Chapter 5 - The Truth Inside Elena’s Storybook
Claire had hidden the duplicate ledger inside an illustrated fairy-tale book.
The title was The Little Moon and the Lost Puppy.
Elena had carried it everywhere.
She had slept with it.
Taken it to school.
Kept it under her pillow.
Silas had never realized that the book he was demanding was disguised as something precious to a child.
We had twenty-four hours.
But we didn't need twenty-four.
We had six.
And I had no intention of negotiating.
The problem was finding Elena.
The message from Silas gave us a location.
An abandoned theater downtown.
Three entrances.
Four sniper positions.
Twenty men guarding the perimeter.
We watched from across the street.
Vittorio stood beside me.
“This is a trap.”
“Of course it is.”
“You're walking into it anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I looked at the theater.
“Because Elena is inside.”
Vittorio nodded.
“And Claire?”
“Inside.”
“And Silas?”
“Inside.”
He looked at me.
“Then I’m coming.”
“You’re not.”
He frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Silas expects you beside me.”
Vittorio understood.
“I go somewhere else.”
“You go through the basement.”
“And then?”
“You find Claire.”
“What about Elena?”
“I find Elena.”
“What about Silas?”
I looked at him.
“I'll deal with him.”
We moved.
The operation lasted thirteen minutes.
Silas's men were prepared.
They weren't prepared for the fact that I didn't enter through the front.
I came through the roof.
Enzo cut the power.
The theater went dark.
Gunfire erupted.
I moved through the shadows.
A guard fell.
Another surrendered.
Then I heard a child crying.
I followed the sound.
Backstage.
A small room.
The door was locked.
I broke it.
Elena was inside.
Her eyes widened.
“Mr. Scary!”
She ran into my arms.
I caught her.
Bruno was beside her.
Alive.
Cold.
Terrified.
I held them both.
“Where's your mother?”
“They took her downstairs.”
“Did anyone hurt you?”
She shook her head.
“Did they ask about the book?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell them?”
“No.”
I smiled despite myself.
“You're braver than most men I know.”
She whispered.
“Mommy said being scared doesn't mean you have to tell the truth.”
I kissed the top of her head.
“Your mother is right.”
Then the theater shook.
An explosion.
Elena screamed.
I carried her through the hallway.
At the basement level, I found Claire.
She was tied to a chair.
Vittorio stood beside her.
And two dead guards lay nearby.
Claire looked up.
“Matteo.”
I cut her restraints.
She immediately hugged Elena.
For three seconds, everything disappeared.
Then Vittorio spoke.
“Silas is gone.”
I looked at him.
“Where?”
“Office upstairs.”
We moved.
Silas was waiting.
He stood on the stage beneath a single spotlight.
No guards.
No gun.
Just a smile.
“You came faster than expected.”
I walked onto the stage.
“You took my brother.”
“I preserved him.”
“You manipulated the war.”
“I corrected history.”
“You kidnapped a woman.”
“I protected information.”
“You took a child.”
“I borrowed leverage.”
My jaw tightened.
“You're going to die.”
Silas smiled.
“That depends on whether your people kill each other first.”
He looked toward Vittorio.
Then toward Claire.
“Ask them what happened six years ago.”
I turned to Claire.
Her face was pale.
Silas continued.
“Ask your mother.”
“Enough.”
“No,” Silas said. “You deserve the truth.”
He tossed a small device onto the stage.
A recording began.
Adrian's voice.
“Matteo doesn't know.”
Silas's voice followed.
“He cannot know.”
Then my mother's voice.
“Leave him out of this.”
I froze.
The recording continued.
Adrian said:
“If I die, he'll hunt every family in the city.”
My mother's voice broke.
“I won't let him.”
Then another voice.
Vittorio.
“I'll watch him.”
The recording ended.
I looked at Vittorio.
He lowered his head.
“You all knew.”
Claire stepped forward.
“I knew part of it.”
I looked at her.
“What happened?”
She swallowed.
“Adrian discovered Silas was using the families to move money and control the ports. He planned to expose everything. Silas found out.”
“And?”
“Adrian staged his death.”
“Why didn't he come home?”
“Because he believed Silas had someone inside your household.”
“Who?”
Claire looked at me.
“We never found out.”
Silas laughed.
“You're still missing the point.”
He walked to the edge of the stage.
“Adrian trusted me once.”
I stared.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“You were his friend.”
“For a while.”
“What did you do?”
“I betrayed him.”
The theater went silent.
“But I didn't kill him.”
“Then where is he?”
Silas smiled.
“That depends on whether you want revenge…”
He paused.
“…or your family back.”
A voice came from the balcony.
“Matteo.”
I looked up.
The entire world stopped.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Older.
Thinner.
Scar across his cheek.
But I knew that face.
I had seen it in childhood.
On Christmas mornings.
In family photographs.
In nightmares.
“Adrian?”
My brother looked down at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I couldn't breathe.
Elena whispered:
“Mommy said he was alive.”
I stared at my brother.
He descended slowly.
When he reached the floor, we stood face to face.
For six years, I had imagined this moment.
In every version, I punched him.
Screamed at him.
Asked why he abandoned me.
Instead, I hugged him.
Neither of us spoke.
We simply stood there.
Brothers.
Alive.
Finally, Adrian whispered:
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You destroyed me.”
“I know.”
“You let me bury someone else.”
“I had no choice.”
I stepped back.
“You always had a choice.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I chose wrong.”
Before I could answer, shots rang out.
Silas disappeared through a side door.
Vittorio ran after him.
Adrian grabbed my arm.
“No.”
“What?”
“Don't chase Silas.”
“Why?”
“Because this isn't about Silas anymore.”
He looked toward Claire.
“It's about the man who financed him.”
I turned.
“Who?”
Adrian's face hardened.
“The person who has been funding every war you've fought.”
May you like
He looked directly at me.
“Your father.”
