Chapter 6 - The Brother in the Walls
Elias's voice filled the mansion.
“You always were easy to manipulate.”
Lorenzo stood in the dark.
“Show yourself.”
“Why?”
“You owe me fifteen years.”
“No.”
The voice laughed.
“You owe me.”
I felt Lorenzo's body tense.
Elias continued.
“You inherited Father's empire.”
“I inherited nothing.”
“You inherited everything because I let you.”
Lorenzo's jaw tightened.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because Father chose you.”
The lights came back.
Every screen in the house displayed an old photograph.
Two brothers.
Lorenzo and Elias.
Children.
Standing beside their father.
Then the image changed.
Elias as a teenager.
Elias at a funeral.
Elias disappearing.
Lorenzo stared.
“I buried you.”
“You buried the wrong man.”
Patrick stepped forward.
“Where are you?”
Elias laughed.
“Everywhere.”
The screens went black.
A second later, the mansion's security system turned against us.
Doors locked.
Weapons cabinets opened.
Alarms screamed.
Gabriel appeared on one screen.
He was standing beside Elias.
So was Thomas.
And Giovanni.
All alive.
Lorenzo's expression hardened.
“It's a coup.”
Patrick nodded.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“It's a succession war.”
Elias wanted Lorenzo dead.
But he also wanted the ledger.
The Black Raven wanted control of the Rossi shipping empire.
Lorenzo refused.
That made him the final obstacle.
We escaped through the servants' tunnels.
I led the way.
I had cleaned them for two years.
No one expected a maid to know the mansion better than its security team.
We reached the old greenhouse.
Lorenzo looked at me.
“You knew this existed?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“No one asked.”
He smiled.
“Remind me never to underestimate you again.”
Outside, cars waited.
We escaped to a safehouse.
The next morning, the city exploded with rumors.
Lorenzo Rossi had disappeared.
His company was under attack.
His employees were being threatened.
Banks froze accounts.
Politicians distanced themselves.
People assumed he was finished.
He wasn't.
He spent the night rebuilding his network.
Men who had doubted him returned.
Others betrayed him.
But the most important call came from Vanessa Whitmore.
I recognized the name from Maison Greer.
She was the wealthy woman who had once insulted Rose in another story of my life.
Here she was connected to Elias.
She offered a deal.
“Give me the ledger.”
Lorenzo refused.
She threatened Lily.
I felt the room go cold.
Lorenzo turned toward me.
“Where is your sister?”
“At the clinic.”
He immediately called security.
No answer.
My heart stopped.
We drove to the clinic.
Empty room.
Empty bed.
Only Lily's bracelet remained.
Beneath it was a note.
COME ALONE.
Lorenzo looked at me.
“I won't.”
“You have to.”
“No.”
“It's my sister.”
“I know.”
He looked me directly in the eyes.
“And that is exactly why I'm going.”
We found Lily at an abandoned warehouse.
She was tied to a chair.
Elias stood behind her.
Thomas beside him.
Giovanni near the door.
Gabriel was holding a gun.
And Vincent was there.
I looked at him.
“You.”
He looked ashamed.
“I had no choice.”
Lorenzo stared at him.
“You always have a choice.”
Elias smiled.
“Enough.”
He pointed at the ledger.
“Give it to me.”
Lorenzo held it up.
“No.”
Elias raised his gun.
Then I stepped forward.
“Wait.”
Everyone turned.
I walked toward Elias.
“I know where the original evidence is.”
Lorenzo looked at me.
“What are you doing?”
I whispered:
“Trust me.”
Elias smiled.
“Where?”
“In the place my father hid it.”
“Where?”
I looked at him.
“Inside your own organization.”
He laughed.
“You're bluffing.”
“No.”
I pulled a small recorder from my pocket.
Patrick had given it to me.
His recorded confession played.
It contained every name.
Every payment.
Every Black Raven operation.
Elias's face changed.
I smiled.
“You thought the ledger was the weapon.”
I lifted the recorder.
“It wasn't.”
“This is.”
Lorenzo understood.
The evidence had already been sent to the federal authorities.
Elias was finished.
But he wasn't ready to surrender.
He fired.
Vincent pushed Lily down.
Gabriel tackled Elias.
Gunfire exploded.
Lorenzo dragged me behind cover.
When the shooting stopped, Elias was gone.
But Thomas was captured.
Giovanni was captured.
Gabriel was alive.
Vincent had taken a bullet to the shoulder.
And Lily was safe.
Lorenzo looked at me.
“You disobeyed me.”
“I know.”
“You could have died.”
“I know.”
He stared.
Then pulled me into his arms.
For one second, I forgot everything.
His heart was pounding.
Mine was too.
Then he whispered:
“Don't ever do that again.”
May you like
I smiled against his chest.
“No promises.”
