Chapter 4 - The Woman Luca Had Buried Twice

Matteo looked at his son.

"Yes."

Luca stepped backward.

"My mother."

"Yes."

"Alive."

"Yes."

"For how long?"

Matteo took a breath.

"Until two years ago."

Luca's face changed.

The hope lasted less than a second.

Then died.

"She is dead."

"Yes."

This time truly.

Luca stared.

"Where was she?"

"Switzerland."

"Why?"

"Protection."

He laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

Matteo continued:

"Your mother, Sofia, discovered Carlo's accounts before I did."

Carlo said:

"That is not true."

Matteo turned.

"She recorded you."

Carlo stopped.

Luca looked at George.

"The complete recording."

George nodded.

"Sofia made it."

Luca's voice shook.

"When?"

"Sixteen years ago."

One year before Matteo disappeared.

George continued:

"She confronted Carlo."

"And then?"

Matteo answered:

"He threatened you."

Luca looked at him.

"And she disappeared."

"Yes."

"With your help."

Matteo closed his eyes.

"Yes."

Luca laughed without humor.

"So when I was nine, both my parents decided my mother should become dead."

Sofia had been reported killed in a highway accident.

Closed coffin.

Private funeral.

Luca remembered standing beside Matteo.

Remembered Carlo's hand on his shoulder.

Remembered crying until he could not breathe.

He stared at his father.

"You stood beside me at her funeral."

Matteo began crying.

"Yes."

"You watched me bury an empty coffin."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Carlo had men watching."

Luca moved closer.

"So you broke me first."

Matteo said nothing.

Luca continued:

"Then you disappeared six years later."

"Yes."

"And left me with him."

He pointed at Carlo.

Matteo whispered:

"I thought George could protect you."

George lowered his eyes.

Luca looked at him.

"You knew Mom was alive too."

"Yes."

"For all those years."

"Yes."

Luca stared.

"How many people in this house knew my dead parents were alive?"

No one answered.

Then Rosalie whispered:

"I didn't know about Sofia."

Luca looked at her.

George nodded.

"She didn't."

At least one line had not been crossed.

Luca asked:

"How did Mom die?"

Matteo answered:

"Stroke."

"Two years ago."

"Yes."

"Did she ask for me?"

His father looked away.

That was enough.

Luca's eyes filled.

"She did."

"Every year."

"Did you stop her?"

Matteo whispered:

"Sometimes."

Luca looked sick.

"Sometimes."

"She wanted to come back after Carlo lost control of the port contracts."

"When was that?"

"Seven years ago."

Luca stared.

"You told her not to."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Carlo still controlled the board."

Luca laughed.

"Board."

The word sounded disgusting now.

His mother had wanted to return.

His father had stopped her because of a board.

Luca turned away.

Sofia had died without seeing him again.

He could not undo that.

No one could.

Then George reached into his coat.

A small envelope.

"Sofia left this."

Luca looked at it.

His name.

Again.

Another parent.

Another letter.

He did not take it.

"Not yet."

George nodded.

Luca looked at Carlo.

"My mother recorded you."

Carlo's face stayed calm.

"So George claims."

James whispered:

"He has it."

Carlo turned sharply.

James looked at Luca.

"I heard it."

Silence.

"When?"

"Eight months ago."

Luca's face hardened.

"The same time George disappeared."

James nodded.

"Yes."

"What is on it?"

James swallowed.

"Carlo ordering the account transfers."

"And?"

James looked at Matteo.

"Ordering someone to burn the warehouse."

Carlo's expression finally broke.

Luca stared.

"The fire."

James nodded.

"Yes."

Matteo stepped forward.

Carlo said:

"That recording was manipulated."

James shook his head.

"No."

Carlo looked at him.

James continued:

"I spent eight months trying to prove that."

Luca frowned.

"You were investigating."

"Yes."

"With George?"

"At first separately."

George nodded.

James said:

"When I realized Sofia had kept the original, I found George."

Luca looked at Rosalie.

"You knew."

She shook her head.

"Not all of it."

James said:

"She knew I was investigating."

Rosalie cried.

"I thought he was trying to protect you."

Luca looked at her.

"Again."

She lowered her eyes.

Carlo turned toward the ballroom.

Luca's security blocked him.

He stopped.

Then smiled.

"You are making a mistake."

Luca looked at him.

"My dead father is alive."

"My dead mother recorded you."

"My fiancée hid letters."

"Her father signed your transfers."

"And you locked everything behind a restructuring agreement."

He stepped closer.

"Tell me exactly which part is the mistake."

Carlo said nothing.

Then Matteo spoke.

"The complete recording is not the only thing Sofia left."

Luca turned.

"What else?"

Matteo looked at James.

James closed his eyes.

Matteo answered:

"A will."

Luca frowned.

"Whose?"

"Your grandfather's."

Carlo went pale.

Luca saw.

"What does it say?"

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Matteo looked at his brother.

"That Carlo was never supposed to inherit anything."