Chapter 7 - The Woman Behind OrpheusVincent thought he'd misunderstood.
“My mother is dead.”
Dominic shook his head.
“No.”
Charlotte held his hand.
“My mother?”
“Not yours.”
Dominic looked at Vincent.
“Elena Moretti.”
Vincent went pale.
His mother.
Dead for twenty years.
Or so he thought.
“She built Orpheus with Angelo.”
Vincent shook his head.
“That's impossible.”
Dominic handed him a photograph.
Elena stood beside Angelo.
Young.
Beautiful.
Cold.
On the back:
The architects.
Vincent sat down.
“My father told me she died.”
“He lied.”
“Why?”
“Because she became more dangerous than him.”
Dominic continued.
“After Christopher discovered Orpheus, Elena wanted to activate it permanently.”
“What does that mean?”
“Control every person connected to the network.”
Judges.
Politicians.
Police officers.
Bankers.
Families.
Anyone.
“They believed fear could make people loyal forever.”
Vincent looked toward Charlotte.
“And my father was the final heir.”
Dominic nodded.
“You were supposed to inherit everything.”
Vincent laughed bitterly.
“I didn't ask for it.”
“I know.”
“Then why protect me?”
“Because I knew you weren't your father.”
Charlotte looked at Dominic.
“Mom knows Elena?”
“Yes.”
“She said people around you were dangerous.”
“She was right.”
They returned to Vincent's estate.
Mercer was arrested.
Bell was transported under federal guard.
Christopher survived his injuries.
Evelyn was reunited with him.
For the first time, Charlotte had both parents near her.
But Elena remained missing.
Then the phone rang.
An unfamiliar woman's voice.
“Vincent.”
He froze.
“Mother?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“What?”
“My home.”
She gave an address.
The old Moretti mansion.
The one Vincent had just left.
Vincent turned around.
She was inside.
Standing in the library.
Gray hair.
Elegant dress.
One hand resting on a cane.
She looked at him.
“My son.”
Vincent raised his gun.
Elena smiled.
“You still point weapons when you're frightened.”
“I’m not frightened.”
“You are.”
Dominic stepped forward.
Elena looked at him.
“You ruined everything.”
Dominic smiled.
“I saved my daughter.”
“You destroyed a system that took forty years to build.”
“Good.”
Elena looked at Charlotte.
“There she is.”
Charlotte moved behind Vincent.
Elena sighed.
“She was supposed to die twelve years ago.”
Vincent's jaw clenched.
“You ordered it.”
“Yes.”
Dominic raised his gun.
Vincent stopped him.
“No.”
Dominic stared.
“What are you doing?”
“This ends differently.”
Vincent stepped toward Elena.
“You want control.”
“Yes.”
“You want fear.”
“Yes.”
“You think everyone belongs to you.”
Elena smiled.
“Everyone belongs to someone.”
Vincent shook his head.
“No.”
He lowered his gun.
“Not us.”
Federal agents entered.
Elena was arrested.
Orpheus collapsed.
The archive went public.
Politicians resigned.
Officials were indicted.
Families finally learned what had happened.
And the Moretti-Romano empire began to disappear.
Dominic sold everything he could.
The legitimate businesses were converted into foundations.
The illegal operations closed.
Vincent became chairman of the new organization.
Not a criminal empire.
A private security and investigative firm.
Christopher returned home.
Evelyn rebuilt her life.
And Charlotte?
She finally had a family.
But she still had one question.
“What happened to Dominic's funeral?”
Vincent smiled.
“It was a goodbye.”
“To what?”
“To the man he had been.”
Charlotte thought about that.
“Is he different now?”
She looked across the room.
Dominic was sitting at the piano.
He couldn't play.
But he was trying.
Charlotte smiled.
“Yes.”
May you like
“How?”
“He's learning how to live.”
