Episode 2

My name is Lorenzo Mancini. I am thirty-three years old and the most feared man in Calabria.

There is not a single soul in this damned country who hears my last name and does not tremble. I am the direct successor to the empire that my father built with blood, steel, and silence. I carry the legacy of the oldest mafia in Italy, and if I still breathe today, it is because I learned early on that weakness is a luxury that men like me cannot afford.

I have always lived with a single goal: to consolidate the Family's power. That's why I chose Chiara. A strategic, perfect marriage to a daughter of one of my trusted men. It would be convenient. Simple. Without emotions. Until the damned clinic threw my whole plan in the trash.

The sperm that I had frozen as genetic security was mistakenly implanted. And now, a completely unknown woman carries my child in her womb.

A woman who refuses to give up the child.

And, faced with that, the only thing left for me... is to take what is mine.

I arrived home like a hurricane. The doors burst open with a kick, the servants stepped back at the sight of my expression. I grabbed the phone, took a deep breath, and fired off:

"Emergency meeting. Ten minutes. Here at home. No latecomers accepted."

I didn't even wait for replies. I hung up and walked to the main room, where the solid oak round table was already waiting for me. It was there that the decisions of the Mancini Family were made. And today, they would all hear mine.

One by one, the men arrived. Riccardo, Matteo, Don Cesare... and finally, Giovanni Ferretti, Chiara's father. His gaze carried the usual arrogance, as if he already knew that this meeting was about the wedding. Little did he know what was to come.

"What's happening, Lorenzo?" asked Don Cesare, always direct. "A meeting like this, without warning?"

I placed my hands firmly on the table.

"I am no longer marrying Chiara."

The silence that followed was absolute. Until Giovanni's chair scraped abruptly.

"What?!" he stood up, his eyes blazing. "Lorenzo, have you gone mad?! You promised! This was already sealed!"

"I changed my plans," I replied coldly. "And you are here to listen, not to question."

"I demand an explanation!" Giovanni roared.

I crossed my arms and stared at all of them. The air seemed heavy. No man dared to move.

"There was an error at the fertility clinic. My sperm was implanted in another woman's belly. She is pregnant. And she refuses to give up the baby."

Riccardo's eyes widened.

"Are you kidding..."

"I never joke," I retorted. "This child is my heir. And if she won't give me the baby, then she will be my wife."

Giovanni almost fell off his chair.

"This is absurd! You are going to throw everything away because of a mistake?! I'll have my men kill that woman right now! We'll cut the problem off at the root!"

My hand slammed hard on the table, the dry sound echoing through the walls.

"You will do nothing!"

Everyone froze.

"I decide. I am the Don. And that woman will not be touched. If anyone even gets close to her, I will tear out their tongue and eyes."

Giovanni paled.

"This is an affront... you are going to throw my name in the trash. You will shame my daughter!"

"Your daughter was never part of my future, Giovanni. It was a convenient choice. Now it is not anymore. I care about blood, about legacy. And that baby she carries is mine. Nothing is more important than that."

Matteo, who had been silent until then, cleared his throat.

"This woman... is she a virgin?"

I stared at him.

"No. But I don't give a damn."

He immediately looked away.

"The wedding will be in three days," I continued. "And it is an order. I will no longer hear laments or objections."

"You are throwing away years of planning!" Giovanni shouted. "All this for a whore that no one knows!"

I approached slowly, my steps heavy on the marble floor.

"Watch your words, Giovanni. From now on, she will be my wife. And if I hear anyone disrespect her, it doesn't matter if it's an ally, blood, or brother... I kill them. Do we understand each other?"

The old man swallowed hard. The other men nodded in silence.

"You may leave now," I ordered, returning to my position at the head of the table. "The meeting is over."

They left in silence. One by one. Some frightened. Others uncomfortable. But none dared to look back. Not even Giovanni.

The room fell silent. The tension still lingered, but I had already done what was necessary. That was what separated weak men from those who command the world.

And now, it was time to sever the last link with the past.

I picked up the phone. I dialed Chiara's number. She answered on the third call, her voice still altered by anger.

"Have you finally decided to call me? Are you going to explain what kind of madness that was?!"

I was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"The wedding is canceled."

"What?! Have you gone crazy?! My father will kill you!"

"Let him try. He and anyone else who wants to. The decision is made."

"You are an idiot! You are throwing everything away! You will never find another woman like me!"

I let out a dry laugh.

"Good thing. I don't want to. I will marry the woman who carries my son."

Chiara was silent for a few seconds.

"She is just a belly! A nobody! Are you going to marry her just because of a mistake?!"