Chapter 6 - Bloodline

Antonio's words made no sense at first.

Marello lowered the gun by an inch.

"Explain."

Antonio walked into the room slowly.

He looked older than any memory I had of him.

His hair was white.

A scar ran from his temple to his jaw.

But his posture remained straight.

Commanding.

"The Vitali family carries a hereditary blood disorder," he said.

Marello stared.

"What disorder?"

"Factor XI deficiency. Mild in most carriers. Severe in a smaller percentage."

I looked at Marello.

He shook his head.

"I don't have it."

"No. Your mother carries the gene. You did not inherit the dangerous form."

Sofia spoke quietly.

"Your sister did."

Marello froze.

"What sister?"

Antonio closed his eyes.

There it was.

Another grave opening.

"You had a younger sister."

Marello's voice became dangerous.

"I was an only child."

"No."

Sofia began to cry.

Antonio continued.

"Lucia was born when you were four. She died at six months after routine surgery."

Marello looked at his mother.

"You never told me."

"You were a child."

"I'm forty now."

Sofia lowered her eyes.

Antonio said, "After Lucia died, we created a private registry for family descendants. Medical monitoring. Genetic screening."

I felt sick.

"That explains the files."

"Partly."

"What does it have to do with Leo?"

"Your prenatal blood work was intercepted."

I stared at him.

"By whom?"

"Victor."

Antonio looked toward Bianca.

"He discovered the child carried a rare marker tied to the Vitali line."

Marello's expression hardened.

"So he knew Leo was mine before Elena disappeared."

"Yes."

"Then why threaten him?"

Antonio hesitated.

"Because the marker was proof."

"Proof of what?"

"That Sofia had falsified a branch of the family trust decades ago."

Sofia looked away.

Marello laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

I stepped closer.

"Explain clearly."

Sofia spoke.

"Antonio's older brother, Matteo, was the original legal heir to several family holdings."

"What happened?"

"He died young."

"And?"

"He had a son nobody knew about."

Marello frowned.

"Who?"

"Victor Salvi."

Silence.

I looked toward the corridor where Victor had disappeared.

"Victor is a Vitali?"

Antonio nodded.

"By blood."

Marello's face changed.

"Your nephew."

"My brother's son."

"And the trust?"

Sofia answered.

"When Matteo died, his estate should have passed to Victor if his paternity became legally recognized. Antonio feared civil war."

Antonio gave a humorless smile.

"Your mother feared losing control."

Sofia glared.

"You agreed."

"I did."

Marello looked between them.

"So you erased Victor."

"We paid his mother. changed records. buried the claim."

"And he found out."

"Years later."

I finally understood.

"He wanted the empire because he believed it was his."

Antonio nodded.

"Yes."

"And Leo's DNA could prove something?"

"Victor and Marello share paternal blood markers from the same line. Leo's prenatal sample gave Victor a way to establish connections among hidden records."

Marello shook his head.

"That's not enough to prove inheritance."

"No. But Rosa Moreno found the trust amendment."

My mother's name hit me like a physical blow.

Antonio continued.

"She realized Victor's father had been Matteo Vitali."

I stared at Sofia.

"And she was killed for it."

Sofia's voice broke.

"Victor panicked."

"You protected him."

"I protected the family from scandal."

"You protected yourself."

She looked at me.

"Yes."

At least she no longer lied.

Marello turned to Antonio.

"And Bianca?"

Antonio's face hardened.

"Bianca's father financed Victor's legal campaign in secret. She learned the truth as a teenager."

Bianca laughed.

"Don't make me sound like a child recruited into a cult."

Antonio looked at her.

"You were seventeen."

"I was old enough to understand theft."

Marello stared.

"So this wedding was revenge."

Bianca met his eyes.

"At first."

"At first?"

She looked away.

"I did not expect to love you."

Marello's face remained cold.

"You planned my murder."

"After you changed."

"I changed?"

"You began restructuring the businesses."

"So?"

"You were making the empire legitimate."

Antonio looked surprised.

Marello's eyes narrowed.

Bianca continued.

"Victor couldn't seize what you were dismantling."

"So you accelerated the plan."

"Yes."

"And Leo?"

She said nothing.

I stepped forward.

"Answer."

Bianca looked at me.

"Victor wanted him dead."

Marello's hand clenched.

"And you?"

"I argued against it."

I laughed in disbelief.

"You sent a fake nurse with a syringe."

"That was not my order."

"She said ask the bride."

"Because she knew I was involved."

"Involved is enough."

Bianca's eyes flashed.

"I kept Leo alive for four years after Victor wanted him removed."

"Do you want gratitude?"

"No."

"Then stop presenting delay as mercy."

She looked away.

Marello turned to Antonio.

"Where is Victor?"

Antonio glanced at a wall monitor.

"Gone."

Nico checked the feed.

"Vehicle leaving north gate."

Marello turned.

"Track it."

Nico grabbed his radio.

Antonio said, "He will not run far."

"Why?"

"Because he needs the original Aurora ledger."

I remembered the book from Casa Vitali.

"Nico brought it."

Marello's eyes sharpened.

"Where is it now?"

Nico went still.

"In the SUV."

Everyone looked toward the corridor.

Then an explosion shook the building.

The lights flickered.

Nico cursed.

"We need to move."

Smoke began filling the hallway.

Antonio grabbed Sofia's wheelchair.

Marello blocked him.

"Don't touch her."

Antonio stared.

"She's my wife."

"She was my dead mother ten minutes ago."

"Marello."

"Elena takes her."

I looked at him.

"You trust me with her?"

"No."

Sofia almost laughed through tears.

Marello continued.

"I trust you not to leave someone in a burning building."

He was right.

I grabbed the handles.

"Bianca?"

Nico pulled her upright.

"Coming with us."

We moved toward the emergency stairs.

Smoke thickened.

Somewhere above us, fire alarms screamed.

Antonio walked beside Marello.

"You must understand, son—"

"Not now."

"I never wanted this."

"You built it."

"I built protections."

"You built lies."

Antonio stopped.

Marello turned.

"The empire survived."

Marello stared at his father.

"My family didn't."

Antonio had no answer.

We reached the surface through a side exit.

Falcon House burned behind us.

Nico ran toward the SUVs.

One vehicle was destroyed.

The second had a shattered window.

He opened the rear compartment.

The ledger case was gone.

Marello said one word.

"Victor."

Nico nodded.

Then my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I answered.

"Hello?"

Victor's voice.

"Elena."

Marello grabbed the phone and put it on speaker.

"Where are you?"

Victor laughed.

"Still giving orders."

Marello's voice turned cold.

"You touched my son once. You don't get a second chance."

"I don't need one."

I stared at the phone.

"What do you want?"

"The boy."

Marello took a step forward as if Victor were standing in front of him.

"No."

Victor continued.

"Bring Leo to Saint Agnes Church tomorrow at noon."

I felt sick.

"Why?"

"Because the ledger is useless without living blood."

Antonio went pale.

Marello noticed.

"What does he mean?"

Victor laughed.

"Ask your father about the covenant clause."

Antonio closed his eyes.

Marello turned.

"What clause?"

Antonio looked defeated.

"The original trust requires a direct blood descendant to certify disputed succession claims."

Marello stared.

"Leo."

"Yes."

Victor's voice came through the phone.

"Bring him, and I disappear forever."

I snapped.

"You expect me to hand my child to the man who destroyed my mother?"

"No."

A pause.

"I expect Marello to choose between his son and his empire."

Marello answered immediately.

"My son."

Victor went silent.

Marello continued.

"You can have every building. every company. every account. I choose Leo."

I looked at him.

There was no hesitation.

None.

Victor's voice changed.

"You think that makes you noble?"

"No."

Marello looked at me.

"It makes me a father."

The call ended.

Antonio stared at his son.

"You cannot surrender the empire."

Marello turned.

"Watch me."

"Marello, thousands of people depend on those businesses."

"Then we protect the legitimate ones and burn the rest."

"You don't understand what you're giving away."

Marello stepped toward his father.

"No."

His voice was calm.

"For the first time in my life, I understand exactly what matters."

He looked at me.

"We go home."

"And Victor?"

"He wants a ceremony tomorrow."

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Marello's eyes became hard again.

"We'll give him one."