Chapter 3 - The Call Before Elena Died
Gabriel arrived at the mansion the next morning.
I was waiting for him in my study.
He noticed the open file.
“You found it.”
I didn't answer.
His eyes dropped to the call record.
“Alessandro…”
“What did Elena say?”
He sat down.
“Your wife called me.”
“Why?”
“She was scared.”
“Of what?”
“You.”
The word felt like a bullet.
“Of me?”
“She thought someone was following her.”
“Why didn't she call me?”
“She did.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She called your personal line.”
“I never received it.”
“Because the call was intercepted.”
“By whom?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my wife was in danger.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone is suddenly protecting me.”
Gabriel looked at the floor.
“Elena believed there was a traitor inside your organization.”
“So did Matthew.”
Gabriel's eyes sharpened.
“You found Matthew's files.”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn't have.”
“Why?”
“Because they will get you killed.”
I pulled the recovered recording from the desk.
“Who is the third voice?”
He went pale.
“I don't know.”
“That's a lie.”
He looked at me.
“I swear to you, I never killed Matthew.”
“I didn't ask whether you killed him.”
He hesitated.
That hesitation told me enough.
“You knew he was investigating.”
“Yes.”
“You knew someone wanted him dead.”
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because if I moved, they'd kill Luca.”
Everything stopped.
“Who threatened him?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“They told me they had eyes inside your house.”
I remembered the diner.
The missing footage.
The bedroom.
The forged debt.
“What do they want?”
“The Black Ledger.”
I stared.
“What black ledger?”
Gabriel looked at me.
“Your father kept records of every illegal transaction in the organization.”
“I've never seen it.”
“Neither have I.”
“Then why would they think you have it?”
“Because your father told Elena where it was.”
My blood ran cold.
“Where?”
Gabriel whispered,
“Inside the Moretti house.”
The mansion.
I searched every room.
Nothing.
Then Sophia remembered the envelope.
The one she'd carried to the diner.
“I found something before Matthew died.”
She placed an old photograph on the desk.
It showed Elena sitting at a kitchen table.
Behind her was a painting.
I recognized the painting.
It hung in the mansion's library.
We rushed downstairs.
I took it off the wall.
Behind it was a hidden safe.
My fingerprints opened it.
Inside was a small ledger.
Black leather.
Old.
Heavy.
My father’s handwriting filled the first page.
I opened it.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Secret alliances.
Then I saw Gabriel's name.
Not once.
Dozens of times.
I looked at him.
“What is this?”
“I don't know.”
“Your name is everywhere.”
“I don't know why.”
Sophia turned pages.
Then she stopped.
“Matthew.”
His name appeared beside several transfers.
“He wasn't stealing.”
I shook my head.
“He was investigating.”
Then another name appeared.
Elena.
She had been tracking the same transactions.
And beside her name was a note.
TRUST GABRIEL ONLY IF HE CHOOSES LUCA.
I looked at Gabriel.
“What does that mean?”
He closed his eyes.
“Elena knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That someone would force me to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“My life.”
He looked at Luca, who stood in the doorway.
“And his.”
Luca frowned.
“Dad?”
I immediately pushed him behind me.
Gabriel stood.
“I would never hurt him.”
“Then explain.”
“I was approached by a man named Vincent Rane.”
I knew the name.
Rane was a former federal investigator turned private security consultant.
He had advised several criminal organizations before disappearing.
“What did he want?”
“Control.”
“Of what?”
“The port.”
I laughed.
“That's all?”
“No.”
Gabriel hesitated.
“He wanted access to your accounts.”
I studied him.
“Did you give it?”
“No.”
“Then why are you in the ledger?”
“Because I pretended to.”
He explained.
He had been feeding Rane false information.
But Elena discovered the deception.
She tried to help.
Rane threatened Luca.
Gabriel agreed to work for him long enough to protect my son.
But someone else intervened.
Matthew.
Matthew had found the truth.
Rane killed him.
At least, that was Gabriel's version.
I wanted to believe him.
But I couldn't.
Not yet.
That afternoon, Detective Warren arrived.
He claimed to be investigating the break-in.
I noticed Gabriel watching him.
So did Sophia.
When Warren left, she whispered,
“He was at Matthew's funeral.”
“Yes.”
“He was standing beside Gabriel.”
I checked security footage.
They had met privately afterward.
I ordered Marcus to follow Warren.
Two hours later, Marcus called.
“Boss, Warren went to a storage facility.”
“Which one?”
“Seventeenth Street.”
Warehouse 17.
I grabbed my coat.
Sophia stopped me.
“Take me.”
“No.”
“Matthew left something there.”
I looked at her.
“Fine.”
We arrived after dark.
Warren was inside.
He was meeting Vincent Rane.
I recognized him immediately.
The same man from the recovered voice recording.
I signaled Marcus.
We surrounded the building.
Then Warren spotted us.
Gunfire erupted.
Rane escaped.
Warren didn't.
We cornered him in the office.
He raised his hands.
“You don't understand.”
“Start explaining.”
He laughed nervously.
“Gabriel is not your enemy.”
“I know.”
Warren stared.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
His expression changed.
“Then you're too late.”
“Why?”
“Because your real enemy has already taken your son.”
The world stopped.
I called the mansion.
No answer.
I called Luca.
Nothing.
Sophia covered her mouth.
I turned toward Marcus.
“Get everyone to the house.”
We raced back.
The gates were open.
Three guards were unconscious.
The house was intact.
But Luca was gone.
On the floor of his bedroom was a red crayon.
Under it was a note.
YOU GAVE HER DINNER.
NOW GIVE ME YOUR EMPIRE.
Sophia looked at me.
Her face turned white.
“I know that handwriting.”
“Whose?”
May you like
She whispered,
“Matthew's.”
