Chapter 7 - Anthony Moretti Had Not Been Innocent Either

The police took Victor away before dawn.

Sebastian went separately.

Not in handcuffs.

Yet.

He had confessed to shooting Anthony.

The prosecutor would decide what came next.

The estate became quiet.

Too quiet.

Alessio sat in the kitchen.

Not the library.

Not the ballroom.

The kitchen.

Maria made coffee.

Her hands shook.

Anthony stood near the window.

Valentina waited at the doorway.

Alessio looked at his father.

“There is still something you are not telling me.”

Anthony did not answer.

Maria stopped pouring coffee.

Alessio noticed.

“What?”

Anthony sighed.

“Victor did not hate me only because I wanted out.”

Alessio waited.

“I worked for him.”

Silence.

“For how long?”

“Five years.”

Alessio stared.

“What did you do?”

Anthony looked at Maria.

She nodded.

He continued.

“I moved money.”

“For Moretti businesses?”

“For Victor.”

“Legal?”

“No.”

Alessio’s face hardened.

Anthony continued.

“I helped him hide ownership.”

“Of what?”

“Shipping companies.”

“Casinos.”

“Construction fronts.”

Alessio said nothing.

Anthony looked ashamed.

“When your grandfather decided to shut the criminal side down, I helped him.”

“That is why Victor tried to kill you.”

“Partly.”

“What is the other part?”

Anthony swallowed.

“I kept copies.”

Alessio stared.

“Of the accounts?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

Maria answered.

“Switzerland.”

Valentina stepped closer.

Dr. Cross had gone home hours earlier.

Alessio looked at Anthony.

“Those accounts still exist?”

“Some.”

“How much?”

“I don’t know anymore.”

“Millions?”

“Yes.”

“Victor’s money?”

Anthony shook his head.

“Not only his.”

Alessio understood.

“My grandfather’s.”

“Yes.”

“Money from the organization.”

“Yes.”

Alessio leaned back.

“So you escaped with evidence.”

“Yes.”

“And leverage.”

“Yes.”

“And you never turned it over.”

Anthony looked at him.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because it was the only thing keeping Victor from hunting us openly.”

Alessio laughed bitterly.

“He hunted you anyway.”

“Yes.”

“You could have ended this years ago.”

“Maybe.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Anthony’s answer was quiet.

“Because some of those accounts had my name on them.”

Silence.

Maria looked down.

Alessio stared at his father.

“You were afraid of prison.”

“Yes.”

There it was.

Not noble.

Not heroic.

Human.

Ugly.

Alessio looked away.

Anthony continued.

“I told myself protecting your mother mattered more.”

Maria whispered:

“And I let him.”

Alessio looked at her.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“You both chose hiding.”

“Yes.”

“Even after 2018.”

Anthony closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Alessio stood.

Maria began crying.

He did not raise his voice.

That made it worse.

“You learned I was alive.”

“Yes.”

“You survived Sebastian.”

“Yes.”

“You had evidence against Victor.”

“Yes.”

“And you still stayed hidden.”

Anthony looked at him.

“I was afraid.”

Alessio stared.

“So was I.”

Anthony flinched.

“I was six when I thought you were both dead.”

No one spoke.

“I was twelve when I stopped waiting for you to walk through a door.”

Maria covered her face.

“I was sixteen when I stopped asking Grandmother’s old friends whether anyone had made a mistake.”

Anthony’s eyes filled.

“I was twenty when I realized nobody was coming.”

Valentina cried silently.

Alessio continued.

“And in 2018, you knew.”

Anthony nodded.

“Yes.”

“You had another chance.”

“Yes.”

“And you still chose yourself.”

Anthony looked broken.

“Yes.”

The word sat between them.

At least he did not hide from it.

Alessio looked at Maria.

“And you?”

“I begged him to go to you.”

Anthony turned.

Maria continued.

“For months.”

Alessio stared.

“Then why didn’t you go without him?”

Maria’s face crumpled.

“Because Victor had shown us photographs of you surrounded by Sebastian’s men.”

“And?”

“I believed approaching you would get you killed.”

Alessio breathed slowly.

He understood.

He did not forgive.

Not yet.

Anthony reached into his coat.

A key.

Small.

Silver.

He placed it on the table.

“What is that?”

“Safe-deposit box.”

“Switzerland?”

“No.”

“New York.”

Alessio stared.

“I moved the evidence closer after 2018.”

Anthony pushed the key toward him.

“It is yours.”

Alessio did not touch it.

“What is inside?”

“Account records.”

“Victor’s payments.”

“His agreements.”

“Your grandfather’s original plan to dissolve the criminal businesses.”

“And?”

Anthony hesitated.

“One letter.”

“From who?”

“Your grandfather.”

Alessio looked at him.

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Anthony whispered:

“To you.”