Chapter 13: Lucille Finally Answers for What She Did
Lucille requested one meeting.
Katherine arranged it in a neutral law office.
Rafael attended alone except for attorneys.
No capos.
No bodyguards inside the room.
No spectacle.
Lucille wore pearls.
She always wore pearls when she expected to win an argument.
“I did not hate that child,” she said.
Rafael sat across from her.
“I know.”
The answer surprised her.
“You know?”
“That’s what makes this worse.”
Lucille’s expression tightened.
“I was trying to stop you from destroying something men in this family spent generations building.”
“You used Emmett.”
“I knew you would react.”
“Yes.”
“You were becoming impossible to reach.”
“So you hurt my son to communicate with me?”
“I embarrassed him.”
“He was three.”
“I did not injure him.”
Rafael leaned forward.
“You taught him that bringing love to his own family could make adults laugh at him.”
Lucille looked away.
For the first time, the pearls did not make her look powerful.
Only old.
“My father built the first Montaro warehouse with six men and one truck,” she said.
“I know.”
“My brothers nearly lost everything twice.”
“I know.”
“We survived because family came first.”
Rafael shook his head.
“No.”
Lucille looked at him.
“We survived because people worked.”
His voice remained calm.
“Some of them happened to be family. Somewhere along the way, you decided the last name itself deserved obedience.”
“You think these outside directors love you?”
“No.”
“Then why trust them?”
“I don’t need them to love me.”
Rafael looked directly at her.
“I need them to follow rules even when they dislike me.”
Lucille was silent.
Eventually she whispered:
“I thought you would calm down after the vote.”
“And Emmett?”
“What?”
“What did you think would happen to him?”
Lucille had no answer.
That silence ended the meeting.
Rafael stood.
She said his name before he reached the door.
“Will I ever see him again?”
Rafael stopped.
He did not turn around.
May you like
“I don’t know.”
It was the only answer he could give without lying.
