Chapter 7 - THE BROTHER IN THE SHADOWS
Elio moved in front of Janevra.
Daario laughed.
“There he is. The heroic husband.”
His gun remained steady.
“You know, three months ago you barely looked at her.”
“Put the weapon down.”
“And now you’d die for her.”
Elio said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.
Daario smiled at Janevra.
“Congratulations. You accomplished what everyone thought impossible.”
“What happened to my mother?” Janevra demanded.
“Janevra.”
Elio’s warning was quiet.
She ignored him.
Daario tilted his head.
“Isabella survived the car crash your father arranged.”
Elio stiffened.
“My father?”
“Oh, Carlo didn’t kill her personally. Men like him rarely dirty their own hands.”
“Where did she go?”
“Switzerland. New identity. She was gathering evidence.”
Janevra fought to keep breathing.
“And then?”
“She made one mistake.”
“What?”
“She contacted Victoriao.”
Janevra’s heart sank.
Her father.
Again.
Daario smiled.
“Your father told Carlo where she was.”
“No.”
“He didn’t mean to. Carlo had his phones monitored.”
Janevra closed her eyes.
Victoriao had not deliberately betrayed Isabella.
But his carelessness had killed her anyway.
“Carlo sent me.”
Daario’s smile disappeared.
“I was twenty-four.”
“You killed her.”
“I followed orders.”
Janevra lunged.
Elio caught her around the waist.
“Janevra!”
“You murdered her!”
Daario raised the gun.
Elio pushed Janevra behind him.
“You want me,” Elio said. “Not her.”
Daario’s expression twisted.
“You always thought everything was about you.”
“I didn’t know you existed as my brother.”
“You knew I existed. You just thought I was less important.”
“That wasn’t my decision.”
“It was our father’s.”
There it was.
Decades of resentment.
Carlo had hidden one son while publicly grooming the other.
Daario had grown up near the throne but never permitted to claim it.
“You think he’ll give it to you now?” Elio asked.
Daario’s eyes flickered.
“He already has.”
“No. He’s using you.”
“Shut up.”
“He used my mother. He used Isabella. He used me.”
Elio stepped forward.
“And he’s using you.”
“I said shut up!”
The gun moved toward Elio.
Janevra saw something behind Daario.
Bruno.
He appeared silently in the corridor.
Janevra needed Daario distracted.
“So why didn’t Carlo make you marry me?”
Daario looked at her.
“What?”
“You’re his son too.”
Elio understood immediately.
Janevra continued.
“If I was so important to the plan, why Elio?”
“Because—”
“Because Carlo never believed you were good enough.”
Daario’s face changed.
Cruel.
But effective.
“Janevra,” Elio murmured.
She kept going.
“He gave Elio the family. The name. The power. And what did he give you?”
“Everything he has now.”
“No.”
Janevra shook her head.
“He gave you errands.”
Daario aimed at her.
Bruno moved.
Gunfire exploded.
Elio pulled Janevra down.
Daario fired wildly.
Bruno’s shot struck his shoulder.
The gun fell.
Elio crossed the room in seconds and pinned his brother against the wall.
His fist rose.
“Stop!”
Janevra’s voice froze him.
Elio looked at her.
“Don’t kill him.”
“He murdered your mother.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because Carlo wants you to become him.”
Silence.
Elio’s fist slowly lowered.
Bruno restrained Daario.
For the first time, Daario looked afraid.
Elio stepped away.
“Take him alive.”
Janevra realized what had happened.
Elio had chosen again.
Not mercy because Daario deserved it.
Control because Elio refused to let Carlo determine the man he became.
They took the evidence from the hotel.
But the victory lasted only forty minutes.
On the drive home, Bruno received a call.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Elio asked.
Bruno turned toward Janevra.
“It’s Lena.”
Janevra’s blood went cold.
“What about her?”
“She’s missing.”
Carlo had taken her.
The message arrived seconds later.
Trade Daario and Isabella’s files for Lena. Midnight. Navy Pier. Come without an army.
Janevra read it twice.
“No.”
Elio looked at her.
“We’ll get her back.”
“No trade.”
“Janevra—”
“Carlo wants the evidence destroyed. If we give it to him, my mother died for nothing.”
“She’s your best friend.”
“I know.”
Her voice broke.
“I know.”
Elio took her hand.
“We can save both.”
“How?”
He looked at Daario sitting handcuffed in the rear vehicle.
“By giving Carlo exactly what he thinks he wants.”
At 11:57 p.m., Janevra walked onto the deserted pier carrying a drive.
Elio walked beside her.
Daario followed in restraints.
Carlo waited beneath the Ferris wheel.
Lena was beside him.
Alive.
Terrified.
Janevra saw Carlo Vieira for the first time.
He was older than Elio.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
His eyes were the same gray.
But there was nothing warm behind them.
“My daughter-in-law.”
Janevra hated the phrase.
“Release Lena.”
“First the drive.”
Janevra held it up.
Carlo smiled.
Then Elio pushed Daario forward.
For one second, Janevra expected emotion.
Carlo barely looked at his hidden son.
Daario noticed.
Something broke in his face.
“Father?”
“Quiet.”
One word.
Dismissive.
Janevra saw Elio’s prediction come true.
Daario had spent his entire life serving a man who did not love him.
Carlo reached for the drive.
Daario suddenly moved.
He slammed his shoulder into Carlo’s guard.
Chaos erupted.
Elio grabbed Janevra.
Lena ran.
A shot cracked.
Then another.
Carlo disappeared behind a vehicle.
Bruno’s hidden team moved in.
Janevra reached Lena.
“You’re okay.”
Lena was sobbing.
“I’m going to kill your family.”
“Get in line.”
Then Janevra heard Elio gasp.
She turned.
He stood ten feet away.
Blood spread across his chest.
“Elio?”
His knees hit the pavement.
May you like
The world stopped.
Janevra screamed his name.
