Chapter 6 - The Father Luca Buried Was Not His Father

Luca did not speak for almost a minute.

His father had died five years earlier.

Private hospital.

Heart failure.

Closed family funeral.

Again.

Closed.

Emma hated that detail now.

Marco opened the file without being asked.

Giovanni Moretti.

Age sixty-eight.

Cardiac arrest.

Body released directly to family mortuary.

No public viewing.

Medical certification signed by:

Dr. Paolo Serra.

The same doctor who had identified Alessandra.

Luca laughed once.

There was no humor in it.

“Find Serra.”

This time the doctor did not answer.

His phone was off.

His Turin house was empty.

Marco’s men found signs he had left within hours of Luca’s first call.

Belini sat quietly.

For once, nobody blamed her.

Emma looked at Luca.

“Do you think your father is alive?”

“I think I no longer believe paperwork.”

That was fair.

Alessandra contacted them again through a secure channel.

No voice this time.

A location.

Lake Geneva.

Marco traced the message.

Impossible.

Too clean.

Luca went anyway.

Not because he trusted it.

Because he needed the answer.

The villa overlooking the lake belonged to a foundation with no obvious Moretti connection.

Inside waited Alessandra.

Alive.

No disguise.

No red clothing.

No attempt to resemble Belini.

She was forty-one now.

Dark hair cut shorter.

Same gray eyes as Luca.

The wrist tattoo clearly visible.

Luca stopped in the doorway.

Alessandra stood.

Neither moved.

Emma remained behind him with Marco.

This was not their moment.

Finally Alessandra said:

“You got old.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“You stayed dead.”

Her smile disappeared.

Then Luca crossed the room and embraced her.

Once.

Hard.

Brief.

Then he stepped back.

Eight years did not disappear because blood recognized blood.

“Dad,” he said.

Alessandra looked toward a closed door.

“He survived three years longer than you were told.”

Luca went still.

“Was.”

“Yes.”

So he was dead now.

Just not when Luca buried him.

“Why?”

Alessandra sat.

“After he realized Matteo arranged the car explosion, he moved me underground. Matteo had access to captains, accounts, doctors, security. Dad didn’t know how far it went.”

“So he faked your death.”

“Yes.”

“And later his.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling me.”

“He believed you would go to war.”

Luca stared at her.

“He was correct.”

“Yes.”

That honesty hurt.

Emma watched Luca’s hands.

Perfectly still.

Alessandra continued.

“Dad had cancer by then. He wanted time to dismantle Matteo’s network quietly.”

“Did he?”

“Part of it.”

“And then?”

“He died for real two years later.”

Luca looked away.

Emma understood the wound.

He had mourned once when his father was alive.

And lost him again without knowing.

No revenge could repair that.

“Where is he buried?”

Alessandra’s eyes softened.

“I’ll show you.”

“Later.”

Luca sat opposite her.

“Matteo.”

She nodded.

“He discovered Dad was alive shortly before the real death.”

“Did he kill him?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Cancer did.”

One mercy.

Small.

Real.

Alessandra opened a locked case.

Inside were ledgers.

Old emergency accounts.

Matteo’s withdrawals.

Payments to Dario.

Payments to Alcázar.

Payments to private security.

Belini’s father’s company appeared repeatedly.

Belini looked at the page and went pale.

“My father helped him.”

“Years ago,” Alessandra said.

“Does he still?”

“I don’t know.”

Belini closed her eyes.

Another inheritance nobody wanted.

Marco opened a second file.

Twenty-six million remained in the contingency fund.

Still there.

Luca frowned.

“If Matteo wanted it, why hasn’t he taken it?”

Alessandra looked at him.

“Because he can’t.”

“Why?”

“Dad changed the authorization before he died.”

“To whom?”

Alessandra looked at Luca.

Then Emma.

“Two signatures.”

Luca understood.

“Mine and yours.”

“Yes.”

“So Matteo needs one of us.”

“No.”

Alessandra shook her head.

“He needs both.”

Silence.

Emma frowned.

“Then why steal Luca’s token?”

Alessandra’s expression darkened.

“He wasn’t trying to steal the fund.”

Marco understood first.

“He was testing whether the token still worked.”

“Yes.”

“For what?”

Alessandra looked toward Luca.

“To move you into the emergency network.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“What does that mean?”

“Matteo filed an incapacitation order three days ago.”

Belini stared.

“Against Luca?”

“Yes.”

“If it activates,” Alessandra continued, “the emergency network transfers operational authority to the designated senior guardian.”

Luca already knew the answer.

“Matteo.”

“Yes.”

Emma felt cold.

The payroll theft was not the end.

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It was evidence.

Evidence someone intended to use to prove Luca had lost control of his own organization.