Chapter 228 Under New Reign

Chapter 228 Under New Reign
The following morning came, and Rico arrived at The Palazzo. Unlike previous meetings, the atmosphere felt different. He could feel their quiet fear, mixed with respect.

As Rico entered the council chamber, every conversation slowly died down. The air smelled of tobacco and danger. The council members and territory heads appeared tense as soon as they saw him. All eyes turned toward him.

Donna Marta sat among them. She was back in the chamber. The moment she saw Rico, a small smile appeared on her face.

Rico gave her a brief glance before looking away and taking his seat. His sharp gaze swept across the large room, taking in everyone's expression—the old, the young, and the greedy.

Once everyone settled, Consigliere Dario rose to his feet. A proud smirk on his lips as he glanced at every face in the room. Then he began speaking. “We are gathered here today because the position of Don can no longer remain vacant.”

Nobody argued or objected because that was a fact. They all knew it.

“The organization has suffered greatly these past months,” Consigliere Dario continued. “Without clear leadership, disputes increased, territories became unstable, and our enemies began testing our strength.”

Several heads nodded, murmuring amongst themselves. Donna Marta sat in silence, her eyes staying on Rico the whole time, a small smile on her face.

“But despite all of that, one man stepped forward.” Consigliere Dario turned toward Rico. “He restored order. He protected our people. And he eliminated the threat that endangered this organization.”

The room remained completely silent. Everyone knew exactly who he meant. Some briefly turned toward the seats that were meant for the two absent territory heads. They had all heard the news, about their strange death.

Their positions were handed to the next in command.

Consigliere Dario straightened his shoulders. “As Consigliere, I officially nominate Rico De Romano as the next Don of the five territories of Quintara.”

The silence lasted only a second, then one by one, the council members voiced their agreement. Every single one.

Consigliere Dario looked around the room before speaking again. “Those in favor?”

Every hand rose. Not one remained lowered. Donna Marta watched the whole process, her eyes immediately filled with pride.

Consigliere Dario smiled to himself too. He was proud of the way things had turned out. He was proud that Rico was going to be a better leader than his friend, Giovanni De Romano, was.

“The motion passes," Consigliere Dario continued. Several territory heads stood from their seats.

One after another, they approached Rico, and each man placed a hand over his chest and swore loyalty. They pledged their territories, their men, support, and obedience.

Their chattering continued for several minutes until the final oath had been spoken. Then the room fell silent once more and all eyes settled on Rico, waiting.

Dario looked at him, his face straight. “Do you accept?" He asked, the question echoing through the chamber.

Rico slowly rose to his feet, his gaze moving around the room. He saw fear, respect, loyalty, and trust. Things he had spent years earning.

He was satisfied with how he was being appointed. He never liked a huge crowd with rich snobby old people, drinking and chatting.

Then he thought about his father and everything that had happened. How the man never for once believed in him. And about how much had changed.

He gave a single nod. “I accept.”

The room erupted immediately, applause filled the chamber. Several men smiled, while others exchanged relieved looks.

After months of uncertainty, the Quintara finally had a Don once again. And this time, nobody questioned whether he deserved the title.



A day after Rico was made Don, he called for a private meeting of the I Sette.

The room was smaller than the council chamber, but heavier in presence. It was where real decisions were made, away from ceremony and politics. Only those he trusted sat inside it.

Ezio stood to his right, his arms folded, silent as always. Bruno leaned against the wall with his usual sharp focus. Costa sat forward in his chair, already scanning the files in front of him. Valentina remained still, her expression was unreadable, but her attention was sharp.

Rico did not waste time. His fingers rested lightly on the table as his eyes moved across each of them, breathing slowly. “All Marco Bellini operations are to be erased completely,” he said calmly.

He intertwined his fingers and rubbed his thumb against the back of his hand, waiting for his words to settle.

"No warehouses, hidden accounts, or safe houses should remain standing. Anything tied to him is to be burned out of existence. Anyone who worked directly under him and held power must be located and eliminated.”

Valentina immediately began taking notes. Costa nodded once, already understanding the weight of the order.

Rico continued without raising his voice. “The police files will be cleaned. Any remaining traces of his connections in our territories will be cut off within twenty-four hours.”

Bruno leaned forward and finally spoke. “And the lower-level men?” he asked.

Rico paused for a moment, stopping the movement with his hand. That was the difference between chaos and control. “If they are not dangerous, bring them in,” he said. “Let them swear loyalty. I do not need dead bodies that serve no purpose.”

A few heads lifted at that. Valentina’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if studying him more carefully now. She had stopped being whiny about Rico and Calla. Seeing the way Rico loved Calla, she decided it was time to give up.

Rico leaned back in his chair. “But anyone who held influence under Marco, anyone who fed his war, anyone who thinks they can continue what he started…” his gaze hardened slightly, “they die.”

Silence settled over the room. Bruno exhaled slowly, already understanding how cleanly Rico intended to end everything.

Ezio gave a small nod. “Understood.”

Valentina closed the file and passed it to Costa. “We’ll start immediately," Costa said. 

Even though they had lost two men on their team, they all stepped up and worked harder to make up for the gap Sandro and Matteo had left behind.

One by one, they began leaving the room to carry out the orders. Within hours, Marco Bellini’s entire network would begin collapsing from the inside out.

When the room finally emptied, only Rico and Ezio remained. Ezio studied Rico's expression for a long moment, before sighing and walking up to him.

“Are you okay?” Ezio asked quietly.

Rico did not look up immediately. “Why wouldn't I be? Marco is dead. I am Don."

“Yes," Ezio uttered, slipping both hands into his pockets. "But I know you. I know when something is on your mind.”

Rico finally met his gaze. He should be concerned that this man knows him too well. But instead, a faint smirk touched his lips. 

He sighed and replied, "It's nothing serious." But Ezio raised a brow at him. He chuckled and spoke again. "Trust me." 

Ezio finally nodded and walked out too.

Outside, the organization was already moving. Warehouses were being emptied, accounts frozen, Marco's men arrested or eliminated, and others were given a second chance under new loyalty.

Everything in the Quintara was finally heading in the right direction since Rico took control. And even though the council members wouldn't air it out loud, it was obvious they were happy that things had taken shape.