Chapter 6 - The Man Who Wanted Roman’s Children for Himself
Mason called at 3 a.m.
Roman answered.
“Where are you?”
Mason laughed.
“Still trying to play hero?”
“You should know better.”
“You always did have your brother's temper.”
Roman's eyes narrowed.
“What do you want?”
“Your children.”
Silence.
Roman's entire body went cold.
“You'll never touch them.”
“Oh, I already have.”
Roman turned toward the nursery.
The twins were there.
Safe.
Norah stood beside them.
Mason continued.
“The woman you think is protecting them isn't enough.”
Roman looked at Norah.
“Mason.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me where.”
“Come alone.”
Roman almost laughed.
“I've heard that before.”
“You also heard it from me the night Norah disappeared.”
Roman froze.
Mason had just confessed.
“You sent the message.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to kill her.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated everything.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He believed family mattered more than power.”
Roman looked at Sofia.
“That's why you killed him.”
“Yes.”
Roman's eyes darkened.
“And Adrian.”
“Yes.”
“Mom.”
“No.”
Mason laughed.
“Your mother was clever.”
“She hid.”
“Not well enough.”
Roman hung up.
Norah walked toward him.
“He called.”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“Everything.”
They told Sofia.
She looked tired.
“Then it is time.”
“For what?”
“To stop hiding.”
The next morning, Sofia appeared publicly at a press conference.
She revealed documents tying Mason to political corruption, financial crimes, and a chain of staged deaths.
It was explosive.
Federal agents arrived within hours.
Mason disappeared.
Roman understood.
A man like Mason did not run unless he had a final move.
That move came that evening.
Norah and the twins were leaving a hospital after a routine pediatric appointment.
The parking garage lights flickered.
A black SUV blocked the exit.
Three men appeared.
Norah held Leo.
A stranger grabbed Lena.
Norah screamed.
Before the man could move, she attacked him with the stroller frame.
He stumbled.
Roman's security arrived seconds later.
The attackers fled.
But Lena was gone.
Roman received the call while standing in a meeting.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“They took the girl.”
Roman closed his eyes.
He felt something primal tear through him.
“Find her.”
Norah called.
“Roman.”
Her voice broke.
“I lost her.”
“No.”
“I lost our baby.”
“No.”
Roman's voice became firm.
“You didn't.”
“Roman—”
“We are getting her back.”
He hung up.
Adrian appeared.
“We have a location.”
“Where?”
“Airport warehouse.”
Roman grabbed his coat.
He stopped at the door.
Then looked back.
His entire organization was watching him.
For the first time, he addressed them not as criminals.
As family.
“No killing.”
They stared.
Roman continued.
“We bring my daughter home.”
One lieutenant spoke.
“And Mason?”
Roman looked at him.
“Mason answers for what he did.”
The man nodded.
It was a different kind of leadership.
Not fear.
Responsibility.
They reached the warehouse.
Mason stood beside a vehicle.
Lena was in his arms.
Roman stepped forward.
“Put her down.”
Mason smiled.
“You changed.”
“Yes.”
“You were supposed to become your father.”
“I don't want his life.”
“You're willing to lose the empire?”
“I already chose my children.”
Mason's smile faded.
“You think that makes you weak?”
Roman looked at him.
“No.”
Norah moved beside him.
“It makes him a father.”
Mason raised the gun.
Adrian fired.
The weapon flew from Mason's hand.
Security rushed in.
Roman took Lena.
She cried.
He held her close.
“Daddy's here.”
He had never said the word before.
He almost broke down saying it.
Norah touched his arm.
Mason was arrested.
But there was one final surprise.
A federal agent approached Roman.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Roman turned.
“We found another account.”
“What account?”
“Yours.”
Roman frowned.
The agent handed him a document.
Money had been transferred out of his accounts for months.
Roman had not authorized it.
The recipient?
A charity.
The account had funded safe houses for women escaping organized crime.
Norah stared.
“What?”
Roman looked confused.
The agent smiled.
“Someone was using your money to save people.”
Roman turned toward her.
Norah looked at him.
“I didn't do it.”
Adrian laughed.
“I did.”
Roman stared.
“You?”
Adrian shrugged.
“You needed to become someone worth coming home to.”
Roman shook his head.
“You could have told me.”
“I wanted you to discover it.”
Norah smiled.
May you like
Maybe the family had not survived because they stopped keeping secrets.
Maybe they survived because, finally, the secrets were being replaced with truth.
