Chapter 6 - The Truth About Alessandro's Father Changed the Meaning of the Black BoxThe estate entered full lockdown.
Alessandro's security teams moved through the corridors.
Nobody knew where Vale was.
Or how he had entered the system.
He didn't need to.
He already had access.
The voice returned.
“Alessandro.”
Silence.
“I know what your father did.”
Alessandro raised his gun.
“I know what Marco did.”
I stood beside him.
Vale continued:
“And I know what you both want.”
“What?”
“To punish me.”
Alessandro answered:
“I want you dead.”
Vale laughed.
“Then we understand each other.”
The speakers went silent.
Dominic entered.
“We found the breach.”
“Where?”
“Old communications room.”
Alessandro nodded.
“Take ten men.”
Dominic left.
I looked at Alessandro.
“My father killed yours.”
“He believed he had to.”
“Do you hate him?”
“I don't know.”
“Do you hate me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because you didn't do it.”
“That isn't enough.”
“It is.”
He looked away.
“You're not responsible for the sins of your father.”
“Neither are you.”
His eyes met mine.
Something passed between us.
Then the alarm screamed.
An explosion shook the west wing.
I fell.
Alessandro caught me.
“Stay with me.”
“I am.”
Smoke filled the hallway.
We moved through it.
Dominic shouted:
“Clear!”
Then someone fired.
The shooter was inside the house.
A servant.
One we both recognized.
Alessandro shot him.
I stared.
“He worked here.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Seven years.”
“Vale bought him.”
“Probably.”
We reached the communications room.
A screen displayed a live video.
My mother.
My grandmother.
And another person.
Alessandro's face went pale.
His mother.
Alive.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Alessandro.”
He froze.
“Mom?”
The screen crackled.
Vale appeared beside her.
“She has been waiting.”
Alessandro's jaw tightened.
“What do you want?”
“Your surrender.”
“Take me.”
“And the girl.”
“No.”
“Then they die.”
I stepped forward.
“I'll come.”
Alessandro grabbed my arm.
“No.”
“She has my family.”
“You're walking into a trap.”
“She already has them.”
Vale smiled.
“Bring the box.”
I looked at it.
Alessandro shook his head.
“Not happening.”
Vale's expression hardened.
“Then your mother dies.”
The screen went black.
I turned toward Alessandro.
“We have to go.”
“No.”
“We do.”
“I won't let you.”
“You don't get to decide.”
He stared.
I stepped closer.
“Your father chose to protect my life.”
“Your father chose to protect mine.”
“Then let us finish what they started.”
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Finally:
“Dominic.”
“Yes?”
“Prepare the convoy.”
We drove to an abandoned theater.
Inside, Vale waited.
His network was massive.
Armed men everywhere.
My mother sat restrained.
My grandmother beside her.
Alessandro's mother was there too.
Vale smiled.
“You brought the box.”
I held it.
“Yes.”
“Put it down.”
I did.
Vale opened it.
His expression changed.
“Where is the letter?”
I smiled.
“I memorized it.”
He stared.
“You little—”
Alessandro raised his weapon.
“Let them go.”
Vale laughed.
“You still think you have power.”
He pressed a button.
Screens appeared.
Financial records.
Politicians.
Bank accounts.
Photographs.
“Your entire empire is compromised.”
Alessandro's men looked at each other.
Vale smiled.
“The Moretti family is finished.”
I spoke quietly.
“No.”
Everyone looked at me.
“You are.”
I pressed a hidden button on my bracelet.
The black box's internal mechanism transmitted the archive.
Everything Vale had tried to hide began uploading.
His face changed.
“What did you do?”
“Your mistake was thinking the box was the archive.”
I looked at Alessandro.
“The box is the key.”
Vale lunged.
Alessandro stopped him.
Gunfire erupted.
My mother escaped.
My grandmother crawled behind cover.
Alessandro fought Vale's men.
I ran toward my mother.
“Mom!”
She hugged me.
“I thought I'd lost you.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“I hate you.”
She laughed through tears.
“I know.”
Then a gunshot.
Alessandro fell.
“Alessandro!”
Vale stood over him.
The gun was aimed at his chest.
“You should have stayed in your wheelchair of power,” Vale said.
Alessandro looked up.
Then smiled.
“You made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You forgot my people love me.”
Behind Vale, Dominic raised his weapon.
The theater filled with gunfire.
Vale escaped through the backstage tunnels.
But the archive had already uploaded.
The world was watching.
Within an hour, federal investigators began raids.
Politicians resigned.
Bank accounts froze.
And the Moretti empire changed forever.
But Alessandro was bleeding.
I knelt beside him.
“Stay awake.”
He smiled.
“You opened the box.”
“Yes.”
“Worth it.”
“Don't joke.”
“I always joke when I'm dying.”
“You're not dying.”
“Good.”
His eyes closed.
I shook him.
“Alessandro!”
He opened them.
“Still here.”
May you like
I cried.
For the first time, I realized the man I had been afraid of was also the man I couldn't bear to lose.
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