Chapter 5 - THE HOUSE IN SICILYThe Moretti estate stood on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean.
It was beautiful.
Ancient.
Silent.
Alessandro hated it.
He entered through the main doors alone.
Marco waited outside.
A voice echoed through the hall.
“You finally came.”
Matteo stepped into view.
Older.
Gray-haired.
But still imposing.
Alessandro stared at him.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“You let me bury you.”
“I gave you freedom.”
“You gave me twelve years of lies.”
Matteo smiled.
“You became soft.”
Alessandro's jaw tightened.
“Where is Clara?”
“Alive.”
“Bring her here.”
Matteo gestured toward a staircase.
Clara appeared.
Her hands were tied.
But she was standing.
Alessandro's eyes hardened.
Matteo smiled.
“See? She's fine.”
Clara looked at Alessandro.
“Don't listen to him.”
Matteo laughed.
“She always was stubborn.”
Alessandro stepped forward.
“You poisoned her.”
“No.”
“Victoria did.”
“Victoria tried.”
Matteo's smile disappeared.
“She was never clever enough to finish anything.”
Alessandro understood.
“You gave her the plan.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you refused to become the man you were born to be.”
Alessandro stared.
“I don't want your empire.”
“You already have it.”
“I want out.”
Matteo shook his head.
“You don't get out.”
Clara suddenly shouted:
“Alessandro!”
A gunshot shattered the window.
Everyone ducked.
Marco's men stormed the estate.
Chaos erupted.
Alessandro grabbed Clara.
They ran.
Matteo disappeared into the corridor.
Then the lights went out.
Complete darkness.
Alessandro heard footsteps.
He pulled Clara behind a stone pillar.
Someone moved through the room.
Then—
A voice whispered:
“Alessandro.”
He recognized it.
Victoria.
She stepped into the emergency light.
She was holding a gun.
But she wasn't pointing it at him.
She was pointing toward Matteo.
“He lied to you.”
Alessandro stared.
“Why are you here?”
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I finally realized what I had become.”
Matteo appeared behind her.
“Traitor.”
Victoria turned.
Matteo fired.
Victoria fell.
Alessandro caught her.
Blood spread across her dress.
“Why?”
Victoria looked at him.
“Because I was wrong.”
She handed him a small device.
“Everything is recorded.”
Alessandro stared.
“What?”
“Your father confessed.”
Matteo froze.
Victoria smiled weakly.
“I recorded every conversation.”
Matteo's face changed.
Alessandro looked at the device.
Police sirens echoed outside.
Victoria had called them.
Matteo stared at her.
“You betrayed me.”
She whispered:
“I finally chose my family.”
Then she closed her eyes.
Alessandro shouted for Rossi.
Clara held his arm.
“She's alive.”
Victoria survived.
Barely.
Matteo was arrested.
And the empire he had built collapsed within weeks.
But one question remained.
Why had Victoria changed?
The answer came later.
She had discovered that Matteo planned to kill Alessandro after forcing him to surrender the company.
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Victoria had finally realized she was not protecting the family.
She was helping destroy it.
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