Chapter 17 #2
The door opened. She stood there, my mother's ring glinting on her finger, one hand resting protectively on her stomach. Her face was pale but composed, her eyes hard with determination.
"I'm ready," she said.
I offered her my hand. She took it, fingers intertwining with mine as we walked together into the living room.
Her eyes went first to Giuseppe, then to Francesco. Understanding dawned on her face.
"Francesco helped him," I said quietly. "Gave him the security codes, the guard rotations. Everything you needed to escape—he made sure you'd overhear it."
Giuseppe's eyes went to Sienna first, then to me, calculating even now. "Sienna, cara—"
"Don't." Her voice was ice. I felt her hand tighten in mine. "You don't get to call me that. Not after what you tried to do."
"I was protecting the family—"
"You tried to have me killed!" Her voice rose, the control finally cracking. "Your own niece. Your brother's daughter. And my baby—" Her free hand moved to her stomach. "You were going to murder your own blood and frame my husband for it."
Giuseppe had the grace to look away. "It was never personal, Sienna. It was business. Strategy."
"That's supposed to make it better?" She laughed bitterly.
"You sound just like my father. 'It's just business, cara.
Don't let emotion cloud your judgment.'" She stepped closer to him, forcing him to meet her eyes.
"But this IS personal. You made it personal when you decided my life was worth less than your ambition. "
"I didn't want to hurt you," Giuseppe said quietly. "But Luca was using you—using the marriage to seize control of both families. I had to—"
"You ‘had to’ nothing." I cut him off. "You wanted power. Pure and simple. Don Moretti was dying, and you couldn't stand that he might name Sienna as his successor. That the family might pass to someone who actually cared about more than territory and profit."
Giuseppe's mask slipped, revealing the calculation beneath. "And what would you have done, Romano? If your father had planned to pass you over? If everything you'd fought for was about to go to someone else?"
"I'd have accepted it," I said flatly. "Because family means more than power. Something you'll never understand."
Sienna looked between us, then settled her gaze on her uncle. "Did you know? That my father wanted me to inherit?"
Giuseppe hesitated, then nodded. "He told me six months ago.
Said you had the temperament for leadership—that you saw beyond the immediate profit to the long-term stability.
That you understood loyalty in a way I never had.
" His voice turned bitter. "His own brother, and he was going to pass me over for a girl barely out of college. "
"So you decided to kill me instead." Sienna's voice was hollow. "Rather than accept his decision, you'd rather see me dead."
"I would have made you a generous offer," Giuseppe protested. "A settlement, a legitimate business, a life away from all this violence. But you chose to stay with Romano. Chose to carry his child. That changed everything."
"Because a Romano-Moretti heir threatened your plans," I said. "United both families under a single bloodline you couldn't control."
Giuseppe said nothing, but his silence was confirmation enough.
Sienna stood very still for a long moment, processing everything.
When she finally spoke, her voice was steady.
"You destroyed your own family for power you were never going to keep.
Because even if you'd succeeded—even if you'd killed me and blamed Luca—my father would have known. He'd have torn you apart."
"Your father is dying," Giuseppe said bluntly. "He has weeks, maybe days. Once he's gone—"
"Once he's gone, I'm the head of the Moretti family," Sienna interrupted. "His will is very specific. Ironclad. You really think he didn't plan for your betrayal?" She smiled without humor. "He's been three steps ahead of you this entire time, Uncle. Just like always."
The color drained from Giuseppe's face. "That's not—he wouldn't—"
"He already did." She turned to me. "The documents my father's lawyer sent last week. The ones you had Marco verify?"
I nodded. "Authentic. Don Moretti named Sienna his successor two months ago. Filed with the family council, witnessed by three capos. Legal and binding."
Giuseppe slumped in his chair, the fight finally leaving him. He'd played his hand and lost everything.
Sienna studied him for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was quiet but absolute.
"You have two choices, Uncle. You can die tonight, quickly, for what you tried to do to me and my child.
Or—" she paused, "—you can disappear. There's a compound in Alaska.
Remote. Secure. You'll live there under guard for the rest of your natural life.
No contact with anyone from your old life.
No access to money or power. Just existence. "
"That's not a choice," Giuseppe said bitterly. "That's a prison sentence."
"It's more mercy than you showed me." Her hand moved protectively to her stomach. "And it's more than you deserve. But my father loved you once, and for his sake, I'm offering you your life. Take it or refuse it. Decide now."
Giuseppe looked at her—really looked at her—and seemed to finally see the woman she'd become. Not the frightened girl he could manipulate, but someone harder. Someone who'd survived his schemes and come out stronger.
"Alaska," he said finally. "I'll take Alaska."
Sienna nodded once, then turned away from him. "Get him out of here. I don't want to see him again."
Dante moved forward to comply. As they hauled Giuseppe to his feet, he called out, "Sienna—"
She didn't turn around. "Goodbye, Uncle."
After Giuseppe was removed, only Francesco remained. He looked up at Sienna, then at me, jaw tight with fear.
"Francesco helped him," I explained to Sienna. "Gave him security codes, guard rotations. Made sure you'd overhear the override passwords."
She studied Francesco for a long moment. "Why?"
"My sister, ma'am," Francesco said quietly. "Giuseppe had her. Said he'd kill her if I didn't cooperate."
"And is she safe now?"
"Yes, ma'am. Mr. Romano's people got her out."
Sienna looked at me. "What do you think should happen to him?"
"That's your decision," I said. "He betrayed us. But he also fed Giuseppe the Queens location knowing it was a trap. He chose a side in the end."
She considered this, then turned back to Francesco. "You're done with security. Permanently. Luca will find you work—legitimate work—somewhere you can't cause trouble. But if you ever betray us again—"
"I won't, Mrs. Romano," Francesco said quickly. "You have my word."
"Your word almost got me killed." Her voice was cold. "But you get one chance. Don't waste it."
After Francesco was led away, Sienna finally let herself collapse into my arms. I held her as she shook—not with tears, but with the adrenaline finally leaving her system.
"You did well," I murmured against her hair.
"I sentenced my own uncle to life imprisonment."
"You showed him mercy he didn't deserve. That takes strength, not weakness."
She pulled back to look at me. "Is it really over?"
"It's over." I cupped her face in my hands. "Ricci's dead. Giuseppe's neutralized. The threats are gone."
"And us?"
"We're just beginning."