Siena POV
I sat in the leather chair across from Romano's desk at Syndicate headquarters. The air was thick with the pungent smell of polish wax.
"I want to sell Lorenzo's territory rights to your daughter, Isabella," I told him.
Romano stopped writing. He looked up, stunned.
Isabella's husband was a rising star in the Family, but he needed an established front and routes to secure his Capo seat.
"You want to sell Lorenzo's three southern smuggling lines, his four casinos, and the two warehouses?" Romano asked, narrowing his eyes.
"For eight hundred thousand dollars in laundered cash," I replied. "A clean buyout."
Romano leaned back in his chair. He studied my face, looking for any sign of hesitation.
He knew the territory was worth at least two million. I was offering him a massive discount for speed and safety.
"It is legal under Syndicate law for a widow to transfer assets internally," Romano confirmed slowly, a shrewd smile touching his lips.
"Then let's do the paperwork," I said.
By noon, Romano handed me a heavy metal briefcase containing eight hundred thousand dollars in untraceable bills.
Combined with my widow's severance, I now possessed nearly a million dollars.
Enough to disappear. Enough to rebuild. Enough to ensure my children never tasted hunger again.
That afternoon, I rented a secure, luxury apartment in a neutral zone, miles away from the Family's main compound.
Two days later, I signed the lease on a beautiful, upscale cafe on the edge of Family territory.
I bought espresso machines, hired clean staff, and opened the doors.
The morning we opened, Consigliere Romano walked past. He didn't come inside, but he tipped his hat to me through the window—a silent acknowledgment. The next day, the Syndicate issued a quiet order: my business was under protection.
I had turned blood money into clean money. But I should have known the vultures wouldn't stay away for long.
