Chapter 14 - A Father, Not a Don
“Dad!”
The word came out before Sofia could stop it.
Riccardo looked down at the blood.
Then at her.
Even wounded, he seemed shocked by what she had called him.
Vittorio aimed again.
Sofia kicked the gun away.
Marco burst onto the roof.
Vittorio ran.
Riccardo dropped to one knee.
Sofia caught him.
“Stay with me.”
He looked at her.
“You called me Dad.”
“Don’t make this weird right now.”
He almost laughed.
Then winced.
Marco chased Vittorio toward the edge.
Vittorio picked up Riccardo’s fallen gun.
“Back off!”
Marco stopped.
Vittorio looked toward the helicopter.
It was already pulling away.
His escape was gone.
Sirens screamed below.
Federal vehicles surrounded the tower.
Vittorio stared over the edge.
Then back at Riccardo.
“You did this.”
Riccardo pressed a hand to his wound.
“No.”
He looked at Sofia.
“She did.”
Vittorio raised the gun toward her.
Riccardo moved.
Sofia grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Vittorio laughed.
“Still listening to Isabella?”
Sofia stepped forward.
“Put the gun down.”
“You think you’re brave?”
“No.”
She was crying now.
“I’m terrified.”
Vittorio aimed at her chest.
“Then stop walking.”
She didn’t.
Marco whispered, “Sofia.”
She kept moving.
Vittorio shouted, “Stop!”
“No.”
“You think because you have Marino blood—”
“This has nothing to do with Marino blood.”
She stopped ten feet from him.
“This is what you never understood.”
His hand trembled.
“You spent your whole life trying to control people with fear.”
Sofia wiped her tears.
“And now everyone knows who you are.”
Vittorio looked toward the street.
Police lights reflected across nearby buildings.
Helicopters circled.
His phone buzzed repeatedly.
Everything was collapsing.
Sofia said, “You already lost.”
Vittorio’s face twisted.
He pointed the gun at his own head.
Riccardo shouted, “Vittorio!”
Sofia froze.
Vittorio laughed.
“You don’t get to put me in a cage.”
Sofia took another step.
“Then put the gun down and face what you did.”
He looked at her.
For one second, the old man disappeared.
Sofia saw only someone exhausted by a life built on fear.
Then his expression hardened again.
He swung the gun toward Riccardo.
Marco fired.
Vittorio dropped.
The gun slid across the roof.
Sofia stared.
Marco lowered his weapon.
“He was going to shoot.”
Nobody answered.
Federal agents flooded the rooftop seconds later.
Paramedics rushed Riccardo.
Sofia followed them.
Riccardo grabbed her wrist.
The bracelet glinted beneath the emergency lights.
“Sofia.”
She leaned closer.
“That is your name.”
His breathing was shallow.
“I know.”
“Not Chiara.”
Sofia stared.
Riccardo continued.
“Chiara was the child we lost.”
His eyes filled.
“Sofia is the woman you became.”
She started crying.
He squeezed her hand.
“And if you never call me Dad again…”
He struggled for breath.
“I’ll understand.”
“Save your breath.”
She held his hand tighter.
“You’re not getting out of twenty-three years of explanations that easily.”
Riccardo laughed weakly.
Then his eyes closed.
The monitor alarm changed.
Sofia’s face went white.
“Dad?”
The paramedic pushed her back.
“Sir?”
May you like
“Dad!”
The elevator doors closed between them.
