Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Knew Everything
Margaret Bell was not running from Victor Hale.
She was meeting him.
That was the first truth.
The second was worse.
She had been meeting him for years.
We found her at an old church on the South Side.
Victor was gone.
Margaret was sitting alone in the front pew.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
Older.
Fragile.
When she saw me, she began to cry.
“I'm sorry.”
Those two words nearly destroyed me.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Thomas.”
She closed her eyes.
“I knew what they were capable of.”
“That's not an answer.”
“No.”
Her hands trembled.
“You deserve the truth.”
“Then tell me.”
Margaret looked at Dante.
Then back at me.
“Your mother was protecting you from Victor Hale.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor wasn't always Victor.”
I frowned.
“He used another name.”
“What name?”
“Ethan Vale.”
Dante went rigid.
“That name,” he whispered.
Margaret nodded.
“Your father and Dante’s father knew each other before the Moretti empire existed.”
She told us everything.
Victor had started as a financial broker.
Dante's father had built businesses.
My mother had worked for a law firm handling corporate acquisitions.
They became partners.
Then Victor discovered how easy it was to move illegal money through legitimate companies.
He built an underground network.
When Dante’s father tried to leave, Victor threatened his family.
My mother tried to expose Victor.
Thomas discovered the records.
And I—
I had been born in the middle of it.
“There were two babies,” Margaret said.
“Dante’s sister and me.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Victor wanted leverage over the Morettis.”
My stomach twisted.
“So I was traded?”
“No.”
Margaret’s eyes filled with tears.
“You were hidden.”
“From whom?”
“Everyone.”
She explained that Dante’s father had believed Victor would eventually kill his family.
So my mother and the Morettis created a false identity for me.
I was registered as Sofia Reed.
Dante's sister, Isabella, was declared dead.
But she wasn't.
She had been taken somewhere else.
“Where?”
Margaret looked at Dante.
“I don't know.”
Dante's face hardened.
“You knew my sister lived?”
“I suspected.”
He stepped forward.
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
“Who took her?”
Margaret shook her head.
“Victor had people everywhere.”
I looked at her.
“And Thomas?”
“Thomas found out.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“Was that why he died?”
Margaret nodded.
“He discovered that Victor had located the records of your original identity.”
My hands went cold.
“He tried to protect me.”
“He planned to take you out of Chicago.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“He was afraid someone was listening.”
My eyes filled.
“So when he died…”
“He was trying to buy you time.”
Silence.
Dante looked away.
For the first time, I realized he was grieving too.
He had lost his sister.
His father.
His family.
And now we were standing inside the ruins of the same secret.
“What does Victor want?” I asked.
Margaret looked at me.
“The child.”
“What child?”
“You.”
“I still don't understand.”
“You are proof.”
“Of what?”
“That Victor stole billions from both families.”
Margaret reached into her coat.
She pulled out a tiny key.
“Thomas left this with me.”
I took it.
There was a number engraved on it.
Dante stared.
“I know that number.”
“Where?”
“My father's old safe.”
Margaret nodded.
“That's where the truth is.”
Before we could move, the church windows shattered.
Gunfire.
Dante tackled me to the floor.
Margaret screamed.
Men entered through the side doors.
Dante's security team fired back.
I crawled behind the pew.
Margaret grabbed my wrist.
“He's here.”
“Victor?”
“No.”
Her eyes widened.
“Your father.”
A man walked through the smoke.
Victor Hale.
He looked calm.
Almost gentle.
He smiled at me.
“Hello, Sofia.”
Dante raised his gun.
“Don't.”
Victor's eyes moved to him.
“Dante.”
“You killed my father.”
Victor smiled.
“Your father killed himself.”
“You killed Thomas.”
“No.”
Victor looked at me.
“Thomas died because he loved you.”
Something cracked in my chest.
Victor continued.
“And you deserve to know something else.”
“What?”
He smiled.
“Your brother isn't the only family member who survived.”
Then the lights went out.
When they came back on, Victor was gone.
So was Margaret.
And Dante was staring at the floor.
A single envelope lay there.
It had my name on it.
Inside was a recent photograph.
Thomas.
May you like
Alive.
Taken three months after his supposed death.
