Chapter 5 - Adrien Had Been Hiding the Last Thing My Mother Wanted Me to KnowWe returned to the Viscari estate.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally I asked.
“What happened to your father?”
“He was killed.”
“By whom?”
“I thought my enemies.”
“And now?”
He looked at me.
“I don't know.”
“My father mentioned him.”
“Yes.”
“What happened that night?”
Adrien hesitated.
“My father met Elena.”
“My mother.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To help her disappear.”
“What happened?”
“He was betrayed.”
“By whom?”
“Someone inside the family.”
I stared.
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
He handed me an old file.
The last photograph of his father.
Standing beside my mother.
Both looking frightened.
The date was the night before the fire that killed him.
And beside them was another man.
My father.
I felt sick.
“They knew each other.”
“Yes.”
“They were working together.”
“Yes.”
“To stop the network.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
A note.
The child is the key.
I stared.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adrien answered:
“Because your bloodline had legal control over the trust.”
I sat.
My mother had protected me to protect the trust.
My father had hunted me to control it.
Adrien's father had died helping her.
And Adrien had spent years believing his father was killed by rivals.
The truth was closer.
My father had ordered it.
I looked at Adrien.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
“Would you have told me?”
“If I had known.”
He looked exhausted.
“I've spent twenty years believing my father died because of something I did.”
“Why?”
“He was meeting your mother because of me.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“He wanted to stop my family from becoming what it became.”
“You think he failed.”
“Yes.”
I took his hand.
“You didn't.”
He looked at me.
“No?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you're trying.”
His eyes softened.
For a moment, the mafia boss disappeared.
There was only a son.
A wounded man.
Someone who had spent years carrying guilt that wasn't his.
Then Marcus attacked.
The estate alarms sounded.
Guards rushed in.
A bullet struck the wall beside us.
Adrien pulled me down.
The attackers entered through the eastern hall.
We fought.
Marcus appeared.
He shot at Adrien.
I grabbed a lamp and threw it.
The distraction gave Adrien enough time to disarm him.
Marcus fell.
Adrien pointed his gun.
“Where is Lena's father?”
Marcus laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
“Tell me.”
“He isn't the mastermind.”
“Who is?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Your mother.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She's alive.”
The room went silent.
Adrien stared.
“That's impossible.”
Marcus smiled.
“She has been hiding.”
“Where?”
Marcus refused.
Adrien stepped forward.
“Where?”
“She has been living under a different name.”
“Which one?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Isabella Monroe.”
I felt dizzy.
“That name.”
I knew it.
A woman had sent me Christmas cards when I was a child.
A woman I thought was my mother's friend.
Adrien stared.
“You knew her.”
“I knew the name.”
Marcus laughed.
“She has been close to you the entire time.”
I shook.
“Where is she?”
Marcus smiled.
“Boston.”
He reached for his weapon.
Adrien fired.
Marcus collapsed.
The room fell silent.
I stared at Adrien.
“We need to find her.”
“Yes.”
“And my father.”
“Yes.”
“And the trust.”
“Yes.”
I took a breath.
“Together.”
May you like
He nodded.
“Together.”
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