Chapter 5 - the false prince
By 8:00 AM, the morning sun broke through the clouds, casting pale golden light across the grand dining hall of the Ravello estate.
Sitting at the head of the long mahogany table was Julian Jr., dressed in an expensive designer suit, sipping black coffee from a porcelain cup. Standing behind his chair were four heavily armed private security guards wearing dark tactical coats.
Standing at the opposite end of the hall was Dominic, flanked by Marcus and six loyal Ravello enforcers. Elise stood beside Dominic, her posture tall, her dark eyes calm and unyielding.
"You shouldn't have come back from Paris, nephew," Dominic said, his deep voice carrying across the silent room like a thunderclap. "Your mother's games ended last night."
Julian Jr. set his cup down with a soft click, flashing a condescending smile that mirrored his mother's arrogance. "My mother made mistakes, Uncle Dominic. But I am Julian Ravello's only son. Under family law, I inherit the seat on the Midwestern Council."
"You aren't Julian's son," Elise said clearly, her voice echoing off the high plaster ceilings.
Julian Jr.'s smile faltered slightly. "Shut your mouth, maid. You scrubbed my floors three weeks ago."
Dominic pulled a second document from his jacket—a certified hospital birth record recovered from the family lawyer's vault an hour ago.
"Your mother was pregnant three months before she met my brother Julian," Dominic explained, stepping forward into the sunlight. "You are the biological son of Vincent Moretti... the boss of the New York syndicate."
The enforcers standing behind Julian Jr. shifted uncomfortably, exchanging uneasy glances.
Julian Jr. stood up sharply, his face flushing red with rage. "That's a lie! A forgery created by you to steal my inheritance!"
"The DNA test the lawyer brought last night wasn't just for Elise," Dominic said softly, tossing the white paper onto the table between them. "It checked your blood too, Julian. You have zero percent Ravello DNA."
The four guards standing behind Julian Jr. immediately stepped back, lowering their weapons and unweighting their hands from their holsters. In the syndicate world, protecting a false bloodline meant instant execution by the council.
Julian Jr. looked at his guards in panic, realizing his protection had evaporated in a single second. "Guards! Secure the room!"
None of the men moved.
May you like
Dominic walked up to his nephew, stopping inches from the young man. "Where is your mother, Julian?"
Julian Jr. swallowed hard, his arrogant posture collapsing into raw terror. "She... she went to the harbor. She's meeting Vincent Moretti at the eastern pier."
