The Rise Of The Caged Mafia King

Chapter 3- The Courtroom

The courtroom was already full when Luca Deluca slowly walked toward the witness stand, and the quiet murmurs of reporters and spectators faded the moment people realized who he was.

Cameras flashed from the back of the room as journalists leaned forward eagerly, knowing that the testimony of the powerful DeLuca family patriarch would likely decide the fate of the trial.

Leo sat at the defense table with his hands resting on the polished wood, the cold metal cuffs around his wrists reminding him that he was no longer the respected heir of a powerful family but merely a defendant accused of murdering his own mother.

He watched his uncle approach the stand with calm, measured steps.

The man didn’t look nervous.

He didn’t hesitate.

And most painfully of all, he didn’t even glance at Leo.

The bailiff raised a Bible toward him and spoke in a firm voice. “Place your hand on the Bible.”

Luca did so without hesitation.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“I do,” Luca replied calmly.

Leo leaned back slightly in his chair and let out a quiet breath, because hearing his uncle promise to tell the truth felt almost laughable after everything that had happened.

The prosecutor walked forward confidently.

“Please state your name for the record.”

“My name is Luca DeLuca.”

“And what is your relationship to the defendant?”

Luca paused just long enough to make the moment feel heavy.

Then he slowly turned his head toward Leo for the first time since entering the courtroom.

“As difficult as it is for me to say,” he answered quietly, “Leonardo Moretti is my nephew.”

A wave of whispers passed through the courtroom as reporters scribbled notes and cameras flashed again.

The prosecutor nodded sympathetically.

“Mr. DeLuca, we understand that this situation must be very painful for you, but we appreciate your willingness to speak honestly before the court today.”

Luca lowered his eyes as though the weight of grief still rested heavily on his shoulders.

“Maria was my sister,” he said softly. “She was also my closest friend.”

Leo felt his jaw tighten.The performance was flawless.

If someone didn’t know Luca, they would truly believe that he was a grieving brother seeking justice.

But Leo knew better.

The prosecutor continued gently. “Mr. DeLuca, please tell the court what happened on the night your sister died.”

Luca took a slow breath before answering, as though forcing himself to relive a painful memory.

“That night,” he began, “I received a phone call from my sister earlier in the evening.”

Leo slowly lifted his head.This was new.

The prosecutor leaned closer. “What did she say?”

“She sounded frightened,” Luca replied, his voice carrying just enough emotion to sound believable. “She told me that she had argued with her son.”

The entire courtroom seemed to react at once.

Leo’s lawyer immediately stood up.

“Objection, Your Honor. The witness is making a statement that cannot be verified.”

The judge glanced toward him before replying calmly.

“Overruled. Continue.”

Leo let out a quiet laugh under his breath.

Of course it was overruled.

The prosecutor continued questioning.

“What did she say the argument was about?”

Luca hesitated, shaking his head slowly as if the memory still troubled him.

“She said Leo was angry about the future of the family business,” he explained. “She told me he wanted control of everything, and she refused to give it to him.”

Leo suddenly pushed his chair back slightly.

“That’s a lie.”

His lawyer quickly leaned toward him.

“Leo, stay quiet.”

But Leo’s eyes were locked on Luca now.

The prosecutor continued.

“Mr. DeLuca, what happened later that night?”

“Around nine thirty, the police contacted me,” Luca said. “They told me that my sister had been found dead in her home.”

Leo closed his eyes for a moment.

He still remembered that night clearly.Walking through the door.Calling out to his mother.

Then seeing her lying on the living room floor with blood spreading across the white marble tiles.

The prosecutor’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Did the police discover anything linking the defendant to the murder?”

“Yes,” Luca answered quietly.

Leo opened his eyes again.

“They found Leo’s fingerprints on the knife that killed my sister.”

Gasps spread through the room.

Leo’s lawyer stood again.

“Objection!”

But the judge only waved his hand.

“Overruled.”

Leo leaned back slowly in his chair, his gaze still fixed on Luca.

Of course his fingerprints were on the knife.It came from the kitchen of his own house.

The prosecutor continued with quiet confidence.

“Did the police find any witnesses who heard the argument between Leonardo and his mother?”

“Yes,” Luca said.

Leo frowned.

That part surprised him.

“A neighbor reported hearing shouting earlier that evening,” Luca explained calmly.

Leo shook his head in disbelief.

He knew exactly how this worked.

Money.Threats.Or both.

The prosecutor nodded with satisfaction.

“Mr. DeLuca, based on everything you know, do you believe your nephew murdered your sister?”

The room fell completely silent.

Luca slowly turned toward Leo again.

For a brief moment, something cold and calculating appeared behind his eyes.

Then it disappeared.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

The word hit the courtroom like thunder.

Leo laughed out loud.

It wasn’t a loud laugh, but it carried enough bitterness to make several people turn toward him.

His lawyer whispered sharply, “Leo, stop.”

But Leo shook his head slowly.

“You really went all out, didn’t you, Uncle?”

The judge struck his gavel.

“Order in the court.”

The prosecutor smiled slightly before saying, “No further questions.”

The defense lawyer rose and approached the witness stand slowly.

He adjusted his glasses before speaking.

“Mr. DeLuca, you said that Maria Moretti called you earlier that evening.”

“That is correct.”

“And during this call she claimed that her son was angry about control of the family business.”

“Yes.”

The lawyer folded his arms.

“Did anyone else hear this phone call?”

“No.”

“So the only person who can confirm that statement… is you.”

Luca nodded calmly.

“I suppose that is true.”

The lawyer took a few steps closer.

“Mr. DeLuca, if Leonardo is convicted today, who will inherit control of the Moretti family operations?”

The courtroom went quiet again.

Luca smiled faintly.

“I would.”

“And those operations are worth billions of dollars, correct?”

“Yes.”

“So you stand to gain quite a lot if your nephew is removed from the picture.”

Luca met the lawyer’s gaze calmly.

“What I stand to gain,” he replied, “is justice for my sister.”

The lawyer studied him for a moment before sighing.

“No further questions.”

Luca stepped down from the stand and began walking past the defense table.

As he passed Leo, he paused briefly.He didn’t look at him.

But he spoke quietly enough that only Leo could hear.

“You should have stayed away.”

Leo felt a cold chill run through his chest.

So it was true.

This had been planned from the beginning.

Hours later, the jury returned.

Everyone in the courtroom stood as the foreman held the envelope containing the verdict.

The judge looked toward him.

“Have you reached a decision?”

“We have.”

Leo stared straight ahead.

“On the charge of first-degree murder against Leonardo DeLuca,” the judge continued, “how do you find?”

The foreman opened the envelope.

“Guilty.”

The word echoed through the room.

Reporters began whispering excitedly while camera flashes exploded like lightning.

Leo remained perfectly still.

His lawyer slowly sank back into his chair.

Across the room, Luca closed his eyes and bowed his head like a grieving brother.

The judge raised his gavel.

“Leonardo Moretti, you have been found guilty of the murder of Maria Moretti.”

Leo’s hands tightened slightly against the cuffs.

“You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.”

The guards stepped forward and grabbed his arms.

The chains around his wrists rattled as they pulled him toward the exit.

Leo finally turned his head toward Luca.

“Uncle.”

Luca looked up slowly.

Leo smiled.It wasn’t a friendly smile.

“You took everything from me today,” Leo said quietly.

The guards continued leading him away.

“But remember this.”

His voice dropped lower.“I will survive prison.”

Luca’s calm expression cracked slightly.

Leo’s eyes burned with quiet fury.

“And when I come back…”

The guards pushed him through the courtroom doors.

“…I’m taking everything back.”

The heavy doors slammed shut.

And for the first time since the trial began, Luca DeLuca stopped smiling.