Chapter 6 - The Blood Test

Matteo sat on the grass while the farmhouse burned behind him.

Sofia refused to look at Luca.

That frightened him more than any answer.

“Mom.”

She finally looked up.

“Tell me.”

Sofia closed her eyes.

Matteo spoke.

“I am your father.”

Luca looked at the genealogy chart.

“Then why does this exist?”

“Because Vittorio wanted doubt.”

“That isn’t an answer.”

Sofia whispered:

“Before you were born, Vittorio assaulted the truth.”

Luca frowned.

She corrected herself.

“He changed records.”

“Medical records.”

“Dates.”

“Hospital files.”

“He wanted your father to believe I had been with someone else.”

Matteo’s hands tightened.

“He wanted to break us.”

Luca looked at him.

“Did you believe it?”

“For one week.”

Sofia’s eyes filled with pain.

“The worst week of our marriage.”

Matteo continued.

“Then we had a private test.”

“And?”

“You are my son.”

Luca’s shoulders lowered slightly.

“Where is that test?”

“Destroyed.”

“Why?”

“Because the doctor was murdered.”

Silence.

Gregory sat down slowly.

“What doctor?”

“Dr. Samuel Price.”

Gregory looked stunned.

“He died in a robbery.”

Matteo shook his head.

“No.”

Luca asked:

“Who killed him?”

Matteo looked at the burning farmhouse.

“Vittorio.”

Sofia spoke.

“Your uncle wanted the Bellini inheritance to pass through doubt.”

Luca stared.

“What inheritance?”

Matteo looked at him.

“The family trust.”

Luca’s face changed.

Bellini Holdings.

Real estate.

Shipping.

Private equity.

Billions in assets controlled through old family structures.

Matteo explained.

“The trust passes to the legitimate first son of each generation.”

Luca looked at Vittorio’s name on the chart.

“He wanted to disqualify me.”

“Yes.”

“Then he would control it.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t he?”

“Because your grandfather changed the trust.”

Matteo’s voice hardened.

“He required genetic verification if paternity was challenged.”

Luca looked at Sofia.

“That’s why Kramer took your blood.”

She nodded.

“If they can forge a test showing you aren’t Matteo’s son, Vittorio can reopen the trust.”

Isabella whispered:

“And if Marcus is Anthony’s son?”

Gregory understood.

“The Crown doesn’t need Marcus to inherit Bellini money.”

“It needs him to control the people around it.”

Marcus looked disgusted.

“They wanted one man for influence.”

“And Vittorio for assets.”

Luca stared at the burned house.

“Where would Kramer run the test?”

Sofia answered:

“He works through Saint Vincent Private Lab.”

Marcus looked at Luca.

“Albany.”

Luca nodded.

“We go there.”

Matteo grabbed his arm.

“No.”

Luca looked down.

“If they took Sofia’s blood, they need yours.”

Silence.

Everyone understood.

The blood test was not complete.

They needed Luca.

Which meant the threats were designed to pull him into a controlled location.

Luca smiled coldly.

“Good.”

Sofia stared.

“Good?”

“If they need me alive, they’ll hesitate.”

Matteo stood.

“They hesitated twenty years ago too.”

“And still took you from us.”

That stopped him.

Luca looked at the man he had met only hours earlier.

Then he handed him the car keys.

“Take Mom somewhere safe.”

“Where?”

Luca looked at Gregory.

Gregory answered.

“A church.”

Everyone stared.

He shrugged.

“Not because it’s holy.”

“Because Vittorio hates witnesses and priests love records.”

No one laughed.

They separated.

Matteo and Sofia left with two trusted men Marcus knew from outside the Bellini network.

Luca.

Isabella.

Marcus.

Gregory.

And I went to Albany.

Saint Vincent Private Lab occupied the top three floors of a medical tower.

We arrived at noon.

Marcus entered first.

Receptionist.

Two technicians.

Security guard.

Normal.

Too normal.

Luca asked for Dr. Kramer.

The receptionist typed.

“He’s in pathology.”

Marcus noticed the guard watching Luca’s forearm.

The phoenix tattoo.

Recognition.

Marcus whispered:

“He knows you.”

Luca nodded.

The elevator opened.

Inside stood Dr. Kramer.

Fifty-eight.

Gray suit.

Medical case.

He saw Luca.

Dropped the case.

Ran.

Marcus caught the elevator doors.

Luca took the stairs.

I followed Isabella.

Gregory shouted at us to stop.

We didn’t.

Kramer reached the parking garage.

Luca caught him beside a black SUV.

He slammed him against the door.

“Did you poison my mother?”

Kramer shook his head violently.

“No.”

“Did you take her blood?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I was told to.”

“By who?”

Kramer looked terrified.

“Vittorio.”

Luca gripped his collar.

“What test?”

Kramer swallowed.

“Not paternity.”

Everyone stopped.

“What?”

Kramer looked at Sofia’s blood tubes inside the medical case.

“Her blood wasn’t taken to prove who your father is.”

“Then why?”

“To prove who your mother is.”

Silence.

Luca let go slightly.

“What does that mean?”

Kramer reached into his pocket.

He handed Luca a laboratory report.

Two samples.

SOFIA BELLINI.

UNKNOWN FEMALE.

Relationship probability:

99.98% MATERNAL.

Isabella read it.

“Sofia has a daughter.”

Luca stared.

“My mother never had a daughter.”

Kramer whispered:

“Yes.”

“She did.”

Luca grabbed him again.

“Who?”

Kramer looked past Luca.

At me.

Everyone turned.

I stopped breathing.

Kramer pointed.

“Her.”

No one spoke.

I laughed because it was impossible.

“No.”

Kramer looked at me.

“Your name is Amelia Stone?”

“Yes.”

“Born May 19?”

“Yes.”

“St. Anne’s Hospital?”

I stared.

“How do you know that?”

“Your birth records were sealed.”

My hands went cold.

“My mother was Catherine Stone.”

Kramer shook his head.

“Catherine Stone was your nurse.”

The garage became silent.

Luca looked at me as if he had never seen me before.

I whispered:

“No.”

Kramer held up another page.

AMELIA STONE — MATERNAL MATCH TO SOFIA BELLINI.

99.98%.

My knees weakened.

Isabella caught my arm.

I pulled away.

Luca stared at the report.

Then at me.

“You’re my sister.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

Gregory had turned completely pale.

Luca saw him.

“You knew.”

Gregory didn’t answer.

Luca stepped toward him.

“You knew.”

Gregory whispered:

“I knew there had been a baby.”

My voice broke.

“What baby?”

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...

Gregory looked at me.

“The night Sofia’s death was staged.”