Chapter 6 - The Father Who Had Been Alive All Along
Michael Bell looked directly into the camera.
He was alive.
For the first time in seven years, Elena heard her father's voice.
"Elena."
She stepped toward the screen.
"Dad?"
Michael's face tightened.
"Listen to me. You cannot come after me."
Valentine grabbed Elena's arm.
"Don't."
Celeste appeared beside Michael.
She smiled at the camera.
"This is the part where everyone makes a mistake."
Valentine looked at the screen.
"Where are you?"
Celeste laughed.
"Somewhere you'll never find."
Michael shook his head.
"Valentine, the ledger—"
Celeste struck him across the face.
Elena screamed.
"Stop!"
Celeste smiled again.
"Bring me the Moretti ledger, and your father lives."
Valentine's eyes narrowed.
"You don't have it."
"No."
"You need me."
"Exactly."
The screen went black.
Elena was trembling.
"Help him."
Valentine looked at her.
"I will."
"But you said—"
"I'm bringing him home."
They returned to the estate and began planning.
Gabriel revealed that the Moretti ledger was not a book.
It was a coded archive containing financial records, names, payments, and the structure of Celeste's network.
But it had been missing for years.
"Who had access?" Valentine asked.
"My father."
"Your father."
"Isabella."
"Margaret."
Gabriel nodded.
"And you?"
"Not until now."
Valentine stared at him.
"Where is it?"
"I think your father hid it."
"Where?"
Gabriel looked toward the portrait gallery.
"The painting."
They removed the largest portrait.
Behind it was a wall safe.
The combination was Isabella's birthday.
Inside was a black ledger.
Valentine opened it.
Names filled every page.
Judges.
Police officers.
Bankers.
Business owners.
And one name appeared again and again.
Luca.
Valentine looked at him.
Luca stared at the pages.
"I didn't know."
Valentine believed him.
Then he saw another name.
Margaret Hail.
He turned toward Gabriel.
"She worked with Celeste."
"Yes."
"But she saved Elena."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Gabriel sighed.
"Because Margaret was caught between them."
The truth was uglier than Valentine expected.
Margaret had indeed helped Celeste.
But years earlier, Celeste had threatened Margaret's daughter.
Margaret had been forced to cooperate.
She did not poison Isabella.
She did not kill Michael.
She helped hide the evidence because she was afraid.
"But she kidnapped my father."
"She helped Celeste find him."
"Why?"
"Because Celeste promised to let her daughter live."
Elena stared at the ledger.
"Where is her daughter now?"
Gabriel looked at her.
"Missing."
That explained Margaret's desperation.
It did not excuse it.
Valentine closed the ledger.
"We find Celeste."
The rescue operation began before dawn.
They tracked an account connected to Celeste's shell company.
The trail led to an abandoned coastal refinery.
They entered through underground tunnels.
Michael was there.
So was Margaret.
And Celeste.
Valentine saw Elena behind him.
"Stay here."
"No."
He looked at her.
"This is my father."
"I know."
"Then let me help."
He nodded.
The doors opened.
Celeste stood beside Michael.
Margaret was on her knees.
"You were supposed to bring me the ledger," Celeste said.
"You have it," Valentine replied.
He held up the black book.
Celeste smiled.
"Finally."
She stepped toward him.
Then stopped.
"You really don't understand what your family did."
Valentine said nothing.
Celeste pointed toward Michael.
"Your father ordered the first cover-up."
"Not this."
"No?"
She laughed.
"Ask him."
Michael looked ashamed.
Valentine turned to him.
"Dad?"
Michael's voice broke.
"I made a terrible mistake."
"What did you do?"
"I believed I could control people."
Celeste smiled.
"Now tell him the truth."
Michael closed his eyes.
"I knew Isabella was in danger."
"Why didn't you protect her?"
"I did."
Celeste laughed.
"No. You protected the reputation of the family."
Michael looked at his son.
"Your mother wanted to expose everyone. She wanted the Moretti organization dismantled."
"And you stopped her."
"I thought I could fix it."
"You couldn't."
"No."
Michael began crying.
"I couldn't."
The confession devastated Valentine.
His father had not personally poisoned Isabella.
But he had covered up the warning signs.
His secrecy had enabled the people who did.
Valentine stepped closer.
"You don't get to ask for forgiveness."
Michael nodded.
"I know."
Celeste suddenly grabbed Elena.
Everything happened at once.
A gun appeared.
Luca fired.
The weapon flew from Celeste's hand.
Gabriel tackled one of the guards.
Margaret lunged toward Elena.
Celeste ran.
Valentine followed.
She reached the edge of the refinery.
The ocean crashed below.
"Stay back."
Valentine stopped.
"You can't escape."
She smiled.
"I don't need to."
Then she jumped.
Valentine rushed to the edge.
There was no body.
Only dark water.
The authorities arrived minutes later.
Michael was taken into protective custody.
Margaret was arrested.
Luca surrendered his weapon and agreed to cooperate.
The ledger was handed to federal investigators.
The Moretti empire began collapsing under the weight of its own secrets.
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But Celeste Varga was still missing.
And Elena had one final truth to learn about her father.
