Page 156 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride

Don Vitale breaks the silence, his voice slicing through the tension. "You've brought us here with claims of a conspiracy. We're listening."

Roman clears his throat. "Mrs. Ferraza's murder wasn't random, and it wasn't just about her. The evidence I've gathered suggests it was the first move in a long game against La Corona."

He slides a folder across the table.

It contains everything, the shell casings planted to implicate the Calabresi family, the FBI connections, Ernie's role as informant, and Salvatore's confession before Roman killed him.

"It's incomplete," he admits, "but the pattern is clear. Someone's been manipulating us against each other for years. Mrs. Ferraza discovered a part of it, and it got her killed."

His eyes drift to me. I give him an encouraging smile.

He winks back and then continues. "Based on everything we've uncovered, I believe Ernie Abruzzo killed Mrs. Ferraza on Salvatore's orders."

My father’s face hardens into stone, his eyes darkening with rage.

"Salvatore confessed this to Isabella," Roman continues. "Mrs. Ferraza discovered their plans and they silenced her." Roman takes a breath. "They planted evidence pointing to the Calabresi family. Shell casings from one of our operations, a car registered to one of our shell companies. It was deliberate, designed to fracture La Corona from within."

He meets each Don's gaze in turn. "The ultimate goal was to set us against each other. To make us destroy ourselves."

I try to keep my expression impassive, but inside I’m beaming at my husband, so proud of how he handles himself in front of these powerful men.

Don Monti shakes his head. "But why? What's the endgame in destabilizing La Corona? Who benefits from our destruction?"

"Power, most likely," Roman replies. “Salvatore said La Corona was weak. He suggested to Isabella that he wanted to consolidate all power under him.”

“Yeah, right.” Dominic rolls his eyes. “Sal couldn’t find his dick with a map.”

“With La Corona fractured, someone could move in and take control of our territories, our operations. But…" Roman hesitates. "I can't be sure that's all there is to it."

He glances at me again, and I nod. I’d give him a thumbs up except that’s probably not appropriate for a La Corona meeting.

"This Ernie Abruzzo, what exactly was his relationship with the FBI?" Vitale asks, his tone deceptively casual.

"Ernie was an informant," Roman responds. "But he was working both sides. He and Sal were working together.”

“No disrespect, Leo, but why was your wife talking to any of these men?” Antonio asks, glancing through Roman’s folder.

“She was trying to protect Isabella,” Roman says, placing his hand over mine. "According to her notebook and what we've pieced together, Mrs. Ferraza hoped to avoid an arranged marriage for Isabella and wanted to help her live a life outside. But in the process, she discovered Ernie and Sal’s plans. She’d intended to bring it to Leo but was killed before she could.”

My father’s face crumples slightly at this revelation. I feel bad for him and want to comfort him, but I know that would be worse.

No Don wants to appear weak.

So I stick with Roman.

"And Ernie's death?" Marco asks. "You've explained Mrs. Ferraza's murder, but what about his?”

This is the weak point in the theory Roman and I have pieced together. Sal thought it was my father, but it wasn’t.

"I can't say with certainty,” Roman admits. "The official report claims an overdose, but the timing is too convenient. Either Don Ferraza discovered Ernie's betrayal and ordered a hit…"

“I did not,” my father says indignantly. “Although it’d have been my right if I had.”

"Or the FBI cleaned up their own mess. If Ernie became unstable, he'd become a liability.”

The idea that the FBI is part of this is unsettling to me.

One idea Roman has floated with me, but hasn’t revealed here, is that I might have been a target of Sal or the FBI the night I was attacked trying to run away from my forced engagement.