Chapter 9 - The Contract Written in Blood
Elena had spent three years running from the Crown. But the document they wanted carried her own signature.
Luca stared at her.
“What contract?”
Elena sat on the edge of the hospital bed.
Her hands were shaking.
“Before I met you, I worked as a financial analyst for a private investment firm.”
“I know.”
“No, Luca. You know what I told you.”
He remained silent.
“The firm was owned by Daniel Mercer.”
Luca frowned.
“Daniel was practicing law then.”
“He also controlled several shell companies.”
“Go on.”
Elena swallowed.
“I discovered suspicious transfers. At first, I thought it was money laundering. Then I found payments connected to missing people.”
Luca felt sick.
“The Crown.”
She nodded.
“I wanted to report it. Daniel found out.”
“What did he do?”
“He threatened my family.”
Luca sat beside her.
“Elena…”
“He made me sign an agreement stating that I had authorized the transfers.”
Luca stared.
“He framed you.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
Her voice broke.
“And because by the time we met, I believed the records had been destroyed.”
Luca took her hand.
“You were threatened.”
“I still signed.”
“You were trying to survive.”
Elena looked at him.
“That's what your father said.”
Luca froze.
“Antonio knew?”
She nodded.
“He discovered the agreement after I disappeared. He realized Daniel had been using it to control me.”
“Then why didn't he expose him?”
“Because the original contract also contained a second signature.”
“Whose?”
Elena looked away.
“Your father's.”
Luca released her hand.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Antonio Moretti.
The man who had hidden Elena.
Protected Sofia.
Left the watch.
The man Luca had begun to believe was trying to redeem himself.
“What did he sign?”
Elena's eyes filled.
“An agreement to finance the Crown's early operations.”
Luca stood.
“No.”
“Luca—”
“My father would never—”
“He did.”
Luca turned away.
He remembered Antonio's video.
I built a world where men like Frank could hide behind our name.
Now he understood.
Antonio hadn't merely inherited the problem.
He'd helped create it.
Elena continued.
“Years later, he tried to leave. Frank and Daniel refused to let him.”
Luca stared at the wall.
His father had spent the last years of his life trying to undo something he'd helped build.
And now Luca was paying the price.
Agent Porter returned.
“We've identified Daniel's vehicle.”
Luca turned.
“Where?”
“A private airfield outside Hartford.”
“Is Sofia with him?”
“We believe so.”
“Then let's go.”
Porter held up a hand.
“We need to coordinate with local authorities.”
Luca shook his head.
“He'll leave the country.”
“Not if we shut down the airfield.”
Elena stood unsteadily.
“Daniel won't leave without the watch.”
Luca looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Antonio hid the original contract inside it.”
Luca frowned.
“We found the memory chip.”
“That's not the original.”
“Then where is it?”
Elena looked at the watch in his hand.
“The gold casing.”
Luca examined it.
Arthur had opened both compartments.
But the casing itself remained intact.
Elena continued.
“Antonio told me he'd hidden a physical document somewhere nobody would think to destroy.”
Luca looked at the watch.
“The casing.”
She nodded.
“He had a jeweler create a hollow inner ring. The contract was copied onto thin metal film.”
Luca stared.
The watch wasn't merely a container.
It was evidence.
The last surviving proof of who had founded the Crown.
At the airfield, Daniel Mercer stood beside a private jet.
Sofia sat in a small waiting room with a woman assigned to watch her.
She clutched her stuffed rabbit.
“Where's Mommy?”
The woman looked away.
“She's coming.”
Daniel checked his phone.
A message appeared.
Moretti is approaching.
He smiled.
“Finally.”
But another message followed.
Federal agents have surrounded the property.
Daniel's smile disappeared.
He looked toward the runway.
Vehicles were moving toward the hangar.
He cursed.
Then called Frank.
“Where are you?”
Frank answered calmly.
“Somewhere safe.”
“You said you had the airfield secured.”
“I said I'd arrange transportation.”
“They're here.”
“Then you should have left earlier.”
Daniel's voice rose.
“You can't abandon me!”
Frank laughed.
“Daniel, you've always mistaken usefulness for loyalty.”
The line went dead.
Daniel stared at the phone.
For the first time, he understood.
Frank had betrayed him.
Luca arrived with Agent Porter.
The airfield was surrounded.
Daniel stood inside the hangar.
He held a handgun.
Sofia was in the waiting room behind a locked glass door, visible to the officers outside.
Luca stepped forward.
“Daniel!”
His former friend turned.
“Luca.”
“Let my daughter go.”
Daniel smiled bitterly.
“You always did get everything.”
Luca stared.
“What?”
“The family. The money. Elena.”
“Daniel, this isn't about jealousy.”
“Isn't it?”
Daniel's voice cracked.
“I spent twenty years cleaning up your father's messes.”
“You threatened my wife.”
“I protected the organization.”
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
Daniel looked toward Sofia.
“She wasn't supposed to get hurt.”
“Then prove it.”
Luca held up the watch.
“You want this?”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Yes.”
“Release Sofia.”
Daniel hesitated.
Luca stepped closer.
“She's two years old. She doesn't understand any of this.”
Daniel looked through the glass.
Sofia was crying.
Her small hands pressed against the door.
“Daddy?”
Luca froze.
She had never called him that before.
Elena had taught her his name.
Shown her photographs.
Told her he loved her.
Luca's eyes filled.
“I'm here, sweetheart.”
Daniel's hand trembled.
Agent Porter spoke through a loudspeaker.
“Mr. Mercer, put down the weapon.”
Daniel looked around.
There was no escape.
He lowered the gun.
It struck the concrete floor.
Officers moved in.
Luca rushed toward the waiting room.
A security officer opened the door.
Sofia looked up.
For one long second, she stared at him.
Then she whispered:
“Daddy?”
Luca dropped to his knees.
“Yes, baby.”
She ran into his arms.
He held her against his chest.
Her little fingers gripped his jacket.
“Mommy said you'd come.”
Luca began crying.
“I came, sweetheart.”
He kissed her hair.
“I came.”
Later that night, Luca returned to the hospital with Sofia.
Elena sat beside the window.
When she saw her daughter, she covered her mouth.
“Sofia!”
The little girl ran toward her.
“Mommy!”
Elena gathered her into her arms.
Luca stood beside them.
For the first time in three years, his family was together.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
Agent Porter entered.
“Mr. Moretti, we recovered Daniel's communications.”
Luca looked up.
“And?”
“Frank Moretti disappeared.”
Luca's jaw tightened.
“Find him.”
“We're trying.”
Porter hesitated.
“There's something else.”
She handed Luca a photograph.
It showed Frank entering a private residence two days earlier.
Beside him walked a woman.
Silver hair.
Elegant posture.
A familiar face.
Luca stared.
His hands went cold.
Because the woman in the photograph was someone he had buried twenty-eight years ago.
May you like
His mother.
Continue to Chapter 10: Luca discovers the truth about his mother's disappearance—and makes a decision that changes the Moretti family forever.
