Chapter 4 - The Woman Everyone Called His Mistress
Elena woke in a hospital room three floors beneath an abandoned warehouse.
Her first words were,
"Where is Giana?"
Luca stood near the door.
"Safe."
Elena closed her eyes.
"Good."
He stepped closer.
"Why did you help her?"
Elena looked at him.
"Because I was never your mistress."
"I know."
"Do you?"
She smiled.
"Then you know I was your wife's ally."
Giana entered.
Elena smiled.
"Finally."
Giana sat beside her.
"You scared me."
"You scare easily."
"No."
Giana looked at her.
"I care loudly."
Elena laughed.
Then her expression became serious.
"Stahl knows about the archive."
Giana froze.
"What archive?"
"Your father's."
Luca's face hardened.
"What archive?"
Elena looked between them.
"The one your father and her father built together."
Silence.
Luca stepped closer.
"My father worked with the Gallos?"
"Yes."
"Against whom?"
"Stahl."
Elena sighed.
"Preston Stahl wasn't always the monster you know."
Giana frowned.
"He served with your father?"
"Yes."
"Then what happened?"
"Money."
Elena explained that Stahl had discovered a secret network moving illegal shipments through Miami.
At first, he wanted to expose it.
Then he realized he could control it.
He became obsessed with power.
The Fontanas and Gallos tried to stop him.
That was why both families were destroyed.
"My father wasn't betrayed by the Fontanas," Giana whispered.
"No."
"By Stahl."
"Yes."
Luca looked at Elena.
"Then why did you pretend to sleep with me?"
"Because Stahl needed to believe he controlled your weakness."
"And Giana?"
"The real weakness."
Luca's eyes moved toward his wife.
He whispered,
"Me."
Giana touched his hand.
"No."
She shook her head.
"Love isn't weakness."
Luca looked at her.
"It's the reason we survived."
That night, they moved into a safe house.
Giana couldn't sleep.
She stood in the kitchen making tea.
Luca entered.
"You should rest."
"So should you."
"I don't know how."
She smiled.
"Neither do I."
He stood beside her.
After a moment, Giana said,
"I was afraid you believed the rumors."
"What rumors?"
"That you were tired of me."
Luca turned.
"Giana."
"That you wanted someone thinner."
His face changed.
"You thought I cared about that?"
"I know you don't."
"But?"
She looked away.
"Sometimes pregnancy makes you feel like your body isn't yours anymore."
Luca gently touched her cheek.
"I fell in love with you because you made every room feel like home."
He lowered his hand to her stomach.
"Nothing about you needs changing."
Her eyes filled.
"Say that again."
"You are exactly what I want."
She leaned into him.
Then a phone rang.
Luca answered.
Silence.
Then Stahl's voice.
"You two sound happy."
Luca stiffened.
"Where are you?"
"Close."
"What do you want?"
"I want Giana."
"No."
"And I want the archive."
"You'll get neither."
Stahl laughed.
"You will."
Then a photograph arrived.
A man tied to a chair.
Luca stared.
His expression collapsed.
Giana stepped closer.
"Who is that?"
Luca whispered,
"My brother."
Giana looked at him.
"I thought your brother was dead."
"So did I."
Stahl's voice returned.
"Bring me the archive."
"And maybe your brother walks."
The call ended.
Luca stood frozen.
Giana took his face between her hands.
"We will get him."
"My family always dies."
"Not tonight."
She kissed his forehead.
"We don't split up."
He nodded.
Together they began planning.
But neither noticed the shadow behind the safe-house window.
Someone was watching.
May you like
And someone whispered into a phone.
"They're going to the archive."
