Chapter 5 - The Brother Who Was Never Supposed to Exist

Marcus handed Luca his weapon.

No one asked him to.

He simply removed it.

Then his radio.

Then his security badge.

He placed all three on the floor.

“If you think I’m involved, restrain me.”

Luca watched him.

Marcus continued.

“I would.”

Isabella stared at the man who had protected Luca’s estate for nearly two years.

Her brother.

She whispered:

“Did you know my father?”

“No.”

“Did you know my name before working for Luca?”

“Of course.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“I mean before the engagement.”

Marcus hesitated.

“No.”

Luca picked up the weapon.

“Who hired you?”

“You did.”

“Who recommended you?”

Marcus stopped.

Gregory looked up.

Marcus answered:

“Vittorio.”

Silence.

Luca’s expression changed.

“He gave me three candidates.”

“You were the one with the best record.”

“Yes.”

Marcus looked sick.

Luca asked:

“Did he know who your father was?”

“I don’t know.”

Gregory answered.

“He did.”

Everyone turned.

“How?”

Gregory pointed at the birth certificate.

“That document was in Anthony Romano’s emergency cache.”

“If he knew, Vittorio knew.”

Marcus looked at Isabella.

“So I was put in this house because of my blood.”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

“Or because he thought you could become useful.”

Luca reopened the recorder.

The message continued.

Anthony Romano’s voice filled the terminal.

“Marcus Hale is my son.”

Marcus closed his eyes.

“If he is standing with you when this is played, do not assume he betrayed you.”

Marcus opened his eyes again.

Luca looked at him.

The recording continued.

“I never told him who I was.”

“I believed distance would protect him.”

“I was wrong.”

“Vittorio learned the truth years ago.”

“He recruited people around Marcus without Marcus knowing.”

“He built a cage around my son the same way he built one around Luca.”

Marcus sat down.

For the first time since I had known him, he looked less like security and more like someone discovering his childhood had been designed by strangers.

The recording continued.

“The Crown needs an heir.”

“Vittorio chose Marcus.”

“But choosing someone does not mean controlling him.”

“If Marcus refuses, they will replace him.”

Luca paused the tape.

“Replace him with who?”

Isabella looked at the dead guard.

Gregory searched the remaining papers.

I found a photograph beneath the folder.

A young woman.

Blonde.

Hospital uniform.

On the back:

ELENA WARD — SECOND LINE.

Marcus looked at it.

“My deputy.”

Luca stared.

“Elena?”

Marcus stood.

“She’s at the estate.”

Everyone moved at once.

Marcus grabbed his radio from the floor.

“No response.”

He tried another channel.

Nothing.

Luca called the house.

No answer.

Then his phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

A woman’s voice.

“Mr. Bellini.”

Luca looked at Marcus.

Elena.

“We need to talk.”

Luca said nothing.

“You found the terminal.”

“Yes.”

“Then you know Marcus isn’t your enemy.”

Marcus stared.

“Where are you?”

Elena ignored him.

She spoke to Luca.

“Your uncle is at the estate.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“Put him on.”

“He doesn’t want to speak yet.”

“Then why call?”

“Because he wants Gregory.”

Gregory smiled without humor.

“He always did.”

Elena continued.

“Bring Gregory back.”

“And the case.”

“No.”

A pause.

Then:

“Your mother’s doctor is here.”

Luca stopped.

“What?”

“At the estate.”

I felt cold.

Matteo had mentioned a doctor who monitored Sofia.

Dr. Paul Kramer.

Private physician.

Trusted.

Elena spoke softly.

“He has been treating Sofia for four months.”

Luca looked at Gregory.

“He poisoned her.”

Elena laughed once.

“No.”

“Then who?”

“Ask Gregory.”

Everyone turned.

Gregory’s face changed.

Luca lowered the phone slightly.

“What does she mean?”

Gregory looked at Sofia’s medical notes in the case.

Then at Luca.

“I brought Kramer to your father.”

Luca stared.

“When?”

“Four months ago.”

“The same time my mother became sick.”

“Yes.”

Luca’s voice became dangerous.

“You said a private investigator found them.”

“He did.”

“Who?”

Gregory didn’t answer.

“Who, Gregory?”

Gregory looked down.

“I did.”

Silence.

Luca stepped forward.

“You found them.”

“Yes.”

“You led Kramer to them.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Did you lead Vittorio too?”

“No.”

Elena’s voice came through the phone.

“That’s the problem with Gregory.”

“He always knows half the truth.”

Luca brought the phone back.

“What do you want?”

“The case.”

“No.”

“Then Sofia Bellini dies before sunrise.”

Luca’s face became still.

“You don’t have her.”

“Not yet.”

A pause.

“But the road to Vermont is shorter than you think.”

The call ended.

Marcus immediately contacted a trusted state police commander.

No answer.

Another.

No answer.

Then Gregory understood.

“The Succession File.”

“What?”

“If Vittorio still controls officials, we don’t know who is safe.”

Luca looked at the old terminal windows.

Dawn was beginning.

“We go back to Vermont.”

Marcus shook his head.

“He expects that.”

“So?”

“So we don’t take the highway.”

Gregory looked at him.

“What do you suggest?”

Marcus pointed toward the tracks.

“This terminal wasn’t only for passengers.”

Behind an old freight door was a maintenance garage.

One vehicle remained.

A rail inspection truck.

Ancient.

But functional.

We followed the abandoned line north.

No cameras.

No tolls.

No predictable roads.

Three hours later, we were half a mile from the farmhouse.

Smoke rose above the trees.

Luca saw it first.

He jumped from the truck before it fully stopped.

We ran.

The farmhouse was burning.

Matteo was outside.

Blood on his shirt.

Sofia beside him.

Alive.

Luca reached them.

“Who did this?”

Matteo looked at Gregory.

“They came for the file.”

“I don’t have it.”

“I know.”

Matteo coughed.

“One of them kept asking where you moved it.”

Gregory froze.

“Me?”

Matteo nodded.

“They thought Gregory took it.”

Luca looked at the burning house.

“Where is Mom’s doctor?”

Matteo stared.

“Kramer?”

“Yes.”

“He left yesterday morning.”

“With what?”

Matteo looked confused.

“Nothing.”

Sofia spoke weakly.

“He took my blood.”

Luca frowned.

“Why?”

“He said he needed tests.”

Gregory went pale.

“What?”

Sofia looked at him.

“He took six tubes.”

Marcus swore quietly.

Luca asked:

“What would they need her blood for?”

No one answered.

Then Isabella did.

“To prove something.”

She was looking at one of Anthony’s documents.

A genealogy chart.

Bellini.

Romano.

Hale.

One name circled.

Luca Bellini.

Under it:

PATERNITY UNCONFIRMED.

Luca stared.

“What is that?”

Isabella looked at Sofia.

Then Matteo.

Neither spoke.

Luca’s face changed.

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He looked at his mother.

“Why does Anthony Romano have a note questioning who my father is?”