Chapter 5 - Luca Was Taken From My Own Nursery, and the Kidnapper Left Behind the Same Silver Bracelet That Had Been Found Beside His Hospital RecordsThe kidnapping wasn't random.
The person knew my security patterns.
They knew which camera would be offline.
They knew where Luca slept.
Someone inside my home had helped.
I checked the security logs.
One employee.
A nanny.
Her name was Teresa.
She had worked for us for eight years.
She vanished.
We found her apartment empty.
But inside was a photograph.
Teresa with Carlo.
My uncle.
So he was the architect.
But where was Luca?
I followed the clue.
The bracelet.
The same silver bracelet.
It belonged to Isabella.
Its hidden compartment contained a tiny memory card.
On it was a map.
An old monastery outside the city.
I went.
Matteo came with me.
Our relationship had changed.
He wasn't my enemy.
He was my brother.
Maybe the last person in the family I could trust.
The monastery was empty.
No Luca.
Only Isabella's voice on a recording.
“Alessandro.”
I stopped.
“If you're hearing this, then Carlo has taken the boy.”
I looked at Matteo.
The recording continued.
“Do not give him the trust.”
“Do not surrender.”
“He doesn't want money.”
“He wants control of the bloodline.”
The recording ended.
Then another started.
My father.
His voice.
“Carlo, if you are listening, remember that no child belongs to the family.”
I stared.
My father had wanted the system destroyed.
Carlo had betrayed him.
The organization continued anyway.
We searched the monastery.
A hidden room contained children's records.
Hundreds.
My son was one.
Luca Moretti.
Born.
Alive.
Protected.
At the bottom was a note.
Carlo has the mother.
Valentina.
My blood froze.
They had taken her too.
We received a call.
“Bring the trust.”
Carlo.
“You have until midnight.”
“Where?”
“Your father's old estate.”
I went.
The old house was abandoned.
Carlo stood inside.
Valentina was tied to a chair.
Luca was in a crib.
Alive.
Safe.
I almost collapsed from relief.
Carlo smiled.
“You see?”
“You're finished.”
“No.”
He pointed at the legal documents.
“Sign.”
I looked.
The same inheritance papers.
The ones I had been about to sign three days earlier.
I laughed.
“You really think I will?”
“You'll sign.”
“No.”
“Your wife dies.”
I looked at Valentina.
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
Carlo raised a weapon.
I stepped forward.
“Wait.”
Carlo smiled.
“There.”
I picked up the pen.
Then stopped.
“Why did you fake my son's death?”
“Because you wouldn't sign while he was alive.”
“You could have killed him.”
He looked at Luca.
“No.”
“Why?”
“He is the key.”
“To what?”
Carlo smiled.
“The family archive.”
I stared.
The archive.
My father had mentioned it once.
A hidden repository.
Evidence.
Money.
Control mechanisms.
Information powerful enough to destroy governments.
Luca's bloodline unlocked it.
I understood.
They didn't just want my fortune.
They wanted everything my father had hidden.
I pretended to sign.
Then pressed the pen against the paper.
Carlo relaxed.
That was his mistake.
My security team stormed the building.
Gunfire.
Chaos.
I reached Luca.
Grabbed him.
Valentina screamed.
Matteo fought beside me.
Carlo escaped.
But we had Luca.
Alive.
Safe.
For now.
Then Isabella appeared.
She walked from the shadows.
Alive.
Wounded.
Carrying a folder.
She looked at me.
“I told you he was the heir.”
I stared.
“Why did you leave him for Sophia?”
May you like
She smiled.
“Because children trust children.”
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