Chapter 6
Luca’s shock turned instantly into rage.
“You knew.”
Vittorio stepped into the light.
Age had changed him, but not enough.
He still stood straight.
Still carried the same controlled expression that had terrified boardrooms when Luca was young.
Teresa reached toward Luca.
Vittorio caught her wrist.
“Not yet.”
Luca’s hands curled into fists.
“Let her go.”
His father smiled.
“You’ve been walking for less than two days.”
“That’s enough.”
Samuel stepped beside Luca.
Vittorio looked at him.
“You disappointed me too, Samuel.”
Samuel’s jaw tightened.
“My assignment was protecting Maya.”
“And yet she uncovered everything.”
“She’s a child.”
“She is a Moretti.”
Luca moved forward.
“Don’t say her name.”
Vittorio looked pleased.
“There he is.”
“Who?”
“My son.”
Luca wanted to hit him.
Instead he asked the question that had haunted him the entire drive.
“Did you order my accident?”
Vittorio’s expression did not change.
“No.”
Luca glanced at Margaret.
She looked surprised.
“Then who did?”
“Adrian.”
Vittorio walked toward a sitting room.
“Come inside.”
“No.”
“Then stand in the doorway all evening.”
Luca followed only because Teresa was led inside too.
The room looked untouched from his childhood.
Same fireplace.
Same piano.
Same portrait of Vittorio at forty.
But Teresa’s portrait had been removed.
Luca looked at his mother.
“Why didn’t you come for me?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I tried.”
Vittorio sighed.
“Teresa.”
“No.”
For the first time, she pulled away from him.
“You’ve had fourteen years to tell your version.”
She turned to Luca.
“Your father kept me here.”
Luca went cold.
“Prisoner?”
“Not with chains.”
Vittorio poured himself a drink.
“Your mother was unstable.”
Teresa laughed.
“I discovered your ledgers.”
Vittorio stopped pouring.
She continued.
“I found names, payments, ports, officials. I threatened to take you and go to the authorities.”
Luca looked at his father.
“So you faked her death.”
“I protected this family.”
“You kidnapped my mother.”
“I prevented her from destroying us.”
Margaret whispered, “Vittorio…”
He looked at her.
“You should not have brought him here.”
“You invited him.”
“I invited Luca. Not you.”
Margaret suddenly looked less like a conspirator and more like another frightened survivor.
Luca noticed.
“So everyone was afraid of you.”
Vittorio sat down.
“Fear is efficient.”
“Voss wasn’t afraid.”
“No.”
A shadow crossed Vittorio’s face.
“That was my mistake.”
He explained that after Luca inherited the company, Voss began secretly interfering.
Luca had rejected several acquisitions connected to the hidden network.
Voss feared Luca would eventually uncover everything.
So he arranged the crash.
Then he manipulated Luca’s treatment to keep him dependent.
Vittorio learned the truth years later.
Luca stared at him.
“And did nothing.”
“I was building evidence.”
“Twelve years?”
“I needed Adrian alive and comfortable.”
“You sacrificed me.”
“I preserved the organization.”
Luca laughed in disbelief.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The reason Mother tried to escape.”
Vittorio’s eyes hardened.
Luca stepped closer.
“You don’t love people. You inventory them.”
Teresa covered her mouth.
Vittorio stood.
“You came here because you want answers. I am giving them.”
“I came because I thought my father might still exist.”
“He does.”
“No.”
Luca shook his head.
“My father died fourteen years ago.”
Vittorio’s calm finally cracked.
Before he could respond, Luca’s phone rang.
It was Elena.
He answered immediately.
“Elena?”
Only breathing came through.
Then Maya’s voice.
“Dad.”
Luca’s heart stopped.
“Maya?”
“Someone found us.”
A man shouted in the background.
The call ended.
Luca turned toward Samuel.
“Get the car.”
Vittorio remained strangely calm.
Luca noticed.
“You knew.”
Vittorio said nothing.
Luca grabbed him by the shirt.
“You knew!”
Vittorio looked directly into his eyes.
“I warned Elena not to use Benjamin Cole.”
Luca released him slowly.
“Why?”
May you like
Vittorio’s answer was quiet.
“Because Benjamin works for Adrian.”
