Chapter 5 - Confrontation in the Grand Hall
With the blizzard still raging outside, Lorenzo summoned the entire household staff to the grand hall. Mrs. Gable arrived brimming with false confidence, assuming the gathering was a routine address or a reward for her tight management during the storm. Nora stood quietly near the back, clutching her belly in pain and expecting the worst.
Lorenzo stood at the top of the grand staircase, his presence imposing and lethal. He began by addressing the management of the estate, gradually revealing the financial discrepancies and proof of widespread neglect regarding his father's care. Mrs. Gable’s face drained of color as Lorenzo laid out the evidence of her systemic cruelty and theft.
Before Mrs. Gable could concoct an excuse, the double doors at the side of the hall opened. Lorenzo's chief bodyguard rolled Giovanni into the room. For the first time in years, the old Don looked presentable, wrapped in the heated blanket Nora had bought him, his eyes fixed sharply on the staff who had mistreated him.
