Chapter 29 - THE MIDNIGHT WATCH
It was past midnight when Dante walked down the grand curved staircase into the main hall of the estate. The mansion was quiet, illuminated only by the soft, warm glow of the wall sconces and the starlight streaming through the high arched windows.
Mounted prominently above the massive stone fireplace in the center of the hall was Elena’s final oil painting, framed in dark, polished mahogany. The golden sunrise painted on the canvas seemed to radiate its own light into the quiet room, casting a warm glow across the polished marble floor.
Dante stood before the fireplace, holding a crystal glass of aged scotch in his broad hand, looking up at his sister's portrait of himself and Sophia.
Footsteps echoed softly across the marble, and Marco walked up to stand beside his chief, carrying his nightly security report.
"The perimeter is entirely silent, Boss," Marco reported softly. "Federal Prosecutor Miller confirmed that Vance and his associates have been transferred to a maximum-security federal holding facility. There will be no bail, no appeals, and no interference."
Dante took a slow sip of his drink, his gray eyes unblinking as he looked at the canvas above. "Good."
Marco looked up at the painting, a expression of quiet awe washing over his hardened face. "She was a genius, wasn't she? Lady Elena. She saw all of this three years before it happened."
"She didn't just see it, Marco," Dante said softly, his deep voice filled with profound reverence. "She built it. She knew that violence alone could never secure a legacy. She knew that only love, truth, and family could rebuild what was broken."
Marco nodded slowly, placing a warm hand on his chief's shoulder. "You're a good father, Dante. The whole house feels different tonight. It feels like a real home."
Dante turned his head, looking toward the wide staircase leading up to Sophia’s room. A calm, gentle smile brushed his lips—a look of absolute contentment that wiped away every trace of the cold mafia warlord he had once been.
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"It is a home, Marco," Dante said smoothly, setting his glass down on the mantelpiece. "Get some rest. We have a lot of drawing to do tomorrow."
Marco chuckled quietly, bowing his head. "Goodnight, Boss."
