Page 146 of Brutal Crown

My voice rises. The anger comes harder now.

“You speak of tradition?” I snarl. “She honored it without question. You speak of sacrifice? She gave it. Not for power. Not for position. But for love—unconventional love for her unborn child.”

I pause—then drive the final nail:

“You think keeping the bloodline pure will save us. But it won’t. It’s love that will. Not blood. Not birthright.

“Love—pure, uncorrupted, brought by those you cast aside without ever understanding their worth.

“There is nothing more powerful than love. The kind that comes from choice. The kind that endures.

“And the outsider you cast aside?

“She showed more loyalty than any heir born to this house.”

My heart squeezes painfully.

“And what did she receive in return?”

I pause, letting the silence stretch before continuing.

“How can you keep asking us to abide by your rules, when even the Elders don’t? Men more corrupt than any of us, burying their sins for decades—maybe longer. Men too afraid of what they can’t control, hiding behind power and titles, while others are condemned for following the very rules you refuse to uphold!”

I’m breathing heavily, and the hall is now completely silent, almost as if everyone is scared to say a word.

“We cannot lead by force and expect loyalty. We must lead by honor. Earned. Fought for.”

I meet every Elder’s eye.

“And if you refuse to act,” I continue, “then I will tear the veil off this Society myself. I will expose everything I know. Names. Records. Secrets. I will drag your names through the mud, and the whole world will know what’s buried beneath your robes.

“And the evidence? It’s not just here in front of you, gentlemen. It’s out there. Ready to burn you all if I die.”

A beat passes.

I straighten.

“Let this play out as it should—authorizeAntico Giudizioagainst Ermanno, Giulio, and Alfonso. Put them on trial before the entire Bloodline. Strip their titles. Strip their power. Letjudgment fall where it belongs. In doing so, you preserve the illusion of control.”

I pause, then add:

“And you let me walk away from this engagement. Just like you should let anyone else trapped in the same cage.”

Another Elder speaks. “You came here to blackmail us.”

“No,” I say. “I came here to give you a way out.”

No one breathes.

“Those under accusation are excluded from the decision. The rest of us will deliberate behind closed doors. You will receive our decision shortly,” the De Luca Elder declares.

I watch as they all rise in silence and disappear into the chamber beyond the dais.

Whispers ripple from one family to the next. The De Lucas look restless. The Salvatores exchange quiet words. I don’t move. My heart beats like a war drum, but my face stays calm.

I glance toward my family.

My father watches me like a soldier watches a king. Marco gives a small nod. Elio’s eyes, though uncertain, are also encouraging.