Chapter 10 - The Rightful King
Marcus dropped silently from the dark ventilation shaft like a massive shadow, landing heavily on the stone floor right behind the traitor.
Before Vincenzo could even register the noise, the head of security viciously wrapped his massive arm around the underboss's neck and slammed him to the ground.
Salvatore moved with blinding speed, kicking the suppressed pistol out of Vincenzo's hand and planting his heavy boot firmly on the traitor's chest.
Within seconds, Marcus's highly trained, loyal security team flooded into the cellar, aggressively zip-tying the traitor and radioing that the corrupt officers upstairs had been subdued.
The heavy, suffocating tension finally broke, and Salvatore immediately dropped to his knees to pull Giana into a tight, desperate embrace.
He stood up and looked at Brenda, who was shaking violently in the corner of the room, fully expecting to be executed for her initial disrespect.
"You are fired from Castellano's, Brenda, but you will walk out of here alive tonight because you ultimately chose to hand over those keys," Salvatore stated coldly.
He then turned to Maria, offering the shocked young waitress a warm, genuine smile of profound gratitude.
"As of this exact moment, you are the new general manager of this restaurant, and I expect you to run it with the exact kindness you showed my family tonight."
With the chaotic mess finally being cleaned up by his loyal men, Salvatore led Maria and his daughter back up into the ruined dining room.
They found a single, untouched table near a pillar, where Salvatore carefully placed the slightly squished chocolate cake and relit the white candle.
Giana smiled happily, closing her eyes tightly to make a wish for her mother before blowing out the flame with a joyful breath.
They sat together in the quiet aftermath, eating the sweet vanilla cream in absolute peace as the snow continued to fall beautifully outside the shattered windows.
But just as Salvatore finished his slice, a silent waiter wearing a sharp grey suit approached the table and placed a small, black velvet box near his coffee cup.
Salvatore casually popped the lid open, expecting a complimentary dessert, but the blood instantly turned to ice in his veins.
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Resting on the velvet cushion was Rosa's diamond wedding ring, the exact ring he had personally slipped onto her cold finger before they buried her casket five years ago.
Beneath the glittering diamond was a small, torn piece of parchment with three hastily scribbled words: "I am back."
