Chapter 4 - My Brother Was Alive—And the Woman Who Raised Him Had Been Hiding Him From Everyone
Elias had been raised in Vermont under another name.
He was twenty-three.
Smart.
Quiet.
And unaware of who he really was.
We found him living with an elderly couple who had once worked for my father.
He looked like me.
Same eyes.
Same crooked smile.
Same habit of rubbing his thumb against his knuckle when nervous.
When I introduced myself, he stared.
“My sister?”
I nodded.
He looked at Roman.
“Who are you?”
Roman answered.
“Your father's oldest friend.”
Elias laughed.
“My father was Gabriel Marino?”
“Yes.”
He sat down.
“What happened to him?”
“He died protecting you.”
Elias looked at me.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“Because people wanted you dead.”
That truth broke him.
But it also gave him answers.
Elias knew something important.
He had a box left by Gabriel.
Inside was a map.
The Four Heirs had not been scattered randomly.
They had been placed at strategic points around the city.
The final heir wasn't a child.
It was a woman.
Twenty-seven.
Living in Brooklyn.
Her name was Maya Reyes.
The daughter of a murdered DeLuca lieutenant.
Roman recognized the name.
“She was supposed to be dead.”
“She isn't.”
We found her.
But Vincent had reached her first.
She was taken.
Roman nearly lost control.
I had never seen a man so calm become so dangerous.
He assembled his men.
“We're bringing her home.”
I stepped forward.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Loretta.”
“You asked me to trust you.”
“I did.”
“Then trust me.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then nodded.
The rescue turned into a trap.
Vincent had anticipated us.
His men surrounded the warehouse.
Maya was there.
So was Clara.
And so was someone I thought would never appear again.
My mother.
She had been captured.
Vincent walked out.
He was older than I'd imagined.
Silver hair.
Gentle smile.
He looked like a grandfather.
Not a monster.
“Hello, Loretta.”
I raised my weapon.
Roman stared at me.
“You brought one?”
“I learned quickly.”
Vincent laughed.
“You're just like Gabriel.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I'm nothing like him.”
He smiled.
“That is exactly what he wanted you to believe.”
He revealed the truth.
Gabriel had not merely infiltrated the DeLuca family.
He had helped create the Four Heirs plan.
He believed children could inherit the legal assets and dismantle the criminal network.
Vincent had wanted the opposite.
He wanted the children to become leverage.
Then he revealed something worse.
Roman's father had been the person who ordered the fire.
Not Vincent.
Not Clara.
His father.
He had wanted Nico erased because he knew Nico could inherit the empire.
Roman looked shattered.
“Why?”
Vincent laughed.
“Because your father believed fear was the only thing holding the family together.”
Nico was brought into the warehouse.
Roman saw him.
Everything changed.
He dropped his weapon.
“Nico.”
The boy rolled toward him.
Roman fell to his knees.
“I’m sorry.”
Nico reached out.
Roman held his hand.
Vincent raised his gun.
I moved.
I fired.
The gun flew from Vincent's hand.
Roman's men took control of the room.
Vincent was arrested.
But before the police arrived, he leaned close to me.
“You still don't know who betrayed Gabriel.”
May you like
Then he smiled.
“It wasn't me.”
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