Chapter 14 - The Ledger of Lies|
Bianca motioned for Sophie to approach.
"Put the ledger on the crate."
"Release Theo first."
"You're in no position to negotiate."
Sophie glanced at her son. Theo was trembling, but he was watching her closely. She forced herself to keep her voice calm.
"You're right. I can't force you to do anything. But I can decide whether you get what you came for."
Bianca's jaw tightened.
"Put it down."
Sophie placed the ledger on the crate but kept one hand on it.
"This book contains payments, names, dates, and transfers. If you destroy it, the copies still exist."
Bianca's eyes narrowed.
"What copies?"
"The ones Marcus gave to Detective Brooks."
It was a lie, but a calculated one. Hannah had not yet received the ledger. Sophie was buying time.
Bianca hesitated.
Luca saw the opening and shifted one step toward Theo.
"Don't," Bianca snapped.
He stopped.
Sophie continued.
"You don't have to keep doing this. Carlo won't share power with you. He never intended to. You know that."
Bianca laughed bitterly.
"You know nothing about my father."
"I know he sent you into my home and let you believe you were going to become part of the family. I know he gave you the hardest part of his plan and kept the real decisions to himself."
For a moment, Bianca looked as though Sophie had struck something deep.
Then the anger returned.
"You're just a wife who thinks love makes her important."
"No," Sophie said. "I'm a mother who knows what a child costs when adults turn him into a bargaining chip."
She opened the ledger.
Inside were photocopied pages—not the original records, but enough to show the names of several shell companies and dates of transfers. Bianca leaned forward despite herself.
Sophie turned to a page marked with a red tab.
"Here's the transaction that links Carlo to the attack on Adrian."
Bianca's face changed.
"That isn't possible."
"Why?"
"Because that record was destroyed."
Sophie looked at her.
"Then you know it was real."
Bianca lunged for the book.
At the same instant, Enzo's team entered through the maintenance corridor. Two guards were disarmed before they could react. Another dropped his weapon and raised his hands.
Bianca grabbed Theo and pulled him against her.
"Stay back!"
Luca's blood turned to ice.
Sophie slowly closed the ledger.
"Bianca, look at me."
"Shut up."
"You're not going to hurt him."
"You don't know what I'll do."
"I know you're scared. I know your father has spent your whole life teaching you that being second means being nothing."
Bianca's hand trembled.
Sophie stepped closer.
"But Theo is not your way to become first."
A distant siren sounded.
Bianca's eyes darted toward the exit.
Then a voice came from behind the guards.
"Put the weapon down, Bianca."
Carlo Rinaldi stood in the doorway, flanked by two armed men.
He wasn't looking at Luca.
He was looking at his daughter.
"You've made enough mistakes," Carlo said. "Give me the boy."
May you like
Bianca stared at him.
For the first time, she seemed to understand that her father had never intended to let her win.
