Chapter 6 - The Brother Who Refused to Die
Riccardo dropped into the chair.
Sofia had never seen fear hit someone so quietly.
“Vittorio.”
The voice on the phone chuckled.
“You always were slow.”
“You’re dead.”
“Clearly not.”
Riccardo’s face twisted.
“I buried you.”
“You buried a stranger.”
Marco motioned for technicians to trace the call.
Vittorio continued.
“I hear my niece has grown up beautifully.”
Sofia stepped closer.
Riccardo covered the phone.
“Don’t.”
She took it anyway.
“My name is Sofia.”
Vittorio went quiet.
Then he laughed.
“Elena did raise you stubborn.”
“Where is she?”
Riccardo stared at Sofia.
Vittorio replied, “Ask your father.”
Sofia’s heart tightened.
“He doesn’t know.”
“Then Riccardo is even more useless than I remember.”
Sofia gripped the phone.
“Where is Elena?”
“Alive.”
Her knees weakened.
“For now.”
Riccardo took the phone.
“If you hurt her—”
“You’ll what?”
Vittorio’s tone hardened.
“You couldn’t protect Isabella. You couldn’t protect your daughter. You couldn’t even recognize your own brother’s work happening under your nose.”
Riccardo’s jaw clenched.
“What do you want?”
“The second ledger.”
“I don’t have it.”
“But Sofia may.”
Sofia frowned.
Vittorio continued.
“Elena didn’t keep the girl out of love. She kept her because Isabella told her where the ledger was.”
Sofia whispered, “No.”
Vittorio heard her.
“Oh, yes.”
“She loved me.”
“I’m sure she did eventually.”
The word eventually cut deeper than Sofia expected.
Riccardo asked, “Where is Elena?”
Vittorio gave an address.
Marco quickly wrote it down.
“Old packing warehouse on Halsted.”
Riccardo’s eyes narrowed.
“You expect me to walk into a trap?”
“Yes.”
Vittorio laughed.
“And you will.”
The line disconnected.
Sofia grabbed her coat.
Riccardo blocked her.
“You’re staying here.”
“No.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion.”
She stepped close.
“You lost me once.”
The words hit him.
“You don’t get to lock me away now.”
Riccardo lowered his voice.
“If you are my daughter—”
“Then you have even less right to order me around.”
Antonio hid a smile.
Riccardo glared at him.
“Not helpful.”
Sofia pointed at the door.
“Elena is the only mother I’ve ever known.”
“She may have stolen you.”
“And she may have saved me.”
Riccardo said nothing.
“She’s going with us,” Marco said.
Riccardo turned.
Marco shrugged.
“You can leave her here.”
He nodded toward Sofia.
“She’ll follow in a cab.”
Sofia folded her arms.
Riccardo muttered something in Italian.
Twenty minutes later, three vehicles approached the abandoned warehouse.
Marco’s team surrounded the property.
Inside, the lights were dim.
A chair sat in the center.
Elena Rossi was tied to it.
Sofia ran.
“Mom!”
“Sofia!”
Elena started crying.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Sofia cut the rope from her wrists.
“What did you do?”
Elena looked over Sofia’s shoulder and saw Riccardo.
Her face hardened.
“You.”
Riccardo stopped.
“Elena.”
“You should have died before she ever found you.”
Sofia recoiled.
“Mom!”
Elena stood shakily.
“No.”
She pointed at Riccardo.
“You don’t know what he was back then.”
Riccardo’s expression went dark.
“I know what I was.”
“Do you?”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“Tell her what happened to Tomas.”
Riccardo froze.
Sofia looked at him.
“Who is Tomas?”
Nobody answered.
Elena stared directly at Riccardo.
“Tell her.”
Riccardo’s voice dropped.
“He was Isabella’s brother.”
Sofia waited.
“And?”
May you like
Riccardo looked away.
“I killed him.”
