Chapter 9 - The Mother Who Chose the Money
Luca walked into the open yard.
Elena followed him.
Marco positioned his men behind the farmhouse.
Isabella stood beside the limousine with Daniel.
The boy looked frightened.
“Grandmother,” Luca said quietly. “Let him go.”
Isabella pressed the gun against the car door.
“First, I want the original trust documents.”
“You can have them.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Liar.”
Isabella turned toward her.
“You should be dead.”
Elena's expression hardened.
“You tried.”
Isabella smiled sadly.
“I tried to protect my family.”
“By stealing my children?”
“By keeping them away from your father.”
Luca shook his head.
“You signed the hospital papers.”
Isabella's eyes filled.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Antonio was going to give everything to you. The business, the money, the trust. He was going to leave nothing for me.”
Luca stared.
“So you sold my children?”
“I arranged for them to be separated. I thought it would only be temporary.”
“Temporary?”
“I didn't know Vanessa would become involved.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You introduced her to Antonio.”
Isabella said nothing.
The silence was enough.
Luca felt something inside him collapse.
His mother had not been an innocent victim.
She had helped create the nightmare.
“Where is my father?” he asked.
Isabella looked toward the road.
“He's waiting for you.”
“Where?”
“The estate.”
Luca glanced at Daniel.
“Let my son come to me.”
Isabella lowered the gun slightly.
Daniel took one step forward.
Then another.
“Daddy?”
Luca opened his arms.
The boy ran.
Isabella suddenly raised the weapon.
A gunshot cracked through the yard.
Daniel screamed.
Luca threw himself over his son.
But the bullet struck the car.
Marco's men rushed forward.
Isabella dropped the weapon.
For the first time, she looked genuinely terrified.
“Luca, wait!”
He stood, shielding Daniel.
“You don't get to call me your son anymore.”
Isabella began crying.
“I made mistakes.”
“You made choices.”
He turned away.
Then a second vehicle appeared.
A black SUV.
The rear door opened.
Antonio Moretti stepped out.
He looked older than he had on the screen.
But he was alive.
He walked toward the family, clapping slowly.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
Luca raised his weapon.
Antonio stopped.
“You're going to shoot your father?”
“You stopped being my father when you put my children in danger.”
Antonio smiled.
“You still don't understand. Everything I did was to protect the Moretti name.”
Elena stepped beside Luca.
“Your name is built on graves.”
Antonio looked at her.
“And you're still alive. That's the problem.”
He reached into his coat and produced a document.
“The trust papers.”
Luca looked at it.
Antonio continued.
“Sign away your rights, and everyone walks away.”
“No.”
Antonio sighed.
“Then I suppose we'll have to discuss the alternative.”
He looked toward Daniel.
Luca moved in front of his son.
“Touch him and I'll destroy everything you've built.”
Antonio laughed.
“You can't destroy what you don't understand.”
He turned to Isabella.
“Tell him.”
Isabella began shaking.
“Tell him what?” Luca demanded.
Antonio smiled.
“Tell him whose son he really is.”
The yard fell silent.
Elena looked confused.
Luca frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Antonio stepped closer.
“Your mother had an affair before you were born.”
Isabella covered her mouth.
“Antonio, please.”
“Your entire life has been a lie, Luca.”
He handed Luca a DNA report.
Luca looked at the result.
His hands began trembling.
The report stated that Antonio Moretti was not his biological father.
But the second name on the document was even worse.
It belonged to a man Luca had known since childhood.
A man who had stood beside him at every family funeral.
A man who had helped raise him.
Marco.
Luca slowly turned toward his security chief.
Marco lowered his eyes.
And whispered:
“I'm sorry, boss.”
Before Luca could speak, another gunshot echoed from the farmhouse.
Elena collapsed.
And Antonio smiled.
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“Now,” he said, “we can finally finish this family.”
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