Chapter 4 - THE FIRST LIEVincent took Marco into the old wine cellar.
The door locked behind them.
“You said you never met Elena.”
“I lied.”
“You knew Daniel was alive.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew about Mia.”
“Yes.”
Vincent's eyes burned.
“Why?”
“Daniel made me promise.”
“To what?”
“To keep her safe.”
“And you thought lying to me was the way to do that?”
“Yes.”
Vincent laughed bitterly.
“You have no idea how much I trusted you.”
Marco lowered his head.
“I know.”
“Then tell me the rest.”
Marco remained silent.
Vincent stepped closer.
“Who tried to take Mia?”
“I don't know.”
Another lie.
Vincent's jaw tightened.
“Marco.”
“I swear—”
“Stop.”
Marco looked up.
Vincent's voice was terrifyingly calm.
“I can forgive betrayal.”
Marco said nothing.
“I cannot forgive endangering a child.”
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
Marco's face changed.
“Lucia.”
“Who is Lucia?”
“Your father's former secretary.”
Vincent frowned.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
“She stayed loyal to him.”
“That doesn't answer me.”
Marco took a breath.
“She believes the Moretti empire belongs to her family.”
Vincent stared.
“She has spent years trying to control it.”
“And Daniel?”
“He found out.”
“And Sophia?”
Marco looked away.
Vincent's chest tightened.
“What about my daughter?”
Marco whispered,
“She wasn't supposed to die.”
Everything stopped.
Vincent grabbed his collar.
“What did you say?”
Marco closed his eyes.
“Sophia's death was not natural.”
Vincent released him.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“She had leukemia.”
“She had leukemia.”
Marco swallowed.
“But someone sabotaged her treatment.”
Vincent's vision blurred.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Again.”
“I don't know.”
Vincent stepped back.
Marco continued.
“Daniel discovered irregularities in the hospital records.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he didn't trust anyone.”
“He was my brother.”
“He was protecting you.”
Vincent covered his face.
Five years.
Five years of grief.
Five years believing he had failed his daughter by not spending enough, fighting enough, praying enough.
And now there was a possibility that someone had intentionally altered her care.
Vincent's hands shook.
“What exactly happened?”
Marco looked at him.
“Sophia received a medication dose that wasn't on her original treatment plan.”
Vincent stared.
“Who authorized it?”
“A nurse.”
“Name?”
Marco said it.
Elena.
Vincent's stomach dropped.
He walked out.
He found Elena in the nursery.
Mia was sleeping.
Elena stood beside the crib.
Vincent entered.
“You knew.”
Elena turned.
“Yes.”
“You knew Sophia's treatment was sabotaged.”
“Yes.”
“Did you have anything to do with it?”
Elena's face broke.
“No.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I did.”
Vincent froze.
“What?”
“Three times.”
She reached into a drawer.
Inside were copies of letters.
All addressed to Vincent Moretti.
All dated five years ago.
He opened them.
I know something is wrong.
Then another.
Someone changed Sophia's medication.
Then the final letter.
Daniel told me to stop asking questions.
Vincent's hands trembled.
“Why didn't I receive these?”
Elena cried.
“Because someone intercepted them.”
Vincent looked at the handwriting.
It was not hers.
It was his secretary's.
Someone inside his organization had blocked every warning.
He looked at Elena.
“Why stay here?”
She wiped her eyes.
“Because I needed money.”
“That isn't enough.”
“No.”
She looked at Mia.
“Because I thought one day you would notice her.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel said you deserved to know you had family.”
Vincent stared.
Mia.
Daniel.
The impossible connection.
Then a thought struck him.
“Why does Marco know about the birthmark?”
Elena went still.
She slowly turned.
“Because he was there when Daniel showed him Mia's photograph.”
“Before she was born?”
“No.”
Her face changed.
“After.”
“Where?”
“An abandoned church.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Vincent understood.
Daniel had been alive.
Marco had seen him.
Which meant Marco had been protecting him.
And if Daniel was alive…
May you like
Then the Moretti family had another secret.
One even Marco was afraid to tell him.
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