Chapter 4 - The Voice From My GraveThe scream came from the chapel.
I kicked the doors open.
Two guards were dead.
A trail of blood crossed the floor.
Then I saw her.
A woman stood beneath the altar.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
Tears in her eyes.
Older than the woman I remembered.
But unmistakable.
“Elena.”
She stared at me.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then she whispered my name.
“Adriano.”
I couldn't breathe.
I had imagined this moment for eight years.
In every dream, she came back.
But dreams didn't prepare me for the real thing.
I crossed the room.
She stepped backward.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“You're alive.”
“I know.”
“I buried you.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was trying to keep you alive.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I touched her face.
Warm.
Real.
She closed her eyes.
“I thought I'd never see you again.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I thought you hated me.”
“I hated myself.”
She broke.
I pulled her into my arms.
For eight years, I had been carrying grief.
Now it was replaced by something almost more painful.
Hope.
Then Lucia entered the chapel.
“Mommy!”
Elena dropped to her knees.
Lucia ran into her arms.
I turned away.
I needed a moment.
When I looked back, Elena was holding our daughter.
Our daughter.
The words still didn't feel real.
Then the chapel windows shattered.
Gunmen opened fire.
I threw myself over Elena and Lucia.
My men returned fire.
“Move!”
We ran through the rear door.
Outside, Victor was waiting.
He was bleeding but alive.
“You lied,” I said.
“No.”
He looked at Elena.
“She came here because she knew Moretti would follow.”
Elena nodded.
“Moretti has the ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“The original.”
She looked at me.
“The one that proves which politicians helped him.”
“If we get it?”
“We can destroy him.”
Victor shook his head.
“No. We can destroy everyone.”
Elena grabbed my arm.
“Adriano, you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“Moretti isn't after Lucia anymore.”
“Then what does he want?”
“You.”
She swallowed.
“Because eight years ago, before the explosion, I discovered Moretti had been using your empire to move his money.”
My expression hardened.
“He used me?”
“He built half your empire through stolen money.”
I stared at her.
“So everything I built…”
“Was part of his machine.”
The revelation shattered something inside me.
My entire empire.
My wealth.
My reputation.
My power.
How much of it was truly mine?
Elena squeezed my hand.
“There is one way to end this.”
“What?”
“Take everything away from him.”
“His money?”
“No.”
May you like
She looked toward Lucia.
“His legacy.”
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