Chapter 7 - THE PRICE OF WALKING AWAY
Victor had options.
Run.
Intimidate witnesses.
Destroy records.
Or negotiate.
The old Romano captains expected the first three.
Victor chose the fourth.
He entered a proffer agreement with federal prosecutors.
Not full immunity.
Not absolution.
He admitted financial crimes tied to older syndicate operations.
Agreed to divest criminal interests.
Provided evidence against violent operators beyond Anthony.
In return, prosecutors considered reduced sentencing exposure and allowed legitimate Romano businesses to continue under independent oversight.
The syndicate exploded.
One captain shouted:
“You are handing your father’s empire to the government.”
Victor answered:
“My father is dead.”
Silence.
Then:
“My son is alive.”
That was the difference.
Several men left.
A few threatened him.
Gabriel stayed.
Carlo Mancini, another senior man, stayed too.
He told Victor:
“I’m too old to get shot over shipping containers.”
Reasonable.
The transition became dangerous.
Not because Victor wanted war.
Because men who profited from the old system did.
One night, my apartment alarm went off.
I froze.
Victor’s security had installed it despite my protests.
This time, I was grateful.
A man had entered the building stairwell.
He carried no gun.
Only a message.
Tell Romano to stop cooperating.
Police arrested him.
Victor arrived twenty minutes later.
Furious.
“You’re coming back to the estate.”
“No.”
“Anna.”
“No.”
“They found your address.”
“I have protection.”
“Not enough.”
I stepped closer.
“You do not get to use danger to make decisions for me.”
He stopped.
Every lesson coming back.
I softened.
“I’ll move to a secure building.”
He nodded reluctantly.
“Good.”
“And you do not choose it.”
His jaw tightened.
“Fine.”
“Good.”
Then he looked at me.
“Marry me.”
I stared.
He almost smiled.
“Better?”
“No!”
I laughed.
He did too.
Then he became serious.
“I mean it this time.”
“You are under federal investigation.”
“Yes.”
“You may go to prison.”
“Yes.”
“Your dead wife recently came back.”
“Yes.”
“Your family business is collapsing.”
“Restructuring.”
“Victor.”
“Fine. Collapsing.”
I shook my head.
“This is not proposal weather.”
He stepped closer.
“I don’t want you because you saved Leo.”
Good start.
“I don’t want you because I need to protect you.”
Better.
“I want you because when you leave a room, I notice.”
That hit.
For eight months he had never noticed me.
Now—
“I notice what you think.”
He continued.
“I notice when you’re angry.”
His voice softened.
“I notice when you lie about pain.”
I looked away.
“I notice when Leo waits for your calls.”
Then:
“And I notice that when everything in my life became uncertain, you were the only person I wanted to tell the truth to.”
My eyes burned.
He did not kneel.
No ring.
Good.
“I love you.”
I swallowed.
“I love you too.”
His eyes changed.
“But.”
Of course.
“I will not marry you while your life still requires armored cars.”
He almost smiled.
“Specific.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“If you want a future with me, build one where Leo does not need guards in school.”
He looked down.
That was harder than killing enemies.
“Okay.”
I stared.
“Okay?”
“I’ll build it.”
For once, no command.
No promise that he controlled outcomes.
Just work.
Anthony was convicted.
Elena testified.
Gabriel testified.
Victor did too.
The sentencing judge considered his cooperation.
Victor avoided a long prison term but received home confinement, probationary supervision, major financial penalties, and asset forfeitures related to illegal operations.
The newspapers called it the fall of the Romano empire.
Victor framed one headline.
I asked why.
“So I remember.”
“Remember what?”
May you like
“That losing the empire gave me my house back.”
---
