Chapter 6 - The Legacy of a GhostArya didn't drop the folder. Instead, she tightened her grip, her knuckles turning white as she looked up into the face of the Don. "My father died in a crane collapse twenty-one years ago at the Columbus Port expansion. This is his name, Mr. Valentino. Why does a mafia empire have a file on a dead engineer?"
Dante stopped at the edge of the desk, leaning back against the mahogany wood. He didn't look angry; he looked remarkably patient, a trait that was far more unnerving in a man of his reputation.
"Your father didn't die in an accident, Arya," Dante said, his voice dropping into a calm, matter-of-fact tone. "The crane collapse was engineered by the Lucchese family. Your father discovered that the structural foundation of the port expansion was being used to hollow out smuggling tunnels without his authorization. He refused a bribe. He chose integrity over survival."
The world seemed to tilt beneath Arya’s feet. For over two decades, her mother had believed her husband's death was a tragic twist of fate.
"My father... he was murdered?" she whispered.
"Yes," Dante replied. "And my father, who ruled this estate at the time, executed the three men responsible for that crane collapse within forty-eight hours of your father’s death. The Valentino family owed Thomas Mitchell a debt of honor because his silence protected our operations, even if it wasn't his intention. That is why Mrs. Caruso’s actions were an insult to my lineage. When I protect you, Arya, I am simply balancing an ancient account."
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He reached out, his long, leather-gloved fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from her pale cheek. His touch was electric, a terrifying blend of absolute possessiveness and dark comfort.
"You belong to this house now," he murmured. "And no one will ever harm you again."
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