“It’s good to see you, Enzo,” Alessandro says from the head of the table.
Enzo’s eyes widen and he looks at me as if he’s unsure what to do. He’s young, but he understands the hierarchy of this household.
If it were Don Lorenzo, it would have been different.
He and Enzo were more like grandfather and grandson… a truth neither knew at the time. But Alessandro isn’t as familial to us.
I nod to Enzo, encouraging him to respond.
“Thank you… it’s good to see you too, Don Dante.”
Alessandro looks at me. “I’d say I’m sorry for your loss?—”
“Don’t be a jerk,” Valentina quips.
He arches a brow at her. She stares him down.
I feel like I should apologize for Pyotr’s betrayal, but the conversation moves on. Luca’s hand finds mine in my lap, giving it a squeeze. I’m grateful for his support.
Glasses clink and conversation flows.
Valentina tells a story that makes Enzo giggle, and Alessandro's usual scowl softens when Adriano teases him about something I can't hear.
Down next to Alessandro, Luca’s uncle Matty makes a strange gurgling sound.
At first, I think he's laughing too hard at something Adriano said, but then his glass slips from his fingers, dropping to the floor.
"Uncle Matty?" Valentina's voice rises in alarm.
My eyes dart to Alessandro, whose expression shifts from confusion to horror as Uncle Matty’s face turns an alarming shade of purple, eyes bulging as if he’s struggling for air.
"He's choking!" Victorio shouts.
“Mommy?”
"Enzo, look at me," I command, turning my son's face away from the horrific scene unfolding. "Just look at Mommy, okay?"
Alessandro lunges toward Uncle Matty, catching him as he slides from his chair.
The old man's body convulses violently, foam bubbling at the corners of his mouth.
It seems clear that he’s not choking. He’s been poisoned.
"Get a doctor!" Alessandro roars, but we all know it's too late.
Chaos erupts around the table. Chairs scrape against the floor as people leap to their feet.
The capos reach inside their jackets, hands hovering over concealed weapons as they scan the room for threats.
Luca's arm wraps protectively around Enzo and me, shielding us as he pulls us away from the table.
"His wine," Adriano shouts, lifting Uncle Matty's abandoned glass. "Someone check his wine!"
My stomach drops as realization dawns.
Someone poisoned a member of the Dante inner circle right under our noses.
"Everyone stay where you are!" Alessandro commands, his voice cutting through the panic. His eyes, cold and calculating, sweep across each face in the room. "Nobody leaves this house."
