Chapter 7 - Smoke and Steel
"I... I didn't mean... I heard rumors!" Marco stammered, backing away frantically until his spine hit the steel table. "Alejandro, please! I didn't do it! I swear on my mother's grave!"
Alejandro ignored Marco's pathetic whimpering. His dark eyes locked onto Dominic, who stood frozen beside the table, his hand slowly sliding toward his inner jacket pocket.
"Don't do it, Dominic," Alejandro said softly, his voice echoing like thunder in the enclosed space. "You were always slow on the draw."
Dominic froze, his fingers twitching near his weapon.
"How are you standing here?" Dominic whispered, his composed facade finally shattering into pure dread. "The dose... it was three times the lethal limit of sodium cyanide. You should have been dead in two minutes!"
"I should have been," Alejandro agreed smoothly. "If I were alone. But a small guardian angel was watching over me. An innocent four-year-old girl used her own life-saving medicine to pull me back from the grave."
The gathered Capos murmured in shock.
Alejandro reached into his coat and pulled out a small black flash drive. He tossed it onto the center of the steel table. It landed with a loud metallic clink.
"Bruno, put it on the monitor."
Bruno walked over to the warehouse projector system and plugged in the drive. A massive projection illuminated the wall behind Marco and Dominic.
The black-and-white video played crystal clear. The Capos watched in stunned silence as Dominic stepped into Alejandro's study, pulled out the vial, and poisoned the Barolo decanter.
"You framed Marco," Alejandro said calmly to Dominic. "You knew Marco was greedy enough to claim the throne the moment I fell. You planned to kill him tomorrow, pretend to avenge my death, and take the family for yourself."
The gathered Capos turned their gazes toward Dominic with utter disgust. In the mafia code, killing your Don through poison and betrayal was the ultimate crime—unforgivable and punishable only by death.
Marco realized he had been played like a fool. He glared at Dominic with burning rage. "You setup me! You bastard!"
Dominic knew there was no way out. His face twisted into a snarl of desperation. He snatched his pistol from his coat and grabbed Marco, holding him as a human shield while pointing his gun directly at Alejandro's chest.
"I built half this empire!" Dominic screamed hysterically. "You were weak, Alejandro! Ever since your daughter died, you lost your edge! You soft-hearted fool! You should have died today!"
BANG.
A single gunshot shattered the warehouse air.
Dominic gasped, his eyes widening in shock as his grip on Marco loosened. He looked down at his chest, where a red blossom was expanding across his white shirt.
Alejandro lowered his smoke-drifting pistol calmly. He hadn't even blinked.
Dominic collapsed onto the concrete floor, lifeless.
Marco fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably, clutching his arms over his head. "Please, Alejandro! Spare me! I didn't know about the poison! I was just greedy! Please!"
Alejandro walked up to his kneeling cousin, looking down at him with cold disdain.
"You are a coward, Marco. But you are blood." Alejandro turned to his enforcers. "Strip him of his titles, take his assets, and banish him from New York forever. If he ever sets foot in this city again, finish him."
"Thank you, Don Alejandro! Thank you!" Marco blubbered, being dragged away by the guards.
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Alejandro turned back to the remaining Capos, who immediately bowed their heads in absolute submission and loyalty.
"The betrayal is cleansed," Alejandro declared, his voice echoing with unquestioned authority. "Now, we rebuild."
