All Chapters of After Bleeding Me for Two Million, My Brother Dragged Me to the Family Council: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

"…The Council finds that although blood grants the petitioner the right to a claim, given that the family's accounts were emptied to fund his lifestyle abroad, and that the current head was also forced to take on a massive, high-interest loan from an underground lender, the petitioner's demands during this period have far exceeded any reasonable limit. His accusation is nothing less than a greedy betrayal of the family."The Chairman's voice was not loud, but each word struck like a chisel on stone."Leo, fully aware that his older sister was giving him everything she had, still conspired with an outside family to forcibly seize territory. This not only violates the most fundamental code of loyalty in the Mafia, but it also spits on the very honor the Conti family lives by."Across from me, Leo's knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table."Based on these facts, and in accordance with the family's ancient iron laws, the Council hereby rules: First, all of Leo's petitions a

When I got back to the tavern, Tony had already opened up for the day, the bar polished clean. He jumped off his stool when he saw me walk in."We're closed today," I said. "You can go home.""Huh?""Starting tomorrow," I pulled a set of keys from my pocket, "the tavern's hours are changing. We open at ten in the morning, close at one a.m. I'm not going to the docks at four in the morning for the pickups anymore."Tony's eyes widened. "But the shipments—""From now on, Uncle Vincent's youngest son will handle them," I said. "I'll pay him a monthly wage. Nico's already arranged it."Tony opened his mouth, but then closed it, nodding as he left.I was alone in the tavern.I walked behind the bar, knelt, and pried open the loose floorboard. I took out the metal box.Inside the box were still the old flip phone, the black ledger, the copy of the loan shark contract (the original was now ash), and my father's small-caliber pistol.I took out the ledger and flipped to the last page.The last

As he reached the door of the private room, he turned back and said, "Miss Capo, that year old Salvatore poured me a drink, he told me his biggest regret was not being strong enough to get you out of this life."I didn't respond.But after he left, I sat in that chair for a very long time.Three days later, a preview copy of the latest issue of The Underline was delivered to Don Matteo. He had someone send a copy over to me.The cover was black with a single line of white text: The Keeper of the Flame.Russo's writing was restrained. He didn't portray me as some iron-fisted, merciless Capo, nor did he paint Leo as some vicious villain. He just told the story.He told of the two million, one hundred thousand dollars, flowing out one transaction at a time. He told of me wiping down the bar at two in the morning. He told of Leo's smile on the yacht. He told of my father's last words: "A sister should look after her brother, but don't let him swallow you whole."That issue of The Underline

At the end of the fourth month, the first deposit came into the anonymous account.It wasn't much. Two hundred dollars.No sender. But I saw the country of origin, a small, mountainous nation full of monasteries that I had to look up on a map.Over the next few months, more deposits came in. The second one, another two hundred. The third, three hundred.Sometimes it was two hundred, sometimes just a few dozen dollars. The amounts were small and sporadic, as if they had been scraped together over weeks.A full year later, a yellowed manila envelope arrived at the tavern. No return address. The postmark was from the same country.Inside was a letter."Maeve, this is the first letter I've written since I came down from the mountain.You told me not to call or write until I came down. I haven't broken your rule. By the time you read this, I will no longer be at the monastery. I chopped wood there for a full year, but I have left. So, technically, I have come down from the mountain.That pl

"First," I said, "the good you do from now on doesn't cancel out the bad. What you did in the past isn't erased just because you're capable today. I will carry it for the rest of my life."He nodded."Second," I said, "you're not my brother. You're The Lighthouse's overseas liaison. If anyone asks, that's what you say. And for one year, you are not to mention to any media that your last name is Conti.""Okay.""Third, trust is something you have to earn over a very, very long time. I don't know how long is long enough. Maybe ten years, maybe a lifetime. If you accept that, then we can talk about what's next."He looked at me."I accept," he said."Then that's that."I pulled a business card from my bag and pushed it across the table to him. It was The Lighthouse's public phone number."Call this number tomorrow at nine in the morning," I said. "Ask for Nico. He'll set it up."He took the card, clutching it in his hand. It trembled again, but it was steadier than when he had first walke