Sofia and Alberto stood before the grave, locked in an argument.
Her face was taut, ready to break with her brother at any moment.
He was equally determined not to give his sister an inch.
The murmurs among the crowd began to grow louder. Some quietly supported Sofia, saying Alberto had ceased to have anything to do with the Falcone Family the day he was cast out;
others softly sided with Alberto, saying he was the eldest son, and however angry Carmine had been while alive, he had never formally stripped him of his inheritance rights.
Galavan stood to one side, an almost imperceptible smile on his lips, as though watching an anticipated scene unfold.
"All of you, shut up."
Ririko stood, her cold voice ringing out.
The gathering fell silent, and every gaze shifted to her.
Holding a black rose, Ririko pointed it toward Alberto, then turned to Galavan, and finally to Sofia.
"I can say for certain that not one of you is sincerely mourning Carmine."
Then she swept her gaze over the mob bosses below, all dressed in black suits and wearing different expressions.
"The same goes for you. You came to this funeral to compete over pomp, status, and who gets to sit closest to the coffin... and now you're all frowning and pretending to grieve."
Sofia averted her eyes slightly, while Alberto could find nothing to say in response.
Finally, Galavan watched Ririko quietly, seemingly hoping to recover a little of her goodwill.
Silence hung over the gathering. None of these powerful bosses had expected to be scolded by a woman on an occasion like this.
Seated below, Fish Mooney gave a cold little smile after hearing that speech. This trip had certainly been worth it.
Sofia took a step forward, keeping her voice low.