CHAPTER 2
A long, heavy silence followed the man’s brief response, then Allegra cleared her throat. “And what was your last name before?”
“Rocca,” Umberto replied, a little embarrassed. “That’s all you need to know for now." He sighed. “You know what my biggest wish was, and still is? That you were a boy.”
“I thought…” Allegra swallowed hard a few times before continuing. “Fifteen years ago, when you made me a junior partner in the company, you promised me that one day I’d run it from behind this desk, sitting in that chair.”
“Yes, I did.” Umberto’s heart ached at the disappointment in his daughter’s voice.
“I’ll keep my word no matter what,” he said in a determined tone, “because you worked yourself to the bone to earn it. However, I was talking about running our organization. The laws don’t allow it because… well… you’re a woman.”
“Papa, do you hear yourself talking?” Allegra raised her voice slightly. “What laws are those that prevent a woman from running any kind of organization?" She huffed a laugh. “You sound like it’s the Mafia.”
Umberto flinched slightly but chose to ignore his daughter’s comment. Instead, he shifted the topic. “We need to connect with members of the Italian community in New York City, and what better way to reach their homes than through screens, radio waves, and the written word in all its forms?”
Allegra settled into the chair, a frown forming on her forehead.
“So… first, your father told you to switch your Italian last name for an Irish one, and now you want to go back to the original? Why would you do that? And what was the reason behind your father’s decision?
Let’s be honest, he made it without asking you.
As you said, it was a command; he left you no choice. ”
Umberto let out a short laugh. “Good questions, but I expected no less from you.” He ran a hand over his face.
“Papa thought taking an English or Irish name was the best way to blend in and make the rich and powerful accept me as one of them. As you can see, it worked. Now it is time to take back what was rightfully mine by birth but was stolen by unjust laws.”
“Take back a birthright that was stolen from you?” Allegra huffed again. “Come on, papa, this sounds like one of those sappy romance novels set in the medieval era, with lost heirs and…” The look on her father’s face made her stop abruptly. “You are not kidding, are you?”
In a monotone, as if reading a news bulletin, Umberto started describing to his daughter the difficulties surrounding his birth and the nearly boundless love his father held for him and his mother.
He also recounted how his ruthless grandfather compelled his only son into an arranged marriage with someone he despised, even though he was required to have children with her.
Oh, so there’s competition, Allegra thought to herself as she listened to her father’s story.
The challenges didn’t discourage her from pursuing and achieving her goals; on the contrary, they made things even more interesting.
The obstacles served as a good stimulant for her mind to find the best way to overcome them.
Allegra listened to her father’s story with genuine interest. The part about The Council banning an illegitimate male child from being named his father’s successor angered her to no end, just as when Umberto had earlier mentioned that women are forbidden from ruling in their own right.
Her again, Allegra huffed internally as Kirsten quietly knocked on the door and entered the office, interrupting her fascinating story by announcing the arrival of the team of negotiators she and her father had scheduled the meeting with.
However, for her, business always came first, so for now she pushed personal matters to the back of her mind.
Half an hour later, to the satisfaction and surprise of those negotiating for the small media group, the deal was finalized. Given Allegra’s inflexibility on the financial terms, they expected her to give them a hard time, and were quite surprised when she didn’t.
Hands were shaken, and the contract was signed.
Then the men left, relieved and happy, still unable to believe how lucky they were.
Once alone, the father and daughter spent another hour and a half discussing the best strategy to leverage the company they had just acquired to connect with influential people in business and politics who were, in one way or another, linked to the Old-World Mafia.
Offering them free advertising, not only on the local TV, newspaper, magazines, and radio station he had just purchased but also on all the mass media channels he controlled, would be a good place to start, Allegra suggested to her father.
Umberto enthusiastically approved the idea, congratulating his daughter and telling her how proud he was of her.
“Thank you, papa,” Allegra smiled brightly. “Coming from you, these words mean everything to me. Please tell me more about our rivals, the rules they follow, and everything else Grandfather shared about the world you come from."
There are two pure-blood male members of the Sforza family: Ottavio, the oldest, who is the current leader recognized by The Council of The Ten, and Martino, who married into the powerful Orsini family and is even more influential than his brother.
Both have male children.” Umberto’s face twisted in disgust as he said the last part.
“I see..." Allegra left her seat, grabbed a pen and a small notebook from the desk, then sat down again and began to write as she spoke. “I’ll have to do some digging, but I have all the help I need; after all, we own some of the most-read tabloids, and our journalists are the best,” she grinned.
“I’ll spare you and our employees the effort,” Umberto sighed, disappointed. “Martino is as innocent as a little child, and Ottavio was forgiven for the sins he committed against the Council.”
Allegra chuckled. “Uh-oh, here comes the troublemaker… What were those sins?” When her father remained silent, the woman pouted. “Oh, come on, papa, this could be a juicy scandal that could generate thousands of reactions, comments, and…”
“No.” Umberto cut her off laconically. “I’ll tell you because it might be helpful, but I have no intention of turning this into tabloid gossip.
It’s like beating a dead horse.” The man licked his lips.
“He tried to twist the Council’s arm to change the law banning illegitimate sons from succeeding their fathers. ”
“He did…what?” Allegra dropped the notebook and stared at her father in disbelief. “Doesn’t this make him the good guy? Wouldn’t it be better to have him as an ally? One of circumstance, of course, because once he’s done his job, we’d get rid of him.”
Umberto smiled bitterly. “Ottavio Sforza may be a lot of things, but he is not a fool. He was easy to fool the first time, but now it would be impossible. Everything has changed. Back then, he had a very solid reason to do that, but that motivation is gone.”
“You mentioned he has children. Well, sons,” Allegra pursed her lips. “Also, I suppose the guy didn’t make them by himself, so he has a wife somewhere. We need to look for this woman; she could become a valuable ally, especially if they are divorced or if the happy couple isn’t very happy.”
“Those…things don’t have a mother, like all the children,” Umberto’s lips curled into a rictus of hate and disgust. “They are creatures of evil, abominations, the results of unnatural relationships, as a man carried them.”
“Oh, so a male pregnancy,” Allegra nodded.
“Well, this makes things easier for us. Get in, take the little whiny toads, get out, and blame the...carrier. It’s less complicated to deal with one of those than with a real mother.
A woman whose babies are taken would become more dangerous than a lioness.
” She looked at her father, who was smirking at her.
“Yes, I know what you’re trying to say with that expression, but we know very well that the situation would be very different if I had daughters. ”
“That’s true. Honestly, I would love to have a granddaughter, a girl with your brilliant mind and feisty spirit.” Umberto gave his daughter a paternal smile that quickly turned serious. “You'd better become friends with one of those sons of yours. It’s very important for the success of our plan.”
“I don’t like this at all, but great, noble causes always require sacrifices,” Allegra grinned.
“Oh, my,” she exclaimed, glancing at her wristwatch, “it’s getting late, and I have so many things to do.
I'd better get started, or they’ll pile up on my head in no time.
” She left her seat and went behind the desk.
“I won’t keep you here then,” Umberto said affectionately as his daughter kissed his cheek. “Will you come to dinner? Your mom misses you; she’s not as lucky as I am to see and talk to you every day.”
“Of course!” Allegra answered with a bright smile. “I may bring Keith, too; it’s time for the two of you to have a real, meaningful grandfather-grandson talk.”
The woman gave her father a playful grin, headed to the door, paused, then turned around and waved at the man in the imposing winged chair.
Once out of the office, she cast a poisonous glare at Kirstin, ignoring everyone else, and went straight to the elevator reserved for executives, a move that surprised all the employees who saw her.
Indeed, Allegra usually preferred to ride with the staff; only those working on the top floor knew who she was, and they were a small, discreet, loyal group who disliked gossip.
The others were not shy about complaining about working conditions, the bosses’ attitudes, or the methods used to boost the company’s market presence.
Allegra really enjoyed listening to employees talk and often joined discussions, especially when the topic was work-related.
She valued honest criticism and ideas for improving things that didn’t work quite right, and she awarded those who saw the media corporation as more than just a source of their monthly paycheck.
However, this time, Allegra needed to be alone; a million ideas and thoughts buzzed through her head like a hive of frantic bees.
I definitely need a to-do list, she told herself as she left the building and headed to the spot in the parking lot reserved for her.
As soon as she climbed into the silver convertible, she grabbed a pen and a leather-bound notebook from the glove compartment and started writing.
First things first, Allegra decided to learn as much as possible about the Italian Mafia and the Sforza family's history. After all, her father claimed those people were her ancestors, and she had no reason not to believe him. It would take a lot of time, and I couldn’t even use the help of our little dirt-diggers.
Or maybe not. The deep frown lines on Allegra’s forehead softened into a triumphant smile as she thought of her father’s chief security, Esteban Ortega, whose almost ascetic features she remembered. The man was incredibly loyal and would help her with anything, any time, without asking questions.
Besides her father, Esteban was the only man Allegra respected because he used every spare moment to read and to enrich his mind with all kinds of helpful knowledge. I’ll ask, and he’ll help—simple as that. The woman continued her internal monologue with a smile. Problem solved.