Chapter 17 - THE BELLUCCI NAME
The Bellucci empire changed.
Some companies were sold.
Others were closed.
Carmine cooperated with financial investigations.
He paid fines.
He surrendered properties linked to illegal operations.
Old associates called him weak.
Some threatened him.
Most disappeared when Marco reminded them that changing one’s life did not mean forgetting how to defend it.
Carmine kept the construction company.
The shipping business.
Three restaurants.
And a security firm rebuilt under legal compliance.
The money became smaller.
The house became quieter.
Carmine preferred both.
One afternoon, his attorney brought him revised trust documents.
Leo would inherit legitimate assets.
Nothing connected to intimidation or hidden accounts.
The attorney pointed toward one section.
“Guardian designation.”
Carmine stared at the line.
Helena’s name had been removed months earlier.
Now Carmine needed someone new.
Marco was the obvious choice.
But Carmine hesitated.
Marco noticed.
“What?”
“You’re old.”
Marco stared at him.
“I’m forty-eight.”
Carmine smiled.
“Ancient.”
Marco threw a pen at him.
It was the first ordinary joke they had shared in years.
Eventually, Carmine named Marco and Dr. Russo as joint guardians if anything happened to him.
Not because they were perfect.
Because Leo trusted them.
That mattered more.
At dinner that evening, Leo asked a question.
“Bellucci bad?”
Carmine stopped eating.
“Why?”
“A boy at school said Bellucci people bad.”
Leo had recently started preschool.
Carmine knew this day would come.
He simply had not expected it so soon.
“Some Bellucci people did bad things.”
Leo looked worried.
“You?”
Carmine did not lie.
“Yes.”
Leo stared at him.
Carmine continued.
“But people can make different choices.”
“Did you?”
“I’m trying.”
Leo considered that.
Then took another bite of pasta.
“Okay.”
Carmine almost laughed at the simplicity.
Children did not need polished myths.
They needed truth they could survive.
Leo pointed his fork at him.
“No hurting.”
Carmine nodded.
“No hurting.”
“No scary.”
“I’ll try.”
“No yelling.”
Carmine raised an eyebrow.
“That might be difficult.”
Leo giggled.
Carmine smiled.
May you like
The Bellucci name would always carry history.
But perhaps it did not have to carry the same future.
