Chapter 3 - His Mother Had Found Lorenzo Before Marco Ever Did

Marco did not move.

Lorenzo opened a drawer.

Inside were letters.

Dozens.

Different years.

Same handwriting.

Marco recognized it immediately.

His mother.

Elena DeLuca.

He touched the first envelope.

“Why do you have these?”

“She wrote to me.”

“After you disappeared.”

“Yes.”

“You answered?”

“Yes.”

Marco looked at him.

“So you were speaking to Mom.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Three years.”

Marco stepped back.

“You let her lie to me too.”

Lorenzo lowered his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She was trying to keep you alive.”

“That sentence is becoming very convenient.”

Lorenzo accepted it.

“Yes.”

Marco opened one letter.

Lorenzo,

Marco is asking questions.

He thinks you left us.

I told him you had business overseas.

I hate myself for it.

Marco stopped reading.

His face tightened.

Lorenzo whispered:

“She wanted to tell you.”

“But didn’t.”

“No.”

“Because Adrian threatened me.”

“Yes.”

Marco opened another.

This one dated thirteen years earlier.

Adrian came to the house today.

He knew I had spoken to you.

Marco looked up.

“What happened?”

Lorenzo’s face changed.

“He confronted her.”

“Did he hurt her?”

“No.”

Marco stared.

“Answer carefully.”

Lorenzo met his eyes.

“No.”

“Then what?”

“He told her he knew where I was.”

Vivienne whispered:

“How?”

“Robert.”

She closed her eyes.

Lorenzo continued.

“Robert had tracked one of my accounts.”

Marco looked at the tape.

“So her father helped Adrian find you.”

“Yes.”

Vivienne said:

“He said he was trying to protect me.”

Lorenzo’s expression softened slightly.

“People say that when they want forgiveness before they tell you what they did.”

Marco looked at her.

She did not argue.

He opened another letter.

Elena wrote:

If anything happens to me, do not let Marco think I chose this silence because I was weak.

I chose it because every road back to you seemed to pass through him.

Marco stopped.

“Him?”

Lorenzo answered:

“Adrian.”

“Why?”

“Because he controlled your security after I disappeared.”

Marco frowned.

“I was nineteen.”

“And he became your guardian in everything except name.”

Marco thought about it.

Business meetings.

Drivers.

Lawyers.

Accounts.

Uncle Adrian was always there.

Marco whispered:

“He built my adult life.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Lorenzo looked at him.

“Because he expected you to become useful.”

Vivienne stared.

“The merger.”

Lorenzo nodded.

Marco said:

“He waited fifteen years for this.”

“Yes.”

“To put me in a position where I would sign away control.”

“Yes.”

Joseph whispered:

“Your father tried to stop him before.”

Marco turned.

“When?”

“Three years after he disappeared.”

Lorenzo closed his eyes.

Joseph continued.

“Elena came here.”

Marco stared.

“This shop?”

“Yes.”

“She brought a file.”

“What file?”

Joseph looked at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo answered:

“Proof Robert had taken money.”

Vivienne went pale.

Marco looked at her.

“She found evidence against your father.”

Vivienne whispered:

“Yes.”

Lorenzo continued.

“She wanted to trade it.”

“For what?”

“For Adrian to leave you alone.”

Marco stared.

“Did it work?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Robert panicked.”

Vivienne shook her head.

“My father wouldn’t—”

Then stopped herself.

She no longer sounded certain.

Lorenzo opened another envelope.

Inside was a newspaper clipping.

Elena DeLuca Killed in Highway Accident.

Marco stared.

“This was real.”

“Yes.”

“She died.”

“Yes.”

“Accident?”

Lorenzo did not answer.

Marco looked at him.

“Was it an accident?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fifteen years of evidence and you don’t know?”

“I know the brake line was cut.”

Silence.

Vivienne covered her mouth.

Joseph looked away.

Marco’s voice dropped.

“Who cut it?”

“We never proved it.”

“But you have a theory.”

“Yes.”

“Adrian.”

Lorenzo nodded.

Marco stared at the letters.

His father disappeared.

His mother lied.

Then his mother died.

His uncle raised him.

The same uncle now waited to sign a merger after midnight.

Marco looked at the clock.

11:34 p.m.

Vivienne whispered:

“We need to stop the signing.”

Marco turned.

“We?”

She swallowed.

“I know what I did.”

“Do you?”

“I found your father eight months ago.”

“And hid him.”

“Yes.”

“You met him every month.”

“Yes.”

“You delayed him because your father wanted the merger.”

“Yes.”

“And because?”

Vivienne hesitated.

Marco saw it.

“There’s more.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

She looked at Lorenzo.

He looked away.

Vivienne whispered:

“Your father asked me to help him contact you.”

“I know.”

“I said no.”

“I know.”

“Twice.”

Marco’s face hardened.

“Why twice?”

She started crying.

“Because the second time he told me he thought my father helped cover up your mother’s death.”

Silence.

Marco stared.

“And you chose not to tell me.”

“Yes.”

“Because you were protecting your father.”

“Yes.”

He nodded slowly.

“At least now it’s honest.”

Lorenzo reached for another file.

“One more thing.”

Marco looked at him.

“Your mother did leave evidence.”

“Of the crash?”

“No.”

“Of what?”

Lorenzo opened the folder.

Inside was a photograph.

Elena.

Robert Russo.

And Adrian DeLuca.

Standing in this tailor shop.

Two days before Elena died.

Marco stared.

“She met both of them.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Joseph answered.

“To make a deal.”

Marco looked at him.

“What deal?”

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Joseph whispered:

“To disappear too.”