Chapter 17 - WHAT GROWS
Lucy planted basil in the dog bowl.
"Why basil?" Vittorio asked.
"Because Emma says it's hard to kill."
Emma laughed from the kitchen.
"That is not exactly what I said."
"Close enough."
They placed the bowl on a sunny windowsill.
For Vittorio, the object had become unbearable.
For Lucy, changing its purpose mattered more than throwing it away.
He tried to learn from that.
Marcus pleaded guilty to conspiracy, witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and charges connected to Elena's death.
Bianca pleaded guilty to child endangerment, fraud-related conspiracy, and intimidation.
Dr. Kessler lost his license and faced criminal charges for falsified reports and drugging-related conduct.
Salvatore faced the longest case of all.
The family's illegal businesses were seized or dissolved.
Vittorio sold two nightclubs and three shell companies his father had used for decades.
Legitimate shipping employees kept their jobs under an outside compliance board.
Old allies called him weak.
He stopped returning their calls.
One afternoon, Clara came to visit Lucy.
Lucy ran into her arms.
Clara cried.
"I should have stayed."
Lucy shook her head.
"Emma said scared people need exits too."
Clara looked at Emma.
"You taught her that?"
Emma smiled. "She teaches herself most things."
Later, Vittorio offered Emma a large severance payment and a house.
She frowned.
"Are you firing me?"
"No. I'm trying to repay you."
"For recording a crime?"
"For protecting my daughter when I didn't know she needed protection."
Emma considered him.
"Then don't repay me. Fix the system that made everyone afraid to tell you the truth."
That answer annoyed him because it was better than his.
So he did.
Every employee received direct reporting access outside the family chain.
No complaint could be screened by one executive.
No guard answered to only one person.
Then Emma asked for one more change.
"Take the locks off the old basement records room."
Vittorio frowned.
May you like
"Why?"
"Because Lucy found something down there."
