Chapter 8 - The Price of Treason
Julian’s jaw dropped. The realization that the boy was not broken—that the "freak" had just spoken his first words to condemn him—shattered whatever defiance the younger brother had left. He collapsed back into the chair, sobbing as Marco stepped forward to untie him and lead him out toward a waiting boat at the edge of the pier.
Julian Duca would not be returning to Manhattan. The family legacy was sealed, and the traitor was being erased from the ledgers forever.
Matteo fell to his knees on the concrete floor, his hands shaking as he pulled Leo into his chest. He wept openly, the iron boss of New York completely undone by the sound of his son's voice.
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"You brought him back to me," Matteo said, looking up at Cameron through his tears. "You saved my family."
"He saved himself, Mr. Duca," Cameron said, kneeling beside them in the dirt and the rain. "He just needed to know that someone was willing to stay through the storm."
