Chapter 5 - The Trial of the Commission
The grand council hall of the Milan Commission was located beneath the ancient stone arches of a 15th-century fortress on the outskirts of the city.
At 9:00 AM, the hall was packed. The patriarchs, capos, and senior advisors of all twelve crime families were seated along a massive, horseshoe-shaped marble table. The atmosphere was heavy with tension; armed guards stood every three feet along the stone walls, their eyes sharp and vigilant.
At the center of the room, standing inside a sunken stone ring, were Don Alberto Romano and his daughter, Vivian.
Alberto was seated in a wheelchair, his leg heavily bandaged, while Vivian stood beside him, stripped of her fine jewelry and designer clothes, wearing a plain black dress. Her face was pale, her eyes red from a night spent crying in a subterranean cell.
At the head of the council table sat Alessandro Moretti, flanked by Don Ricci on his right and Matteo on his left.
"Members of the Commission," Alessandro’s voice echoed off the ancient vaulted ceiling, cold, clear, and absolute. "We are gathered today to pass final judgment on the Romano family."
Don Ricci leaned forward, resting his liver-spotted hands on the mahogany table. "The evidence provided by the hardware wallet has been verified by independent cryptographers from the Swiss network. The Romano family operated as the primary financial backing for the Black Crown cell that targeted our families two years ago."
A wave of angry murmurs broke out among the gathered bosses. Several capos slammed their fists onto the marble table, shouting curses in regional Italian dialects.
"Order," Alessandro commanded, his single word instantly restoring quiet to the room.
He looked down at Vivian, whose eyes were fixed on the floorboards.
"Vivian Romano," Alessandro said coldly. "You attempted to marry into my family while actively plotting my assassination and the destruction of the Commission. You murdered an innocent logistics worker, Julian Bennett, and tormented his widow and child to cover your tracks."
"Alessandro... please..." Vivian choked out, raising her head in a desperate plea. "My father forced me! He told me if I didn't help him, he would disown me! I loved you! I really loved you!"
"You do not know the meaning of the word," Alessandro replied, his face entirely devoid of emotion. "By the unanimous vote of the Commission, the Romano syndicate is stripped of all titles, territories, and shipping assets. Your family name is erased from the registry of Milan."
Don Alberto closed his eyes in defeat, letting his head fall back against his wheelchair.
"What is their sentence, Don Moretti?" Don Ricci asked.
"Don Alberto Romano will spend the remainder of his life in a maximum-security prison in Calabria, under constant surveillance by Commission guards," Alessandro declared. "Vivian Romano will be exiled permanently to a remote convent facility in northern Scotland, under strict isolation. She will never step foot on Italian soil again, nor will she ever hold a single euro of wealth."
Vivian collapsed to her knees, sobbing hysterically as four guards stepped into the ring, pulling her and her father toward the rear exit of the hall.
As the heavy iron doors slammed shut behind the disgraced family, Alessandro turned his attention to the rest of the council.
"There is one final matter of business," Alessandro announced, standing up from his throne-like chair.
He gestured toward the side entrance of the council chamber.
The heavy wooden doors opened, and I walked into the grand hall, wearing an elegant, simple navy blue dress. Emma walked beside me, holding my hand tightly, her little red sneakers clicking softly against the stone floor. In her free arm, she carried her cream-colored teddy bear.
The entire council watched in stunned silence as a former housekeeper and her daughter walked into the most secure, dangerous room in Northern Italy.
Alessandro stepped down from the elevated council platform and walked out to meet us in the center of the ring. He took my hand gently, turning us to face the twelve crime families.
"This is Clara Bennett," Alessandro announced, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "And her daughter, Emma. Her late husband, Julian, gave his life to protect this Commission from treason."
He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of every single boss sitting at the table.
"As of today," Alessandro declared, "the Bennett family is placed under the permanent, absolute protection of the Moretti house. Any insult against Clara Bennett will be answered by my hand. Any harm brought to Emma Bennett will result in the total war of my entire empire against the offender."
Don Ricci was the first to stand up. The old patriarch raised his glass toward us, nodding his head in deep respect.
"To the memory of Julian Bennett," Don Ricci announced. "And to the protection of the Moretti house."
May you like
One by one, all twelve mafia bosses stood from their chairs, raising their glasses in silent, solemn agreement.
I looked up at Alessandro, my heart swelling with emotion. The terror that had ruled my life for two years had evaporated, replaced by a deep sense of belonging and peace.
