Chapter 1001:

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Leone had three sons, yet none of them could carry the weight of Valerino. The eldest was consumed by greed. The second lacked courage. And the youngest had long since become useless after growing up spoiled and pampered.

Leone saw all of it clearly. That was why his only remaining hope rested on his six-year-old grandson. The child showed remarkable intelligence and carried traces of Leone’s younger self. But the boy was still far too young.

Years ago, Leone had suffered a near-fatal gunshot wound that permanently damaged his health. As time passed, he increasingly sensed death approaching. He knew he likely wouldn’t survive long enough to watch his grandson grow up and inherit control of Valerino. But if he stepped down now, the organization would undoubtedly split apart, and everything he had built over his lifetime would crumble into chaos.

And then Luca appeared, almost as if fate itself had placed him before Leone. Ruthless. Calm. Capable. And fiercely loyal. Most importantly, Luca had no family ties and no heirs of his own.

In the end, despite heavy opposition from others, Leone made a shocking decision. He officially adopted Luca as his son and granted him the prestigious Capozzi surname. From that moment onward, the name Luca officially stepped into the very heart of Valerino’s power structure.

Naturally, Leone’s three sons were deeply dissatisfied with the decision. But Leone’s authority towered above everyone else. No matter how resentful they felt, none of them dared to openly object.

As Leone lay on his deathbed, he held a meeting. Before the senior members and his three sons, he made his last decree. After his passing, leadership of Valerino would be handed to Luca.

However, Luca was required to swear a binding oath under the Mafia code: when the time came for him to step down, the position of leader must go to Erickson Capozzi. Valerino, Leone declared firmly, would forever remain under the Capozzi family’s name.

Without hesitation, Luca knelt. He swore the oath without a flicker of doubt. Power was all he had ever wanted. What came after him no longer concerned him.

𝖱е𝘢d 𝗼𝗻 𝘢𝘯y 𝖽е𝘃𝗂𝗰e 𝗼n 𝗴𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗼𝘷𝘦𝘭𝗌.𝘤𝗈𝗆

Under the watchful eyes of the assembled elders, Leone’s three sons clenched their jaws. Their pride burned, but none dared voice even a single word of objection.

On the day Luca officially became the new leader, he sat in the chair that represented the highest authority in Valerino. Around him, praise and flattery flowed like an unchecked tide. Those who once looked down on him now bowed their heads, speaking to him with reverence and caution.

He looked at his own hands, as though trying to measure the weight of the authority he now held. With this power, he finally had the means to confront Mike. At last, he believed he could stand before Carole with dignity and say, “I’m back. I’ve come to take you away.”

But fate, as if intent on punishing his delay, struck without mercy. Before he could even prepare his return, devastating news arrived from Zhatwell. A sudden obituary from the Knight Group announced that while caring for Mike’s mother, Carole and Etta had fallen down the stairs by accident. Despite all rescue attempts, both had died.

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