But this could be the break I need.
Maybe Umberto said something that can clear my name.
Although, I suppose I have to question the word of an ex-con.
Unfortunately, seeing Carl Bishop will have to wait.
I spend the day in a whirlwind of preparations.
Meeting with captains who look at me with varying degrees of respect and uncertainty.
Reviewing ledgers with Nic, who I’ll be promoting to underboss once I’m Don.
My father joins me for some of it, occasionally lucid enough to offer guidance. By evening, exhaustion consumes me.
Even so, I want to see Elena and the kids.
But I don’t call her.
She’s fearful of my pursuit of the person who ruined seven years of my life. I should respect her concerns.
As long as I'm digging into Umberto's death, she wants distance.
Is my quest worth it? What if clearing my name costs me Elena all over again? What if pursuing the truth destabilizes the delicate balance we've maintained between our families?
La Corona has survived for generations because we've chosen cooperation over conflict.
My investigation threatens that peace.
The truth about who betrayed Umberto Vitale could heal old wounds or rip them wider.
It could restore my honor or destroy what's left of it. It could bring Elena back to me or push her away forever.
I give myself tonight to be alone, to give Elena space and to prepare for tomorrow's ceremony.
Perhaps a night of reflection will change how I feel about things. Not about Elena, of course.
I’ll always love her and want her. But maybe I’ll let this issue of Umberto go.
Elena is right. Being Don is going to take a lot of my time and mental energy.
The next morning, I stand at the center of our family's grand hall, all of a sudden feeling the weight of what’s about to happen.
Did my father feel like this?
Did the other Dons?
I realize it was probably worse for Marco, Dom, Leo, and my father as they were thrust unexpectedly into their Donships following the deaths of their fathers.
Nic and my father’s other closest, most trusted captains are here. La Corona is here as well.
The most powerful men in New York—hell, along the Eastern Seaboard—are assembled in this one room, all here to watch my father retire and hand the reins to me.
My father steps into the center of the room, and everyone falls silent. Even as he’s withering away, he can command respect.
"I've watched my son grow from a headstrong boy into a man of principle. He’s grown and strengthened Monti businesses around the world. He understands leadership, power, and protection.”
The assembled captains listen with reverence. Even the members of La Corona stand attentive as my father speaks of the future.
