Chapter 6 - My Father Was Waiting in the DarkI walked outside alone.
My father stood beside a black car.
He looked older.
But alive.
The man I had mourned for fifteen years was standing ten feet away.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me mourn you.”
“I needed you to believe I was dead.”
“Why?”
“To make you stronger.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You destroyed my life.”
“I built it.”
“No.”
I raised my gun.
“You built a prison and convinced me it was an empire.”
My father sighed.
“Your mother was weak.”
“Don't talk about her.”
“She wanted to leave.”
“You killed her?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Moretti did.”
Elena stepped outside.
My father looked at her.
“You survived.”
“Yes.”
“You were always troublesome.”
I nearly shot him.
But Lucia stepped beside Elena.
My father stared at the girl.
His expression changed.
“So this is her.”
“My granddaughter.”
Lucia hid behind Elena.
“You don't get to call her that.”
My father laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
He pulled out a folder.
Inside were photographs of Lucia from infancy.
“She was monitored from birth.”
My blood ran cold.
“By whom?”
“Everyone.”
He pointed at me.
“Your enemies. Moretti. Ricardo. Even people inside your organization.”
“Why?”
“Because she was the one thing you would die for.”
I stepped closer.
“You used my daughter as bait.”
“No.”
He looked at Lucia.
“I protected her.”
Elena shook her head.
“You helped Moretti.”
“For years.”
My father smiled.
“Because Moretti was useful.”
“Where is he?”
“Coming here.”
A convoy appeared behind him.
Gunmen surrounded the estate.
My father stepped into his car.
“Choose carefully, Adriano.”
“What choice?”
“Your empire.”
He looked at Lucia.
“Or your family.”
Then he drove away.
The shooting started.
We fought our way through the estate.
By dawn, the attackers were gone.
But Victor was wounded.
Elena had a bullet graze her arm.
And Lucia was missing.
I found her stuffed rabbit on the grass.
Nothing else.
I screamed her name.
“LUCIA!”
No answer.
Then my phone rang.
My father's voice returned.
“You chose family.”
May you like
He paused.
“Now let's see how much you're willing to sacrifice for it.”
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