Chapter 6 - The Man Elena Trusted Had Been Hiding the Original Ledger for 20 Years
Uncle Matteo Moretti had been the only member of Dante's family Elena trusted.
He had brought her tea when she worked late.
He had remembered her birthday.
He had once given her 100 dollars when her younger brother needed surgery.
He had always smiled.
Always polite.
Always calm.
And now Dante was telling her he might be the traitor who had destroyed both their families.
They found Matteo in the old wine cellar.
He was sitting beside an open bottle of red wine.
He didn't reach for his weapon.
He simply waited.
Dante entered first.
Elena and Sofia stayed behind.
Matteo looked at his nephew.
“You finally found me.”
Dante aimed his gun.
“Give me the ledger.”
Matteo smiled.
“You still think this is about money.”
“It isn't?”
“No.”
“Then what is it about?”
“Control.”
Matteo stood.
“You have spent your entire life believing you inherited this organization.”
“I did.”
“No.”
Matteo shook his head.
“You inherited a prison.”
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“My father was killed by Victor Vale.”
Matteo nodded.
“Yes.”
“And you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you hide it?”
“Because your father made me promise.”
“Promise what?”
“To protect you.”
Dante froze.
Matteo walked toward a wall.
He pressed a hidden switch.
A panel opened.
Inside was the original ledger.
Elena stared.
“It's real.”
“Yes.”
Dante approached.
“Why keep it?”
“Because destroying it would erase the proof.”
“And keeping it?”
“Gave me leverage.”
“With who?”
“Everyone.”
Matteo looked at Elena.
“Especially her.”
Elena's heart tightened.
“My father trusted you?”
“Yes.”
“You knew my mother?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you save them?”
Matteo looked down.
“I was a coward.”
His voice cracked.
“I chose survival.”
Sofia shook her head.
“You let them suffer.”
“I know.”
“Luca died because of you.”
“I know.”
Dante stared.
“My father thought you betrayed him.”
“I did.”
That confession stunned everyone.
“But I regretted it.”
“Regret doesn't bring people back.”
“No.”
Matteo handed Dante the ledger.
“That's why I kept this.”
Dante opened it.
The first pages contained payment records.
Then photographs.
Then names.
Victor Vale.
Adrian Cole.
Several judges.
Police officials.
And one name that made Elena freeze.
Bianca Vitali.
Dante looked at her.
“Elena.”
She shook her head.
“I don't understand.”
Matteo explained.
“Bianca wasn't working with Victor willingly.”
“What does that mean?”
“He threatened her father.”
Dante looked at Bianca.
She had followed them into the cellar.
“What?”
Bianca started crying.
“My father was supposed to die.”
Dante frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he knew too much.”
Bianca looked at Elena.
“He gave Victor information to save me.”
Sofia stepped closer.
“And then?”
“Victor told me that if I didn't separate you from Dante, my father would die.”
Elena's expression softened slightly.
“You pushed me because of that.”
“Yes.”
“You still hurt me.”
“I know.”
Matteo looked at Dante.
“The ledger is incomplete.”
Dante frowned.
“What?”
“There are pages missing.”
“How many?”
“7.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Elena suddenly felt a sharp pain behind her eyes.
She grabbed the table.
“Elena?”
She closed her eyes.
Something appeared in her memory.
A train station.
A clock.
A red suitcase.
A voice.
Her father.
“Seven pages. Seven places. Seven names.”
She opened her eyes.
“I remember.”
Everyone stared.
“What?”
Elena whispered.
“The numbers.”
She grabbed a pen.
She wrote 7 groups of numbers.
Dante looked at them.
“These are coordinates.”
Elena nodded.
“Seven hidden accounts.”
Matteo's face changed.
“Impossible.”
Dante looked at him.
“What?”
“The missing pages were encrypted.”
“Not anymore.”
Elena stared at the numbers.
“My father taught me.”
Sofia cried.
“He trusted you with everything.”
Elena smiled through tears.
Then Dante said quietly:
“We can destroy Victor.”
Everyone went silent.
They spent the next 2 weeks following the coordinates.
Chicago.
Boston.
Miami.
Los Angeles.
London.
Geneva.
And finally New York.
At each location, they recovered pieces of the network.
Evidence.
Bank accounts.
Encrypted files.
Photographs.
By the final location, they had enough to expose the Vale Group.
But Victor was waiting.
They entered an abandoned warehouse.
Victor Vale stood beneath a hanging light.
Older than in the photograph.
But alive.
His eyes moved to Elena.
“So you're Luca's daughter.”
She stepped forward.
“Yes.”
“You look like your mother.”
“I know.”
Victor smiled.
“I killed your father.”
Sofia screamed.
Dante raised his weapon.
Victor laughed.
“Go ahead.”
Dante's finger tightened.
“Elena.”
She stopped him.
“No.”
Victor smiled.
“Good.”
“You want me to kill you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because then you become me.”
Elena stepped closer.
“No.”
Victor's smile faded.
“You're going to arrest me?”
“No.”
She held up a drive.
“We're going to expose you.”
Victor's face changed.
May you like
Dante smiled.
For the first time, Victor looked afraid.
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