Chapter 4 - Beneath the Abandoned Moretti Church, I Found My Father's Final Confession—and It Named the Man Who Wanted My Daughter DeadThe church had been abandoned for twenty years.
Nobody knew why.
It stood between two old buildings downtown, hidden behind construction fencing.
My father had bought it shortly before his death.
I had never been inside.
Until that night.
Sloan stayed in the car with Willa.
I went underground.
The key opened an iron door.
Behind it was a room filled with files.
Thousands.
Names.
Photographs.
Bank records.
And one wooden box.
Inside was a letter.
My father's handwriting.
Vincent, if you are reading this, I failed you.
I continued.
He admitted everything.
The empire.
The corruption.
The murders.
But then came the part that changed everything.
He had discovered Marcus Vale was planning to overthrow him.
Marcus had created his own network.
He wanted control of the Moretti family.
And he believed the only way to achieve it was to eliminate every possible heir.
My father had hidden me.
Then staged my mother's death.
But Marcus had discovered the truth.
He wanted me dead.
My father had sacrificed himself to stop him.
But before he died, he created one final contingency.
A secret account.
A list of everyone connected to Marcus.
I found the account number.
Then the lights went out.
I heard footsteps.
Someone was inside.
I reached for my weapon.
“Vincent.”
My mother's voice.
She stood in the doorway.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus followed you.”
Gunfire erupted upstairs.
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Run.”
We raced toward the exit.
Then I heard Sloan scream through my phone.
“Vincent!”
I answered.
“Where are you?”
Her voice was shaking.
“They took Willa.”
Everything stopped.
“What?”
“Three men.”
May you like
My mother looked at me.
Marcus had already won the first move.
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