Chapter 7 - The Secret Lucian’s Father Left Behind

Lucian’s father had been missing for eleven years.

His name was Alberto Vescari.

I had seen his portrait in the west hallway.

Tall.

Elegant.

The same dark eyes as Lucian.

Marianne sat beneath that portrait now.

“He signed false manifests for Vincent,” she said.

Lucian stood across from her.

“How many?”

“Three.”

“Why?”

“He owed money.”

“That simple?”

“No.”

Marianne looked at Serena.

“Vincent introduced him to the debt.”

Serena understood before I did.

“Gambling.”

Marianne nodded.

“Private tables. Loans. Then blackmail.”

Lucian laughed bitterly.

“So my father helped him use our company.”

“Yes.”

“And Matteo found out.”

“Yes.”

“And when Matteo threatened to expose Vincent, Vincent killed him.”

Marianne’s eyes closed.

“Yes.”

“What happened to my father?”

Walter opened the ledger again.

“I may know.”

Near the center was an account marked A.V.

Payments continued years after Marianne disappeared.

Then stopped eleven years earlier.

The exact month Alberto vanished.

Lucian pointed at the final line.

“Croatia.”

Walter nodded.

“A private clinic near Split.”

Marianne looked shocked.

“You told me he was dead.”

Walter stared at the page.

“Lorenzo told me he was.”

Lucian looked at him.

“Did my grandfather lie to everyone?”

Walter answered quietly.

“When he believed it kept someone alive.”

Serena’s phone buzzed.

A bank alert.

She stared at it.

“What?” Lucian asked.

“My father moved money.”

“How much?”

“Eight million.”

“Where?”

She looked at Walter.

“To a company called Adriatic Medical Holdings.”

Walter went still.

Lucian grabbed his coat.

“Split.”

Marianne stood.

“No.”

Lucian looked at her.

“If my father is alive, I’m going.”

“You don’t know what Vincent is doing.”

“That’s why I’m going.”

Elena March called before he reached the door.

She had found Ronald Pike.

Alive.

Safe.

And willing to testify.

She had also found something else.

A passenger record.

Vincent Bellini had booked a flight to Croatia for that night.

Lucian said:

“He’s going to Alberto.”

Elena replied:

“Or going to remove him.”

Serena looked at Lucian.

“I know my father’s pilot.”

“No.”

“What?”

“You’re not coming.”

She stared at him.

“I can get us there faster.”

“You’ve lied to me for a year.”

“Yes.”

“And now you want trust.”

“No.”

Her answer surprised him.

“I want a chance to stop helping him.”

Lucian said nothing.

Serena removed the engagement ring from the ledger.

She held it for a moment.

Then placed it in Lucian’s hand.

“This was never supposed to be a business contract to me.”

He looked at the ring.

“But it became one.”

“Yes.”

“Did you love me?”

Serena’s face broke.

“Yes.”

“Did you choose me?”

She looked toward Marianne.

Then toward the red ledger.

“Not soon enough.”

Lucian closed his hand around the ring.

He did not put it back in his pocket.

He set it on the table.

“We go to Croatia.”

Serena exhaled.

“But this does not fix us.”

“I know.”

Walter remained behind with Marianne.

I should have stayed too.

Instead, Lucian looked at me.

“Claire, your mother’s evidence started this.”

I understood what he was asking.

“You want me there.”

“I want you to decide.”

I thought about Sarah Hayes.

A woman I had never fully known.

Then I picked up her copied plate number.

“I’m coming.”

Six hours later, our plane landed near Split.

Elena met us on the tarmac.

She held a photograph taken twenty minutes earlier.

An older man leaving a private clinic.

Thinner.

Gray-haired.

But unmistakable.

Alberto Vescari.

Lucian stared at the photograph.

“My father.”

Elena nodded.

“He checked himself out this morning.”

“Where did he go?”

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

She looked toward Serena.

“With Vincent Bellini.”