Chapter 5 - Valentina Finally Admitted Why She Delayed the Reunion

The estate was nearly empty when we returned.

Guests had been sent home.

Security stood outside.

Different men.

Alessio’s lawyer had replaced Sebastian’s team.

Victor sat in the library.

Alone.

He looked smaller without a ballroom around him.

Alessio entered first.

Anthony and Maria followed.

Victor stared at them.

“So the dead return.”

Maria answered:

“Only because you lied badly.”

Victor smiled.

Then looked at Alessio.

“You brought them into your home.”

“Their home too.”

Victor’s face changed.

Anthony noticed.

“So that still matters to you.”

Victor said nothing.

Alessio placed the surveillance files on the table.

Then the instruction naming Sebastian.

“Explain.”

Victor leaned back.

“I already did.”

“No.”

Alessio opened another file.

Moretti Holding Trust.

Victor stopped smiling.

Alessio had found it in the archive.

A clause gave temporary voting control to the chief security trustee if Alessio died without a legal heir.

Sebastian Hale.

Valentina whispered:

“Oh my God.”

Alessio looked at Victor.

“You were not protecting me.”

Victor replied:

“I was protecting continuity.”

“You positioned your son to inherit my control.”

“Temporarily.”

Anthony laughed.

“Victor never gives anything back.”

Alessio continued.

“Did Sebastian know?”

Victor hesitated.

That was enough.

“He didn’t.”

Victor’s jaw tightened.

Alessio looked toward the library door.

Sebastian stood there.

Everyone turned.

He had arrived without anyone hearing him.

He stared at Victor.

“Did I know what?”

Victor said:

“Nothing relevant.”

Sebastian walked to the table.

He saw the trust.

His own name.

His face changed.

“You told me I was protecting Alessio.”

“You were.”

“You told me he was the future.”

“He is.”

Sebastian pointed at the clause.

“And if he dies?”

Victor stood.

“This is not the place.”

Sebastian laughed quietly.

“I gave you my life.”

Victor’s expression hardened.

“I gave you one.”

Silence.

Sebastian flinched.

Anthony whispered:

“There.”

Alessio understood.

Victor did not love his son.

He owned him too.

Sebastian looked at Alessio.

“I shot your father.”

Maria closed her eyes.

Alessio did not move.

Sebastian continued.

“Victor said Anthony was coming to kill you.”

Anthony stared.

“I had a letter for him.”

Sebastian nodded.

“I know now.”

Victor shouted:

“Enough.”

Sebastian turned.

“You told me Maria had hired men to take Alessio out of the country.”

“She was unstable.”

Maria laughed bitterly.

“I was grieving a child you told me was dead.”

Sebastian looked at the floor.

“I believed him.”

Alessio asked:

“Would you have killed my father?”

Sebastian looked at Anthony.

“I aimed for his leg.”

Anthony tapped the cane.

“You were not as accurate as you think.”

Sebastian’s face twisted with shame.

Then Valentina spoke.

“I delayed the reunion because of Sebastian.”

Alessio turned.

“What?”

She was crying.

“My father told me Victor had someone inside your house.”

Dr. Cross stared at her.

“I never told you it was Sebastian.”

“You didn’t know.”

Valentina looked at Alessio.

“I did.”

Silence.

Alessio’s face hardened.

“How?”

“Three months ago, I saw him leaving my father’s clinic after asking about Anthony.”

Dr. Cross whispered:

“Valentina.”

She continued.

“I followed him.”

“To where?”

“To Victor’s townhouse.”

Alessio stared.

“You knew they were connected for three months.”

“Yes.”

“And you said nothing.”

“I thought if I told you, you would confront him.”

“I would have.”

“And your parents were still hiding.”

Anthony watched her.

Valentina said:

“I was afraid Sebastian would find them.”

Alessio stepped closer.

“So you told my parents I wasn’t ready.”

“Yes.”

“Because you were protecting them?”

“Yes.”

“And your father’s license?”

She closed her eyes.

“That too.”

Alessio looked away.

“At least now it is honest.”

Valentina cried harder.

“I wanted time to find proof.”

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

She opened her clutch.

A flash drive.

Victor stared.

His first real fear.

Alessio noticed.

“What is on it?”

Valentina looked at Dr. Cross.

“Dad’s old clinic backups.”

Dr. Cross went pale.

“What backups?”

“I copied the server before the archive was scheduled for deletion.”

Victor stood.

“You stupid girl.”

Sebastian moved between him and Valentina.

Victor stopped.

Valentina handed the drive to Alessio.

“Patient admissions.”

“Payments.”

“Security footage.”

“Letters.”

Alessio looked at her.

“Which letter?”

She whispered:

“The one Anthony brought in 2018.”

Anthony stared.

“You have it?”

“A scan.”

Valentina nodded.

“It was addressed to Alessio.”

Alessio inserted the drive into the library computer.

One scanned letter appeared.

Alessio,

If you are alive, then every year I stayed away was built on a lie.

I do not expect forgiveness.

I only need you to know that your mother and I never chose a life without you.

We chose what we believed was the only way to keep you alive.

If I have one chance to see you, I will take it.

—Dad

Alessio read it silently.

Then again.

Anthony looked down.

Victor whispered:

“Sentiment.”

Sebastian turned toward his father.

“No.”

Victor stared at him.

Sebastian continued.

“That letter is why you ordered me to stop him.”

Silence.

Alessio looked at Sebastian.

“What did Victor tell you?”

Sebastian’s answer was almost a whisper.

“That Anthony was carrying a kill order.”

Victor said:

“He could have been.”

Sebastian closed his eyes.

Then removed his weapon.

Everyone tensed.

He placed it on the table.

Beside Victor’s trust.

“I’m done.”

Victor’s face changed.

“You are my son.”

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Sebastian looked at him.

“That has been the problem.”