"The Moretti family has bled for three generations," Sienna continued, reclaiming the conversation. "Giuseppe's attempted coup nearly destroyed us from within. My father's alliance with the Romanos was his final strategy to ensure our survival. He trusted Luca. And he trusted me."
"You're ten weeks pregnant," Vito said quietly. "Forgive me, but—"
"Eleven weeks," Sienna corrected. "And pregnancy doesn't make me weak, Vito. It makes me more dangerous. Because now I'm not just protecting this family's future—I'm carrying it."
The statement landed with perfect weight. Several men who'd been skeptical now looked thoughtful.
"The Romano family respects strength," I added. "My wife has proven hers repeatedly. She escaped an arranged marriage, survived assassination attempts, and stood against Giuseppe when he tried to use her as a pawn. She's earned her position."
"What about Giuseppe?" another captain asked. "He's still alive. Still has claimto—"
"Giuseppe is in permanent exile," I said flatly. "He'll never return to this city. Anyone who contacts him, supports him, or attempts to help him will be considered a traitor to both families. Are we clear?"
Nods around the room. No one wanted to risk that.
"So what changes?" Vito asked, his tone suggesting he was genuinely trying to understand rather than challenge.
Sienna leaned forward, hands clasped on the desk. "We consolidate operations. Eliminate redundancies. The Romano shipping routes will merge with Moretti distribution networks. Marco will coordinate security for both families. We'll modernize our money laundering—crypto currency, offshore accounts, legitimate businesses that actually turn profit."
I watched her lay out the strategy we'd developed together over the past two weeks. This was the woman I'd fallen in love with—not despite her strength, but because of it.
"And the territories?" someone asked.
"Remain as they are," I said. "Romano soldiers guard Romano territory. Moretti soldiers guard Moretti territory. But we support each other. No more petty feuds or boundary disputes. We're one family now."
"What about decision-making?" Vito pressed. "When there's disagreement between Romano and Moretti interests?"
"Sienna and I decide together," I said. "If we can't agree, we bring it to a council of senior captains from both families. Democratic within reason, final authority with us."
It wasn't traditional. It wasn't how our fathers had ruled. But it was the only way forward that didn't eventually lead to civil war.
"The old ways are dying," Sienna said quietly. "My father understood that, even if he couldn't fully embrace it. We can evolve, or we can become obsolete. Those are the only options."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Vito stood, moving to stand before Sienna. He was old-school—a soldier who'd served her father for thirty years, who'd watched her grow up.
"Don Moretti chose well," he said, bowing his head slightly. "You have my loyalty. Both of you."
One by one, the other captains followed suit. Not all of them were happy about it. But they understood the reality—united, the Romano-Moretti alliance was unstoppable. Divided, they'd be picked apart by the Calabrese or the Barzini or any of a dozen other families waiting for weakness.
When the last man had pledged his support and left, Sienna sagged slightly in her chair.
"You did well," I said, moving to stand behind her, my hands on her shoulders.
"I thought Vito would fight harder. He loved my father."
"He did. That's why he's supporting you. He knows this is what your father wanted, even if he couldn't admit it." I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You've become exactly what this family needs."
She stood, turning to face me. "Whatweneed. Not just the Moretti’s. All of us."
I pulled her into my arms, feeling the slight swell of her stomach between us—our child, growing stronger every day. "Partners in everything."
"Partners in everything," she agreed.
Through the study windows, I could see both families mingling in the gardens below. Romano soldiers talking with Moretti captains. Boundaries dissolving. A new order forming from the ashes of the old.
Three months ago, I'd forced Sienna into a marriage she despised. Now she stood beside me as an equal, reshaping our world into something that might actually survive.
My father had taught me that power was everything.
