“If You Want Her, Fine—Just Let Me Take Our Son,” His Wife Said—The Mafia Boss Went Silent

Luca drove straight to the hospital.

Marcus was awake, sitting upright despite his doctor's objections. When Luca placed the photograph on the bed, his father's face became unreadable.

"Tell me the truth about Adrian."

Marcus looked at the image for a long time.

"Your brother discovered that Carlo was moving money through our shipping operations. He wanted to report it to the authorities."

"Was he killed because of it?"

"I don't know who caused the crash."

"That's not an answer."

Marcus closed his eyes.

"I knew the car had been tampered with. We found evidence afterward, but the men responsible were dead before we could question them."

Luca felt a terrible pressure in his chest.

"You let me believe it was an accident."

"I believed protecting you meant keeping you away from the truth."

"You protected me by teaching me to distrust everyone and question nothing."

Marcus accepted the accusation without protest.

"Yes."

The admission was so unexpected that Luca had no immediate reply.

Marcus continued.

"Adrian left behind a ledger. It documented payments made to officials, security contractors, and intermediaries. Some of those payments were linked to Carlo. Others led to men inside our organization."

"Where is it?"

"I gave it to Sophie."

Luca stared at him.

"Again?"

"Because Sophie asks questions. Because she remembers details. Because she never confused loyalty with obedience."

The words should have made Luca defensive. Instead, they reminded him of the woman sitting alone in their bedroom, packing a suitcase while he refused to explain why another woman had been brought into their home.

"Bianca stole the ledger," he said.

"Then Carlo knows you are close to the truth."

Luca stood.

"I'm bringing Sophie and Theo somewhere secure."

Marcus caught his wrist.

"Not until you know who inside your security team is compromised. The person who took that photograph of Theo could walk through any door in your house."

Luca's phone rang.

Enzo.

"We found the guard who left his post the night Bianca entered the bedroom," Enzo said. "He's admitted he was paid."

"By whom?"

"Carlo Rinaldi's assistant."

Luca exhaled.

"Bring him in."

"There's another problem. He says he was told Mrs. Moretti had already agreed to leave with Theo."

Luca went still.

"Who told him that?"

"Bianca. She said you had authorized the arrangement."

Luca ended the call and looked at his father.

"She has been using my name to move people around my own house."

Marcus's face darkened.

"Then stop treating this like a family disagreement. It's an operation."

Luca returned to the mansion before sunset.

Sophie was in the kitchen helping Theo make a paper crown. When Luca entered, she looked at his face and immediately sent their son upstairs with the nanny.

"Adrian wasn't killed in an accident," Luca said.

Sophie slowly set down the scissors.

"What did your father tell you?"

"Enough to know that Carlo may have been involved."

She went pale.

Then she crossed the room, opened a locked drawer, and removed a small brass key.

"Marcus told me to give you this only if someone tried to take the ledger."

"What does it open?"

"The storage box Adrian left behind."

Luca took the key.

On its tag was an address.