Chapter 7 - Lena’s Father Was on the Yacht

Lena could not speak.

Dante looked at her.

“Your father?”

She shook her head.

“He worked construction.”

Gabriel laughed.

“No.”

Lena stared.

“My father is sick.”

“Yes.”

“Dialysis.”

“Yes.”

“What does that have to do with the yacht?”

Gabriel looked at Dante.

“Her father built the fuel system.”

Silence.

Lena stepped back.

“No.”

Gabriel continued.

“Joseph Maro.”

Dante recognized the name.

He had seen it in old maintenance reports.

Lena looked at him.

“You know it.”

Dante did not lie.

“Yes.”

Her face changed.

Gabriel said:

“He was on the yacht that morning.”

Lena stared.

“My father told me he had never met you.”

Gabriel smiled.

“He lied.”

Security took Gabriel’s arms.

Dante stopped them.

“Wait.”

Marco looked at him.

Dante said:

“I want this part.”

Then to Gabriel:

“Why was Joseph there?”

Gabriel answered:

“To inspect the fuel line.”

Lena whispered:

“He installed it.”

“Yes.”

“Did he know about the bomb?”

“No.”

She closed her eyes.

Relief.

Then Gabriel added:

“Not at first.”

Lena opened them.

“What does that mean?”

Gabriel smiled.

“Your father found it.”

Silence.

Dante stared.

“When?”

“Two hours before departure.”

Lena’s face went white.

“What did he do?”

Gabriel looked at Dante.

“He told your father.”

Dante froze.

“My father knew before the yacht left?”

“Yes.”

Marco shouted:

“That is a lie.”

Gabriel looked at him.

“You were not there.”

Marco moved forward.

Security stopped him.

Gabriel continued.

“Dante’s father knew something had been planted.”

Dante’s face changed.

“Then why did he let me board?”

Amelia whispered:

“No.”

Everyone looked at her.

She shook her head.

“Gabriel is twisting it.”

Gabriel smiled.

“Am I?”

Amelia looked at Dante.

“Your father knew there was sabotage.”

“Yes.”

“But Joseph could not find where.”

Lena stared.

“My dad tried?”

“Yes.”

“He and your father delayed departure.”

Dante remembered.

The yacht had left three hours late.

He had been furious.

Amelia continued.

“They believed they had isolated the problem.”

Gabriel interrupted:

“They were wrong.”

Dante’s jaw tightened.

Lena asked:

“Was my father on board when it exploded?”

Amelia looked at her.

“Yes.”

Lena stopped.

No.

Her father had told her he was home that day.

Gabriel said:

“He jumped before the second blast.”

Lena whispered:

“He survived.”

“Yes.”

“Then why lie to me?”

Amelia looked down.

“Because he thought Gabriel would come for you.”

Lena laughed in disbelief.

“My whole life?”

Gabriel said:

“He was right.”

Dante looked at Gabriel.

“You threatened her family.”

“Not directly.”

“Meaning?”

“I made sure Joseph knew silence was healthier.”

Lena shook.

Dante’s voice went cold.

“Take him.”

This time he did not stop security.

Gabriel was removed.

Lena sat.

Her hands would not stop shaking.

Dante moved closer.

“Lena.”

She looked at him.

“You knew my father’s name.”

“Yes.”

“And never told me.”

“I only recognized it tonight.”

She stared.

“From where?”

“Old yacht maintenance records.”

“Why were you reading them?”

“Because I never believed the explosion report.”

That surprised her.

Dante continued.

“I just believed the wrong part.”

Lena looked away.

“My father lied to me.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone seems to.”

Dante nodded.

“Yes.”

Vivienne sat beside Lena.

Unexpected.

“You should call him.”

Lena laughed.

“He will deny it.”

“Probably.”

“Then what?”

Vivienne looked at Dante.

“You stop asking permission to know your own life.”

Lena stared at her.

Then called.

Joseph Maro answered on the fourth ring.

Weak voice.

“Lena?”

“Dad.”

“What happened?”

She looked at Dante.

Then asked:

“Were you on Dante Vale’s yacht seven years ago?”

Silence.

Long.

Then:

“Yes.”

Lena closed her eyes.

“Did you find a bomb?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell his father?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know it would explode?”

“No.”

“Did you help cause it?”

Joseph started crying.

“No.”

Lena’s throat tightened.

“Then why hide this from me?”

“Because Gabriel Vale came to the hospital.”

Dante’s face hardened.

Joseph continued.

“He told me you would pay if I talked.”

Lena whispered:

“I was twenty.”

“I know.”

“You let me think you were just a construction worker.”

“I was.”

“That is not all you were.”

“No.”

Silence.

Then Joseph said:

“There is something else.”

Lena almost laughed.

“Of course there is.”

Her father whispered:

“I kept a piece of the device.”

Everyone looked at her.

“What?”

“From the fuel compartment.”

Dante moved closer.

Joseph continued.

“I took it before investigators arrived.”

“Why?”

“Because the blast report was going to be buried.”

Dante whispered:

“He kept physical evidence.”

Lena asked:

“Where?”

Joseph answered:

“In my dialysis clinic locker.”

Dante looked at Marco.

Marco nodded.

Real evidence.

Seven years old.

Possibly untouched.

Then Joseph said:

“Lena.”

“Yes?”

“If Dante is with you…”

She looked at him.

“He is.”

Joseph went quiet.

Then:

“Tell him I am sorry.”

Dante leaned toward the phone.

“No.”

Joseph heard him.

Silence.

Dante said:

“You tried to stop it.”

“I failed.”

“So did a lot of people.”

Joseph cried.

Dante continued.

“But if you kept proof…”

He looked at Lena.

“…then maybe you did not fail at the last thing.”

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And for the first time since the towels fell, Lena saw Dante smile without bitterness.

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