#47 - Reclaim

#47 - Reclaim
Caterina Bellini

I stood up. The makeup perfectly covered the bruise on my arm, but I still felt a slight pain as I moved, a burning that somehow gave me pure adrenaline. I used it as fuel.

I looked at Adrian, who was smiling with that satisfaction of someone allowing his wife to talk about how to make a nice dinner.

I didn't go to the podium; I didn't need to. I spoke from my seat, facing the center of the semi-circle, giving each Don there the feeling I was speaking directly to him, one by one. I was close enough, and that lessened my nervousness.

"Dons, Capos, Counselors. I am not here to propose charity, please. I am here to propose efficiency and asset security."

Adrian stood up, nervous. A forced smile that made everyone curious about his next move.

"I think you're confused, darling. Women's rights and all that nonsense, wasn't that what it was about?"

"Sit down and listen, honey" I ordered. He complied without complaining.

The counselor warned him, however. To speak, he had to request time and present it on the agenda.

Taking advantage of my time, I calmly reported everything I had gathered on the subject.

"My proposal is simple. It rewrites the rules of 'Marital Bond and Property' in the Family Code."

I waited for reactions during a pause. Everyone looked at each other, whispering, and I felt like an outsider. They knew that tampering with the Code was sacrilege, but I was offering a revolution and had to accept that my head might be on the line.

"In the event of divorce, if physical violence or coercion by the Don is proven, the Donna will not only be entitled to her dowry, but will also retain all properties, lands, and assets that belonged to her before the marriage. The Don found guilty loses any claim to her Famiglia's assets."

"Second: If the marriage ends due to a lack of offspring after a reasonable time, the Donna will have the right to claim custody of her Famiglia's lands and become the Acting Leader, until a legitimate heir is named. This ensures the immediate continuity of business, protecting her assets."

I was talking about money, lineage, and power. I was giving them a legal way out to protect their daughters and their assets from violent or sterile husbands, like Adrian.

Because it wasn't fair to have Donnas losing their titles because they couldn't conceive. It wasn't fair to see women being taken to other states and discarded like trash.

Or killed, as I was.

Adrian was sweating nervously. He felt a taste of regret when he heard me cite the absurdities that applied to him.

"Finally, I want women to have an active voice in councils and positions predominantly held by men. We are in the 21st century, gentlemen. We have the intelligence and capability to do more. And only we know how much we suffer from daily abuse and invalidation in our society. With that, I conclude my agenda."

I finished and sat down. Adrian tried to smile at me, a smile that barely formed from sheer nervousness, but I ignored him.

I could feel how nervous everyone was about everything I had brought up; after all, I was the first to demand such rights.

The Chief Counselor thanked me. And then, he called the next item on the agenda. But I didn't expect it to be this.

"Don Vincenzo Leone of the Leone Famiglia. Your intervention."

Vincenzo stood up. My heart leaped, I felt the euphoria return, but I clasped my hands under the table, waiting.

He walked slowly to the podium, ignoring Adrian's face, which had already gone white. His eyes met mine, and I knew he was up to something.

"Dons, Counselors. I was caught by surprise by Donna Bellini's proposal, but I must say: it is pertinent. And it brings us to an adjacent matter that needs to be resolved today. There is no more time."

"I, Vincenzo Leone, Leader of the Leone Famiglia, come to the Cúpula as an eyewitness and protector of Donna Caterina Bellini. And my topic is: the divorce of Donna Bellini and Don Monti."

Adrian turned livid. He tried to stand up, to scream, but the Counselor stopped him with a sharp gesture, threatening him with imprisonment.

I could only laugh nervously.

Vincenzo continued, maintaining total control of the room with a deadly calm:

"Donna Bellini has informed me, and I bear witness, that she wishes to end her relationship with Don Monti due to his violation of the marriage contract with his ally, Nathalia Ferrari. I have eyewitnesses who saw them in public, and photos, if necessary."

"Do you confirm this, Donna Bellini?" the counselor asked, but Adrian interrupted.

"This is a joke! She is my wife! She is being manipulated by him! Marriage is sacred!"

"It's true," I affirmed. "That is what motivated me to create the proposals, Counselor. Living in a home without respect is outrageous. That is why Don Vincenzo provided me with shelter, as an ally, in one of the rooms in his mansion."

"They are together, for God's sake!" Adrian ran a hand over his face, nervously.

"Do you have proof of this supposed affair, Don Monti?" Vincenzo was the one who asked. The silence answered everything.

"I vote in favor of Donna Bellini," Zack Pagliotto's voice echoed. "The Pagliotto Famiglia stands with her. Cruelty cannot be the basis of our contracts."

"Dons, Counselors. Donna Bellini, by merit and by contractual right, is now a free woman before the council upon the signing of the divorce papers. The new laws proposed are now under discussion and will be studied for implementation, with the support of the Leone and Pagliotto Famiglias, counting 3 out of 5 votes. Donna Bellini owes nothing to the Monti Famiglia. She regains control of everything that belonged to the Bellinis."

"How is she going to manage the lands? Her people! Do you think a woman can lead alone?" Adrian slammed his hands on the table. Guards seized him, restraining him.

The room exploded into chaos. The uproar in the room was total. A female Don. The breaking of a marriage.

It was a historic event that would change everything. I thought Vincenzo's move now would be reckless, but he had thought of everything. He acted on his own and let me have the spotlight by speaking about the amendments.

I felt the lightness of being free from a burden.

Adrian, red with hatred, went around the table and broke free from the guards. He grabbed my arm forcefully, overcome by his lack of control.

His mask was undone. His reputation in tatters. It was the end of his era.

"You're not going anywhere! You are mine! I am the Don. Me!"

Before I could react, Vincenzo's voice came close to me, sending a shiver up the back of my neck. He quickly placed himself in front of me.

"Let her go, Monti. Now. Or I guarantee you won't see the sun rise tomorrow."