Smoke still curled into the dawn sky as Alessandro's team drove through the quiet streets, sirens wailing in the distance. The city was waking to news of the night's chaos—reports of explosions at the Navy Yard, gun battles in the industrial district, and rumors that the Consortium's power had been shattered in a single night.
Rachel flipped through radio stations until she found a live broadcast: "…sources say the FBI has launched citywide raids on businesses and officials linked to a massive criminal conspiracy exposed just hours ago…"
Monroe met them in a downtown parking garage, his suit streaked with ash. He held up a tablet showing headlines from major networks: Consortium Financial Empire Exposed. Politicians Implicated. International Arrests Begin.
"You did it," Monroe said, voice raw. "This ledger you leaked—it's tearing their network apart faster than anyone thought possible."
Nico leaned against the car, bruised and grinning. "A few rats are still out there, but they've lost their power. Their money's frozen. Their safehouses burned."
Rachel glanced at Alessandro. "We've won… but what do we do now?"
Alessandro scanned the skyline, the storm finally clearing to reveal pale sunlight. He felt the weight of every choice, every death, every secret dragged into the light. "The city will need rebuilding. The families will try to move in. There will always be others hungry for power."
Monroe stepped forward. "So stay. Help us keep the peace. You know the shadows better than anyone."
Rachel squeezed Alessandro's hand. "Or we leave. Disappear. Live without blood on our hands for once."
Alessandro looked between them—Monroe's plea, Rachel's hope. His mind wrestled with what he owed the city, what he owed himself, and what he owed the woman beside him.
Then he spoke, voice calm but certain. "Tonight we rest. Tomorrow, we decide."
The city buzzed with news helicopters and police convoys. For the first time in years, Alessandro felt the weight of his father's sins beginning to lift, replaced by something almost unfamiliar: possibility.