Chapter 7 - The Mother Behind the EmpireLorenzo's mother had always been untouchable.
She lived in Europe.
Rarely visited America.
Never involved herself publicly in business.
Yet the evidence pointed toward her.
She had funded Matteo.
She had helped hide the original ledger.
She had ordered surveillance on me.
Lorenzo refused to believe it.
Neither did I.
"Why would your mother want me dead?"
"She wouldn't."
"Then someone is framing her."
"Yes."
"Who?"
We discovered the answer inside the memory card.
The ledger contained hundreds of names.
Among them was Matteo.
And Margaret Greco.
But there was another name.
One that made Lorenzo go completely still.
Victor Greco.
His younger brother.
Everyone believed Victor had died twenty years earlier.
He hadn't.
Victor had been the architect behind the original betrayal.
Matteo had only been his pawn.
And now Victor wanted the ledger.
Because the files could expose him.
Lorenzo stared at the screen.
"I killed the wrong enemy."
I touched his arm.
"You didn't know."
"I should have."
"No."
He looked at me.
"You always think you should have known everything."
"Because people die when I don't."
"And people die when you do."
He looked away.
I stepped closer.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
His eyes met mine.
For a moment, the feared mafia boss disappeared.
There was only a tired man.
A wounded man.
A man who had spent twenty years believing his family had been destroyed by strangers.
I took his hand.
"I'm here."
He squeezed my fingers.
"I know."
Then the phone rang.
Margaret Greco was calling.
Lorenzo answered.
"Mother."
Her voice was weak.
"Come home."
"Why?"
"Because Victor knows."
Lorenzo froze.
"Knows what?"
"That Julia is his daughter."
I stopped breathing.
May you like
Lorenzo slowly turned toward me.
My entire world shattered.
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