their belated acceptance means absolutely nothing to me. I didn't need their permission to take what was mine by blood and fire.
But before I can voice the disdain dripping from my tongue, I feel the warm, grounding weight of Valerio’s hand settle on my shoulder. It’s a silent, deliberate pressure. He’s asking me to play the game, to be polite, and just take the crown they are handing over.
I take a slow breath, looking up at the elders, my eyes drilling into theirs. "Whether you accept me or not, I am the Don. I was the Don even before you decided to agree to it."
A thick, tense silence falls over the chamber. Their smiles instantly falter, their old faces freezing at the blunt reminder of where the real power lies.
Before the tension can snap the room back into hostility, I soften my posture just a fraction and add, "But I am glad to see this change in perspective.
If we work together, we can take this organization to greater things.
I respect you all, and in return, I expect the exact same loyalty you gave my father. "
The relief in the room is palpable. The rigid masks melt away, their smiles returning full force, and the three elders simultaneously hold out their hands across the mahogany table.
I step forward. One by one, I grip their weathered hands, returning the gesture with a calculated smile of my own. Around the room, the captains nod in approval, the unspoken allegiance officially shifting into my palm.
My mind is already racing back to the estate, back to the bedroom where Sienna is resting.
I want nothing more than to walk out of this mansion and return to her.
But as the room erupts into a low hum of respect and compliance, I force myself to stay anchored.
This is the moment I fought for. This is the empire secured.
I need to stand here and revel in it just a little bit longer.