That was the real fear. Not Edwardo, not violence. Narrative.
“It’s not a business relationship,” I answered. “It’s social.”
Dad stepped closer. “Which makes it worse. Social suggests comfort. Comfort suggests alignment.”
“We are already under scrutiny from Dunn,” Mom continued. “Board members ask questions when certain names appear within our orbit. Especially when those names have… historical complications.”
Historical complications. They still wouldn’t say it cleanly. Dunn Industries had been using shell corporations to buy up King Enterprise’s stock and property for months, positioning for a hostile takeover. “It was private property.”
“It was tagged,” Dad shot back. “Publicly.”
Mom’s expression remained calm. “The location was boosted. People showed up. By morning, half of Blackwood was talking.”
“People talked about a party,” I replied. “That’s not exactly new.”
“Talking about you,” Dad corrected. “And about who you brought.”
I didn’t answer.
Mom didn’t blink. “After the gala, there was no ambiguity. You formalized it.”
“And once Adriana is mentioned because of the girl you’re dating,” Dad added, “so is the man living in her house.”
Edwardo. The connection made clear.
“You think Dunn doesn’t have researchers?” Mom asked quietly. “They trace relationships. They map households.”
“Ruiz’s mother married into the Ferraro family,” Dad added. “That’s enough.”
“And proximity becomes narrative,” Mom continued. “Narrative becomes leverage.”
That was the connection. That was it. Not fear of a crime family. Fear of investigation. Fear of federal curiosity. Fear of stockholders panicking at rumor alone.
“You think Dunn wouldn’t use that?” Dad pressed. “A whisper that King Enterprises entertains organized crime adjacency?”
Adjacency. Even now, they refused to say “connected.” They weren’t. Not legally or structurally. But perception didn’t care about legality.
I exhaled slowly. “You’re afraid of optics.”
“We’re concerned about leverage,” Mom corrected. “There’s a difference.”
And that was the line that split us. They were protecting the empire. I was protecting people. “It wasn’t public,” I countered.
“It doesn’t have to be,” my father snapped. “Speculation is enough.”
I held his gaze. “Speculation about what?”
“About why certain… protections… were necessary.”
Mafia heat. He still wouldn’t say it outright.
“Our board is already fielding concerns,” Mom continued evenly. “About stability. About exposure.”
“You created visibility,” Dad pressed. “When competitors are quietly acquiring stock, visibility becomes risk.”
“Alliances matter,” Mom added. “Especially when they can be misinterpreted.”
She meant Edwardo. “I secured the house before it escalated,” I replied. “No damage. No press.”