Chapter 4 - Victor Hale Had Raised a Son to Inherit Alessio

The tunnel opened beneath the old rehabilitation wing.

Snow had begun falling harder.

Alessio’s phone found a signal.

Three missed calls.

All from Sebastian.

One from Victor Hale.

Alessio called Victor first.

The old man answered immediately.

“You should have stayed at the gala.”

Alessio looked at Anthony.

“I found the files.”

Silence.

Victor sighed.

“Then Irene has caused more trouble than I expected.”

Irene whispered:

“Good.”

Alessio asked:

“Why was Sebastian watching me at university?”

Victor answered calmly.

“To keep you alive.”

“Why?”

“Because you were the last Moretti heir.”

Anthony stepped closer.

Alessio said:

“My father is alive.”

Victor’s voice hardened.

“Anthony forfeited that name when he ran.”

“And my mother?”

“She helped him.”

“So you buried me on paper.”

“I protected the family.”

Alessio laughed.

“That phrase is getting old.”

Victor continued.

“Your father was weak.”

Anthony stared at the phone.

“You tried to kill me.”

Victor did not deny it.

“You were dismantling what your father built.”

Anthony answered:

“My father wanted it dismantled.”

Victor laughed.

“Your father changed his mind every time fear reached his bedroom.”

Alessio looked at Anthony.

Anthony said nothing.

Victor continued.

“I kept the organization intact.”

“By killing people?”

“By preventing collapse.”

Alessio looked at the file in his hand.

“And Sebastian?”

“My son is loyal.”

“To you.”

“To structure.”

Alessio’s voice dropped.

“You planned to put him in control through me.”

Victor paused.

Then:

“You were never interested in administration.”

Anthony’s face hardened.

Alessio almost smiled.

“No.”

“You liked the public businesses.”

“Yes.”

“You left the machinery to Sebastian.”

“Yes.”

Victor’s tone softened.

“You see?”

Alessio stopped smiling.

“You built a cage and congratulated yourself because I decorated it.”

Silence.

Valentina looked at him.

Victor said:

“Come back to the estate.”

“No.”

“Your guests are still there.”

“Send them home.”

“You have responsibilities.”

“My first responsibility tonight is finding out how many years of my life you manufactured.”

Victor’s voice sharpened.

“You do not understand what happens if the old structure breaks.”

Anthony answered:

“People stop fearing you.”

Victor laughed.

“Still sentimental, Anthony.”

Alessio looked at his father.

Then back at the phone.

“What did you do in 2018 after Sebastian shot him?”

Victor said nothing.

“You sent him a second death notice?”

Silence.

Maria stepped closer.

“He did.”

Alessio turned.

She handed him a folded paper.

Another notice.

ALESSIO MORETTI.

KILLED IN PRIVATE PLANE CRASH.

2018.

Alessio stared.

“You believed this too?”

Maria nodded.

“For six weeks.”

Anthony closed his eyes.

Alessio looked at him.

“And then?”

“I found the flight manifest.”

“My name wasn’t on it.”

“No.”

“You knew I was alive.”

“Yes.”

“And still did not come.”

Anthony’s face broke.

“We tried.”

“How?”

“Letters.”

Maria whispered:

“Seven.”

Alessio stared.

“To me?”

“Yes.”

“I never received them.”

Victor laughed through the phone.

“No.”

Everyone went still.

Alessio’s voice became flat.

“You intercepted my parents’ letters.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because they would have made you reckless.”

Anthony whispered:

“You stole thirty years.”

Victor replied:

“No.”

“I preserved thirty years.”

Alessio ended the call.

Valentina stared.

“You hung up.”

“Yes.”

“He may hurt the guests.”

Alessio looked at her.

“Sebastian wants the ledger.”

He looked at me.

I still held it.

“So we give him something else.”

Dr. Cross frowned.

“What?”

Alessio opened Victor’s instruction file.

“Proof.”

Anthony understood.

“You want him to choose between protecting Victor and protecting himself.”

“Yes.”

Valentina whispered:

“He will choose Victor.”

Alessio looked at her.

“You knew him for years?”

“Yes.”

“Did he ever speak about his father?”

“No.”

“Exactly.”

He photographed the instruction page.

Then sent it to Sebastian.

One line.

HE PLANNED TO USE YOU TOO.

For thirty seconds, nothing happened.

Then Sebastian called.

Alessio answered.

Sebastian’s breathing was uneven.

“Where did you get that?”

“The archive.”

“That file is fake.”

“Come verify it.”

“Where?”

Alessio looked at Anthony.

Then the old clinic chapel across the courtyard.

“Where my mother hid from you in 2018.”

Silence.

Sebastian whispered:

“She told you.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t know what happened.”

“Then tell me.”

Sebastian ended the call.

Five minutes later, one black SUV left the clinic entrance.

Not toward the chapel.

Toward the city.

Anthony whispered:

“He’s going to Victor.”

Alessio nodded.

Maria looked at him.

“And now?”

He picked up the Victor file.

“Now we go home.”

Valentina stared.

“To the gala?”

“No.”

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His expression changed.

“To the man who thinks it is still his house.”