The Maid’s Toddler Found The Mafia Boss Bleeding In His Office—Then She Did The Unthinkable

The meeting was held in the subterranean wine cellar beneath the main house—a vast, brick-vaulted chamber that had served as a secure meeting point for the Castellano family for three generations.

Seven men sat around a heavy oak table illuminated by hanging brass lanterns. These were the parish captains—men who controlled the distribution networks, the docks, the labor unions, and the local political influence across southern Louisiana.

Vincent sat at the head of the table, dressed in black, his face illuminated by the warm light of the lanterns.

"Paul is gone," Vincent stated plainly, his voice echoing off the damp brick walls. "He betrayed this house to the Moretti family. The debt he accrued in Atlanta was his own, but the weakness he displayed reflected on all of us."

The captains exchanged quiet, heavy glances. None of them raised an objection. In their world, treason within the family carried only one penalty.

"Moretti believes we are distracted," Vincent continued, leaning forward, resting his forearms on the table. "He believes that because I was injured, the Castellano empire is ripe for partition. Yesterday, his scouts were seen near my personal estate."

A heavy, muscular man named Greco, who controlled the shipping docks in Baton Rouge, slammed a fist onto the table. "Moretti is getting arrogant! He’s been pushing his narcotics through our freight yards for months without paying the transit tax!"

"He pushes because he thinks we won't fight back," Vincent said calmly. "Tomorrow, we shut down every riverboat terminal operating under Moretti’s licenses. We freeze his bank transfers through the riverfront casinos, and we impound every cargo barge flying his company's flag between here and the Gulf."

"That means war, Vincent," whispered an older captain named Sal, who managed the legal gambling licenses. "Full-scale conflict on the river hasn't happened since ninety-eight."

"It is not a war, Sal," Vincent corrected softly, his eyes flashing with lethal intent. "It is a repossession. We are taking back what belongs to us. And if Moretti raises a hand to defend his stolen property, we will eliminate him entirely."