Page 126 of The Hitman's Secret Baby
And Cesare Gotti, whose empire was supposed to have burned out years ago, is rebuilding himself on the bones of the Salvatore name.
Giovanni does not want to take power.
He wants to hollow it.
He wants the Salvatore name to rot from the inside while Cesare Gotti claims the spoils from afar.
This is why Luca's strength has been questioned in whispers.
This is why Matteo mentioned it to Enzo.
This is why the gossip spreads through the city like wildfire.
Giovanni is feeding it.
Carefully.
Quietly.
A man of the house, Alessandra's brother, close enough to trust.
Far enough to betray.
And that final piece falls into place as I rummage through more notebooks, and a photograph falls out.
Grainy, poorly lit, but enough. Giovanni, again.
This time, seated across from a man in a dark wool coat, shaking his hand.
For once, he looks starstruck.
The jawline of the other man is unmistakable, as is the scar just beneath the eye.
I flip back to the newspaper. This is Cesare Gotti.
Giovanni wasn't drawn to the Salvatores.
He was placed here.
The door clicks behind me.
And then I hear a quick footstep, just behind me.
Before I can turn, something slams into the back of my head.
White light bursts across my vision.
Darkness takes me so fast, I don't even know I'm going to hit the floor.
There's just a jolt of pain and the sound of paper crumpling where it shouldn't.
The last thing I hear is the door behind me being shut.
Then silence.
Total and complete.
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