Chapter 6 - The Uncle Who Had Been Dead for Six Years

Adrian entered before Daniel could stop him.

The study doors opened.

Marcus Vale turned.

So did the other man.

Older.

Gray beard.

Same Russo eyes.

Adrian stared.

“Uncle Matteo.”

The man smiled.

“You got tall.”

Adrian’s face hardened.

“You died.”

“Conveniently.”

Bianca stood between them.

Marcus looked furious.

“You were told to come alone.”

Bianca answered:

“I changed my mind.”

Adrian looked at Matteo.

“You have Victor’s authorization code.”

“Yes.”

“You helped Marcus.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Matteo poured himself a drink.

“Because your grandfather built something worth keeping.”

Adrian stared.

“The accounts?”

“The network.”

Sofia’s ledgers.

The old businesses.

The political connections.

Matteo continued.

“Your mother wanted to burn it.”

Adrian said:

“She wanted to expose crimes.”

Matteo shrugged.

“Same thing.”

Adrian’s father spoke through the earpiece.

“Ask him about Prague.”

Adrian frowned.

Then remembered.

One account in the ledgers.

Prague.

He looked at Matteo.

“What happened in Prague?”

Matteo’s smile disappeared.

Marcus looked at him.

Bianca noticed.

Adrian continued.

“My father searched for my mother for ten years.”

He stepped closer.

“Then he disappeared eleven years ago.”

Silence.

“Prague.”

Matteo said nothing.

Adrian’s voice dropped.

“You found him first.”

Matteo looked away.

Marcus said:

“This is irrelevant.”

Adrian ignored him.

“You found my father.”

Matteo answered:

“Yes.”

Bianca went still.

Adrian stared.

“When?”

“Eleven years ago.”

“Where?”

“Prague.”

“Why?”

“He was close to finding Sofia.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“And you stopped him.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Matteo smiled faintly.

“I told him the truth.”

Adrian frowned.

“What truth?”

“That Victor had not acted alone.”

Silence.

Adrian’s father whispered through the earpiece:

“No.”

Adrian looked at Matteo.

“Who helped my grandfather?”

Matteo answered:

“Your father.”

Adrian stopped.

Bianca stared.

Matteo continued.

“He signed the papers.”

Adrian said:

“I know.”

“He paid the doctor.”

“I know.”

“He testified in custody.”

Adrian’s face changed.

“What?”

His father whispered:

“Adrian.”

Too late.

Matteo smiled.

“There it is.”

Adrian looked toward the hidden earpiece.

Then at Matteo.

“My father testified against my mother.”

“Yes.”

“Under oath?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Marcus looked uncomfortable now.

Bianca whispered:

“Adrian.”

He ignored her.

Matteo continued.

“Your father told the court Sofia was unstable.”

Adrian’s face emptied.

Through the earpiece.

His father said:

“I was forced.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

Matteo laughed.

“Everyone was forced.”

Adrian opened them.

“Why did you tell him this eleven years ago?”

“Because I wanted him to stop searching.”

“Did he?”

“No.”

Matteo’s smile faded.

“He became worse.”

“What did he do?”

“He started collecting evidence against Victor.”

Adrian stared.

“And against you.”

“Yes.”

“And Marcus.”

Marcus looked at Matteo.

“You said nothing about that.”

Matteo shrugged.

“You never asked.”

Bianca stared at her father.

“You knew Adrian’s father was investigating you.”

Marcus said nothing.

She stepped closer.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Is that why you delayed their return?”

Marcus looked at Adrian.

“I delayed it because if his father spoke before the acquisition, everyone lost.”

Adrian said:

“Everyone meaning you.”

Marcus answered:

“Everyone meaning thousands of employees.”

Matteo laughed.

“Still pretending.”

Marcus glared at him.

Adrian looked between them.

“They do not trust each other.”

Bianca understood.

“No.”

Matteo’s hand moved toward the desk.

Adrian saw it.

So did Bianca.

She stepped back.

Daniel’s voice came through.

“Adrian. Leave.”

Matteo pulled a pistol.

Marcus froze.

Adrian did not move.

Matteo pointed it at Marcus.

“You were supposed to close the deal.”

Marcus said:

“I tried.”

“You failed.”

Bianca whispered:

“Dad.”

Marcus raised his hands.

Matteo looked at Adrian.

“Sign the transfer.”

“No.”

“Then Marcus dies.”

Bianca went pale.

Adrian stared at her father.

Marcus looked terrified.

Adrian said:

“You think I care enough about him?”

Bianca looked at Adrian.

He met her eyes.

Then continued.

“I care about her.”

Matteo smiled.

“Same result.”

He moved the gun toward Bianca.

Adrian’s expression changed.

Before Matteo could aim.

Marcus hit his arm.

The gun fired.

Glass shattered.

Adrian moved.

Security entered.

Matteo fell.

Pinned.

The gun slid away.

Marcus collapsed against the desk.

Blood on his sleeve.

Bianca rushed to him.

“Dad.”

He looked at her.

Not badly hit.

A graze.

Adrian stood over Matteo.

His uncle smiled from the floor.

“You think this ends it?”

Adrian stared.

Matteo continued.

“Ask your father why he vanished eleven years ago.”

Adrian’s face hardened.

“He was searching for my mother.”

Matteo laughed.

“No.”

Silence.

“He had already found her.”

Adrian turned toward the earpiece.

His father said nothing.

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Matteo smiled.

“He disappeared because he was running from you.”