Chương 9 - WHAT LORENZO CHANGED
The Vitali organization survived Ferreri.
Then Lorenzo began dismantling parts of his own.
That surprised Enzo.
“You won.”
“Yes.”
“So why are we selling?”
“Because Ferreri showed me something.”
“That criminals are inconvenient?”
“We already knew that.”
Lorenzo looked at a stack of audit reports.
“He had access because half our system depends on favors nobody records.”
Cash arrangements.
Unofficial security.
Debts enforced through intimidation.
Information moved by loyalty rather than controls.
Exactly the kind of darkness Ferreri exploited.
Lorenzo closed two collection operations.
Sold three clubs.
Moved shipping and logistics under audited structures.
Established a legitimate board.
Enzo hated the board.
Sofia loved this.
Naturally.
“You have governance now.”
“I had governance before.”
“You had cousins with opinions.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
Lorenzo complained constantly.
He continued anyway.
His reputation changed slowly.
Still feared.
But less mysterious.
He also became publicly involved in accessible design initiatives after Sofia convinced him most commercial properties were terrible.
“I am not becoming a disability spokesman.”
“I didn't ask.”
“Good.”
“I asked you to fund door-width compliance studies.”
He stared.
“That sounds worse.”
She laughed.
One year after Ferreri’s conviction, Bianca sent Lorenzo a wedding invitation.
Not hers.
Matteo’s.
Lorenzo attended.
Sofia came with him.
Bianca was there.
She approached during the reception.
“Hello.”
“Bianca.”
She looked at Sofia.
“Sofia.”
They had met during testimony.
No drama.
No wine thrown.
Adult life was occasionally disappointing.
Bianca looked at Lorenzo.
“You look happy.”
“I am.”
She nodded.
“I’m glad.”
And Lorenzo believed her.
That was enough.
Later, Sofia asked:
“Hard?”
“A little.”
“You regret anything?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“The cake.”
She frowned.
“What cake?”
“At our wedding. Small decorative one outside the dining room.”
Sofia stared.
“That is what you regret?”
“It was lemon.”
“Tragic.”
“I never got any.”
She laughed so hard people turned.
Lorenzo smiled.
He had learned something useful.
Sometimes healing looked profound.
May you like
Sometimes it looked like finally being able to joke about cake.
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