Chapter 4 - THE NAME
“No.”
Mara backed away from Adriano.
“No. Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
“I’m not thinking anything.”
“You’re looking at Luca like—”
“Like I’m confused.”
“He is Daniel’s son.”
“I didn’t say otherwise.”
“Then explain the name.”
“I can’t.”
Mara’s fear turned into anger.
“You seem to have answers for everything else.”
Adriano ordered a deeper search.
The amendment had been filed using Daniel’s credentials.
But attached to it was a sealed legal document.
A guardianship declaration.
If Daniel and Mara both died, Luca’s guardian would become Adriano Valenni.
Mara stared at the signature.
Daniel’s.
“This is insane.”
Adriano was equally shaken.
“I never agreed to this.”
“Did Daniel know you personally?”
“Not well enough to make me his son’s guardian.”
“Then why?”
They found the answer in Daniel’s drive.
A video.
Daniel appeared onscreen.
He looked exhausted.
Mara covered her mouth.
She had not heard her husband’s voice in eighteen months.
“If you’re watching this,” Daniel said, “I probably failed.”
Mara began crying before he finished the sentence.
Daniel explained everything.
Victor Hale had been building a criminal empire inside Adriano’s organization.
Isabella Valenni was involved.
But Daniel had discovered something worse.
Victor intended to kill Adriano and frame him for federal crimes.
Daniel believed Mara and Luca would become targets because he possessed evidence.
“I changed Luca’s legal surname temporarily,” Daniel said. “Not because Adriano is his father. He isn’t. I did it because an old Valenni family agreement gives anyone legally carrying that surname protection under every branch of the organization.”
Adriano stared.
Daniel continued.
“If anything happens to me, Adriano, protect them. Mara will hate you. She should. She has excellent instincts.”
Mara laughed through tears.
Adriano almost did too.
Then Daniel’s face became serious.
“And don’t trust Isabella.”
The video ended.
Silence.
Mara wiped her cheeks.
“He knew.”
“Yes.”
“He knew somebody would kill him.”
“Yes.”
“And he went to work every morning pretending everything was normal.”
Adriano lowered his eyes.
“He was protecting you.”
“No.”
Mara’s voice sharpened.
“He was deciding for me.”
That surprised Adriano.
“He should have told me. I was his wife, not a child.”
Adriano understood that accusation was not entirely meant for Daniel.
“I should have told you too.”
Mara looked at him.
“Yes.”
“I was wrong.”
That silenced her.
Powerful men rarely apologized without attaching explanations.
Adriano did not.
That night, he went to St. Gabriel’s.
Mara discovered his plan and followed.
She waited until he stepped from the car.
Then emerged from the second SUV.
Adriano stared.
“No.”
“Excellent argument.”
“You’re going home.”
“My dead husband left me in the middle of this.”
“Mara.”
“If your mother knows something about Daniel, I’m hearing it.”
“You have a child.”
“Exactly.”
Adriano stared at her.
Then exhaled.
“You stay behind me.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“That means no.”
“Correct.”
Inside the church, candles burned near the altar.
Isabella Valenni waited alone.
Adriano stopped twenty feet away.
His mother smiled.
“My beautiful boy.”
“Don’t.”
Pain crossed her face.
“You look like your father.”
“Another excellent reason not to compliment me.”
Mara remained beside him.
Isabella looked at her.
“So this is Daniel’s widow.”
“You knew my husband?”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill him?”
Adriano glanced at Mara.
Isabella did not flinch.
“No.”
“Did Victor?”
“Yes.”
Mara’s knees nearly weakened.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel discovered Victor’s real business.”
“What business?”
Isabella looked toward Adriano.
“Children.”
The church seemed suddenly colder.
Victor had used shipping routes to transport vulnerable teenagers under falsified documentation.
Adriano’s face became murderous.
“He used my ships?”
“Without your knowledge.”
“And you?”
Isabella lowered her eyes.
“I discovered it twelve years ago.”
“Then why disappear?”
“Because your father was involved.”
Adriano went completely still.
Isabella explained.
She had tried to expose her husband.
He threatened Adriano.
So Isabella staged her death and disappeared, gathering evidence.
Victor eventually discovered she was alive and forced her into hiding.
“Daniel found me,” she said. “He helped me.”
Mara stared.
“Then why didn’t he tell Adriano?”
“Because we didn’t know whom Adriano trusted.”
Adriano’s anger rose.
“You let me mourn you for twelve years.”
“I kept you alive.”
“You abandoned me.”
“I chose the only option I had.”
“No. You chose for me.”
Mara heard her own words reflected back.
Isabella’s eyes filled.
Before she could answer, glass shattered.
Adriano moved instantly.
He knocked Mara down behind a pew as gunfire tore through stained glass.
His men returned fire outside.
Isabella screamed.
Adriano covered Mara with his body.
Then silence.
A side door stood open.
Isabella was gone.
On the altar remained her purse.
And blood.
Mara crawled forward.
“Adriano.”
He found a phone inside the purse.
A video call began automatically.
Victor Hale appeared.
Behind him, Isabella sat tied to a chair.
Victor smiled.
“Now we negotiate.”
Then the camera shifted.
Mara screamed.
Another chair stood beside Isabella.
Someone else was tied to it.
Sophie.
Luca’s seventeen-year-old babysitter.
Victor leaned toward the camera.
“Bring me Daniel’s drive tomorrow.”
May you like
His smile widened.
“Or the girl dies first.”
