Chapter 8 - Lorenzo Had Left Another Son Behind

Nobody spoke for several seconds.

Marco repeated:

“What boy?”

Lorenzo sat down.

Vivienne looked between them.

Finally:

“His name is Matteo.”

Marco stared.

“Who is Matteo?”

Lorenzo looked at the floor.

“My son.”

Silence.

Marco laughed once.

No humor.

“Of course.”

Lorenzo continued.

“Before I met your mother.”

Marco held up one hand.

“How old?”

“Thirty-eight.”

Marco stepped backward.

“Older than me.”

“Yes.”

“Where is he?”

“Naples.”

“Does he know about me?”

“Yes.”

Marco stared.

“Did Mom know?”

Lorenzo nodded.

“Yes.”

“Everyone knew except me.”

“No.”

“That is becoming a family tradition.”

Lorenzo accepted it.

Vivienne asked:

“What does Matteo have to do with Lorenzo disappearing?”

Lorenzo looked at Marco.

“Adrian found him.”

“When?”

“Fifteen years ago.”

Marco’s face hardened.

“The same time you disappeared.”

“Yes.”

“What did Adrian threaten?”

“To kill both sons.”

Silence.

Marco stared.

“So you had two children to protect.”

“Yes.”

“And chose neither.”

Lorenzo flinched.

“I thought leaving both outside my reach was safest.”

Marco laughed bitterly.

“You really committed to that strategy.”

“Yes.”

“Did Matteo have a mother?”

“She died when he was young.”

“So who raised him?”

“My sister.”

Marco whispered:

“Aunt Sofia.”

“Yes.”

“She never told me.”

“I made her promise.”

Marco turned away.

Lorenzo continued.

“Matteo wanted to contact you.”

“When?”

“Years ago.”

“And you stopped him.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because Adrian watched him too.”

Marco looked back.

“Where is he now?”

Lorenzo hesitated.

“Here.”

Silence.

Vivienne whispered:

“In the city?”

“Yes.”

“When did he arrive?”

“Yesterday.”

Marco stared.

“You brought him here.”

“Yes.”

“For what?”

“To help me confront Adrian.”

“And you still didn’t tell me.”

“No.”

Marco looked tired.

Not angry.

Tired.

“Why?”

Lorenzo answered:

“Because I wanted to tell you one impossible thing at a time.”

Marco laughed.

“That is almost reasonable.”

Then his face hardened again.

“Almost.”

Vivienne asked:

“Where is Matteo?”

Lorenzo looked toward the window.

“At the old house.”

Marco went still.

“Where Adrian is.”

“Yes.”

“You sent him there?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Lorenzo pulled out his phone.

One message.

From Matteo.

HE KNOWS I’M HERE.

GO TO MARCO.

DO NOT COME BACK.

Sent twenty minutes earlier.

Marco looked at Lorenzo.

“You left your other son with Adrian.”

Lorenzo stood.

“I didn’t know Adrian was there.”

Marco grabbed his coat.

“So now we know.”

The old DeLuca house sat outside the city.

Large.

Dark.

Abandoned for years.

Marco remembered summer dinners there.

His mother laughing in the garden.

His uncle Adrian teaching him cards.

His father arguing behind closed doors.

A childhood built in the same rooms where truth now waited.

They entered through the kitchen.

One light burned upstairs.

Marco heard voices.

Adrian.

Another man.

Younger.

Marco climbed the stairs.

Lorenzo behind him.

Vivienne stayed downstairs with security.

Marco entered the study.

A man stood near the fireplace.

Thirty-eight.

Dark hair.

Same eyes as Lorenzo.

A scar across his eyebrow.

Matteo.

He looked at Marco.

Neither moved.

Adrian sat in a chair.

Calm.

“Family reunion.”

Marco ignored him.

He looked at Matteo.

“You knew.”

Matteo nodded.

“For years.”

“You never came.”

“I tried.”

“When?”

“Your twenty-fifth birthday.”

Marco frowned.

“I got no message.”

“Adrian intercepted it.”

Marco looked at his uncle.

Adrian smiled.

“Predictable.”

Matteo stepped closer.

“I’m sorry.”

Marco stared.

“Get in line.”

Matteo almost smiled.

Then Adrian spoke.

“Now you understand why your father ran.”

Marco turned.

“No.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“I understand why he was afraid.”

Lorenzo stood in the doorway.

Marco continued.

“That is not the same as understanding why he stayed away.”

Lorenzo lowered his eyes.

Matteo looked at him.

“Good.”

Marco stared at his brother.

“You’re angry too.”

“Very.”

For the first time, Marco smiled.

A little.

Adrian stood.

“This is touching.”

Marco looked at him.

“You killed my mother.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

Barely.

Marco took out the recorder.

“I have the road photographs.”

Adrian said nothing.

“The security vehicle.”

Silence.

“The bank records.”

Nothing.

“Robert is testifying.”

Adrian smiled faintly.

“Robert will collapse.”

“Maybe.”

Marco continued.

“Lorenzo is testifying too.”

Adrian looked at Lorenzo.

“You?”

Lorenzo answered:

“Yes.”

“You will incriminate yourself.”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s smile disappeared.

Marco looked at Matteo.

“And him?”

Matteo pulled out a folder.

“Fifteen years of Adrian’s Naples accounts.”

Adrian stared.

Marco looked back at his uncle.

“You built your power by making everyone afraid to speak.”

Adrian said nothing.

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Marco continued.

“Tonight everyone got tired at the same time.”