THE LAST ORDER OF THE DON

The Rival's Shadow

The will reading was held in the main room of the Caminetti headquarters.

It was the same room where Xerxes had interrupted the first reading. The same room where the family had gathered to mourn. But today, the chairs were arranged differently. Today, there was no coffin. No priest. No prayers.

Today, there was only the truth.

Sterling sat in the front row. Olympia sat to his left. Wesley sat to his right. The rest of the family filled the chairs behind them—capos, soldiers, council members. Everyone who mattered.

At the front of the room stood Yvonne Colombo. She was holding a folder. Her hands were steady. Her face was unreadable.

"The Don's will," she said, "is a complex document. It took him years to write. And it reflects his final wishes for this family."

She paused.

"Before I begin, I want to say something. The Don loved this family. He loved each of you. He built this organization from nothing, and he wanted it to survive. To thrive. To outlast him."

Sterling's jaw tightened. He'd heard these words before. At the first reading. Before Xerxes interrupted.

"The Don's final order was simple," Yvonne continued. "Find the traitor. Protect the family. And choose the next Don."

She opened the folder.

"The will begins with a confession."

The room was silent. Everyone leaned forward.

"The Don admits he made mistakes. He admits he hurt people. He admits he wasn't the man he pretended to be."

Sterling thought about the letter. The confession. I was the traitor.

"But he also names his successor."

Yvonne looked at the crowd. She looked at Sterling. She looked at Wesley. She looked at Olympia.

"The next Don of the Caminetti family," she said, "is Sterling Moretti."

---

The room erupted.

Men stood. Women gasped. Shouts filled the air. Sterling sat frozen, his heart pounding, his mind racing.

Sterling Moretti.

The Don had chosen him. Not Xerxes. Not Wesley. Not Olympia. Him.

"That's impossible!" Silvana Guidotti was on her feet. "The Don would never—"

"The Don did." Yvonne held up the document. "This is his signature. This is his will. Sterling Moretti is the next Don."

"But Xerxes—" Theron Gentile stood. "Xerxes had a contract. A deal with the Don."

"That contract was void." Yvonne pulled out a second document. "The Don cancelled it three months ago. Right before he got sick."

The room went silent.

"Xerxes was lying," Olympia said. "He never had a claim."

"He had a forged claim," Yvonne said. "A forgery designed to destabilize the family. To start a war."

Sterling stood. He looked at the crowd. He looked at the faces—shocked, angry, confused.

"The Don chose me," he said. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this. But I will honor his wishes."

"You're not one of us," Silvana said. "You're an orphan. A nobody."

"I'm the Don's son."

The room went cold.

"What?" Theron said. "What did you say?"

Sterling reached into his pocket. He pulled out the letter. The Don's letter. He held it up.

"The Don was my father. My biological father. He told me in his final letter."

The room was silent. Everyone stared at him.

"Your mother," Silvana said. "Who was your mother?"

"Elena Giordano."

The name hit the room like a bomb.

"Giordano?" Theron's face went white. "You're half Giordano?"

"I'm half Caminetti. I'm half Giordano. But I'm fully committed to this family."

"You're a traitor," Silvana said. "You're a spy for Xerxes."

"I'm not—"

"You're a Giordano. You're the enemy."

Sterling felt the room turn against him. He felt the hate. The suspicion. The fear.

"I'm not the enemy," he said. "The enemy is out there. Xerxes Giordano. The man who killed the Don."

"Xerxes didn't kill the Don," Silvana said. "You did."

---

The room erupted again.

Sterling stood there, surrounded by enemies. He looked at Olympia. She was staring at him, her eyes wide.

He looked at Wesley. The Don's son was pale, shaking.

He looked at Yvonne. She was calm. Composed. She knew something.

"Enough!" Yvonne's voice cut through the noise. "There is a second will. A secret will. The Don hid it. He said it was for Sterling's eyes only."

The room went silent.

"A second will?" Silvana said. "Where is it?"

"I don't know. But I know it exists. And I know it contains the truth."

"The truth about what?"

"About the traitor. About the ring. About everything."

Yvonne looked at Sterling.

"The Don said you would know where to find it. He said you would understand."

Sterling thought. The Don's letter. The hidden safe. The confession. What else had the Don hidden?

The ring. The wolf and the snake. Two rings. Two truths.

"The church," he said.

"What?" Yvonne asked.

"The Church of San Michele. The Don's confession. The priest."

Sterling turned. He ran.

---

The Church of San Michele was empty.

Sterling burst through the doors, his heart pounding. The church was dark—candles flickering, shadows dancing. The smell of incense hung in the air.

Father Moretti was at the altar. He was praying. He didn't turn when Sterling entered.

"I've been expecting you," the priest said.

"You knew I would come."

"I knew the Don would send you."

Sterling walked to the altar. He stood beside the priest. "The second will. Where is it?"

Father Moretti turned. He was old—frail, grey, his eyes clouded with age. But his voice was strong.

"The Don gave me something. He said to give it to you when the time was right."

"Give me what?"

The priest reached into his robe. He pulled out a small box—wooden, carved, old.

"This."

Sterling took the box. He opened it. Inside was a ring. A gold ring. A wolf devouring a snake.

The second ring.

"It was your mother's," the priest said. "The Don kept it. He wanted you to have it."

Sterling stared at the ring. It was identical to the one Xerxes wore—but different. The wolf's eyes were sapphires, not rubies. The snake was coiled differently.

"The two rings," Sterling said. "They're a pair."

"Yes. The Don wore one. Your mother wore the other. When she died, he kept both. But he gave one to Xerxes."

"Why?"

"To trap him. To expose him."

Sterling frowned. "Expose him for what?"

The priest looked at him. His eyes were sad.

"For killing your mother."

---

The words hit Sterling like a knife.

"Xerxes killed my mother?"

"No. Your father did. But Xerxes helped."

Sterling felt sick. "What?"

"Your mother was a Giordano. Xerxes's cousin. When she got pregnant, Xerxes saw an opportunity. He convinced your father that she was a threat. He convinced him to kill her."

The priest paused.

"Your father regretted it. He spent the rest of his life trying to make it right. He raised you. He loved you. He protected you."

"But he killed her."

"He did. And he paid for it. Every day. For twenty-nine years."

Sterling sank onto the altar steps. His mind was reeling. His whole life—everything he'd believed—was a lie.

"The second will," he said. "Where is it?"

The priest reached into his robe again. He pulled out an envelope.

"This is the Don's final confession. His final truth. He wanted you to read it. He wanted you to understand."

Sterling took the envelope. He opened it.

Sterling,

If you're reading this, I'm dead. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.

I killed your mother. I killed the woman I loved. I did it because I was weak. Because I was scared. Because I was a coward.

Xerxes Giordano convinced me. He told me she was a threat. He told me she would destroy the family. He lied.

She was innocent. She was good. She was the best thing that ever happened to me.

And I killed her.

I've spent my whole life trying to make it right. I raised you. I loved you. I protected you. But it was never enough.

The ring. The wolf and the snake. I gave one to Xerxes. I kept one for you. The rings are a key. They open a safe. The safe contains the truth.

Find the safe. Find the truth. And then—

Do what I couldn't. Kill Xerxes Giordano.

Your father,

Don Caminetti

Sterling read the letter three times. Then he folded it. He put it in his pocket.

"The safe," he said. "Where is it?"

The priest pointed to the altar. "Behind the cross. There's a hidden door."

Sterling walked to the altar. He moved the cross. There was a door—small, metal, old.

He opened it. Inside was a safe. A combination lock.

He tried the Don's birthday. Nothing. He tried his mother's birthday. Nothing. He tried his own birthday.

The safe clicked open.

Inside was a single file. Sterling picked it up. He opened it.

Photographs. Documents. Evidence.

Evidence that Xerxes Giordano had killed his mother. Evidence that Xerxes had manipulated the Don. Evidence that Xerxes was planning to destroy the Caminetti family.

And a photograph. A woman. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Holding a baby.

His mother.

Sterling stared at the photograph. His hands were shaking. His heart was pounding.

"I'll kill him," he whispered. "I'll kill him for what he did."

He turned. He walked out of the church. He walked into the rain.

The hunt continued.

But now, it was personal.