Chapter 12 - Massimo Revealed the Final Betrayal—and Lorenzo Had to Choose Between His Throne and NorahThe folder contained one photograph.
My father.
Alive.
But the photograph was recent.
Taken three days earlier.
Lorenzo stared.
“That's impossible.”
My mother whispered:
“No.”
“He survived?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She looked at me.
“Underground.”
The message inside the folder was simple.
Come alone.
Lorenzo wanted me nowhere near it.
I refused.
We went together.
The location was an abandoned rail station.
Massimo was waiting.
And beside him stood my father.
Older.
Scarred.
Alive.
I cried.
He looked at me.
“My little girl.”
I ran to him.
For the first time in fifteen years, I felt like a child again.
My father embraced me.
“I am sorry.”
“Why did you leave?”
“To save you.”
“Why didn't you come back?”
“Because Massimo threatened Lily.”
I froze.
My father continued.
“He promised to kill both of you.”
Massimo smiled.
“Everything I've done was for power.”
Lorenzo raised his gun.
“Enough.”
Massimo looked at him.
“You think this ends when you kill me?”
He pointed at my father.
“Your family history is built on lies.”
“What lies?”
“Your father wasn't the first Rossi.”
Lorenzo froze.
Massimo smiled.
“Matteo stole the name.”
Silence.
“And I stole the empire.”
Then he opened another folder.
Inside were documents proving Lorenzo's legal identity had been manipulated.
“Legally,” Massimo said, “you don't own anything.”
Lorenzo looked at me.
For the first time, I saw fear.
Not fear of dying.
Fear of losing everything.
I stepped toward him.
“You don't need the empire.”
He looked at me.
“I need you.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You need yourself.”
My father smiled.
“That is what I wanted him to hear.”
Massimo fired.
My father pushed me aside.
Lorenzo shot back.
Massimo disappeared through the tunnels.
We chased him.
He led us to the river.
A helicopter waited.
He climbed aboard.
Then stopped.
“You'll never have peace!”
Lorenzo shouted:
“I already do.”
He looked at me.
Massimo escaped.
But the empire was collapsing.
And Lorenzo had made his choice.
May you like
He would leave it behind.
Even if it meant becoming ordinary.
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