Chapter 4 - THE CHILD EVERYONE LIED ABOUTDominic stared at his mother for several seconds.
Then he laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because sometimes the human mind rejected information by producing the wrong sound.
"Adrian?"
Elena nodded.
"You're telling me my brother raised Adrian's son."
"Yes."
"Anthony knew?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Before Leo was born."
Dominic walked away.
He reached the fireplace, braced both hands against the mantel, and stared down.
His brother.
His cousin.
Helena.
The baby.
Every relationship he understood had just shifted.
"Start talking."
Elena did.
Helena and Adrian had been involved briefly during a separation between Helena and Anthony eighteen months earlier.
Anthony had been drinking heavily after the collapse of a business venture. Helena believed their marriage was over.
Adrian was charming.
Attentive.
Conveniently available.
It lasted six weeks.
Then Helena ended it and reconciled with Anthony.
Two months later, she discovered she was pregnant.
"Anthony demanded a paternity test," Elena said.
"And?"
"He wasn't the father."
Dominic turned.
"Why stay?"
"Because he loved Helena."
"And Adrian?"
"Didn't know."
"Until?"
"Three weeks ago."
Dominic closed his eyes.
There it was.
The trigger.
Adrian discovered Leo was his child at roughly the same time Anthony uncovered the financial crimes.
"What happened?"
"Anthony confronted Adrian about the stolen money."
"And Adrian found the paternity report."
Elena nodded.
"Anthony kept it in a private safe."
Marcus entered the room.
"We have St. Agnes."
Dominic looked at him.
"Adrian is Leo's father."
Marcus stopped walking.
"What?"
"Apparently, we're running out of normal family secrets."
Marcus recovered.
"Then Adrian doesn't want Leo dead."
Mia's voice came through Dominic's earpiece from the vehicle.
"Maybe not."
Dominic had forgotten she could hear them.
"What do you mean?"
"Adrian ordered men to shoot into the room where Leo was."
"He may not have known the child was inside."
"He did."
Dominic thought.
If Leo was Adrian's biological son, why risk his life?
Unless possession mattered less than something else.
Inheritance.
The Calder trust.
Mia had explained that Calder descendants held reversionary rights.
But Leo's claim depended on his legal lineage through Helena, not Anthony.
His paternity didn't remove that claim.
It made Leo both Calder blood and Moretti blood.
A bridge between two families.
Mia spoke again.
"Dominic, we need Helena."
He agreed.
St. Agnes Convent had been abandoned after a fire in 2004.
Anthony purchased the property quietly through an LLC seven months earlier.
Dominic never knew.
They arrived at 6:31 a.m.
The sun had begun painting the sky gray.
Dominic expected Adrian's men.
Instead, they found police vehicles.
Chicago police.
Marcus swore.
"They beat us here."
A uniformed officer approached.
"Property's closed."
Dominic showed no identification.
"Who called you?"
"Anonymous report."
"Of what?"
The officer's eyes moved over him.
"Possible homicide."
Mia climbed out of the second SUV.
Dominic turned.
"I told you to stay—"
"You can yell later."
Her attention went to the convent.
"Something's wrong."
An ambulance waited near the entrance.
Marcus spoke to a detective he trusted personally.
Two minutes later he returned.
"They found a woman."
Dominic's stomach dropped.
"Alive?"
"Yes."
They pushed inside.
Helena Moretti sat wrapped in a blanket in what had once been the chapel.
Her blonde hair hung loose around her face.
Dried blood stained her forehead.
When she saw Dominic, she burst into tears.
"Leo?"
"Alive."
She covered her mouth.
"Thank God."
Dominic crouched.
"Where's the second drive?"
Her fear returned.
"Gone."
"Adrian?"
"No."
"Who?"
Helena looked behind Dominic.
At Mia.
Recognition crossed her face.
"Mia."
Mia approached.
"You gave me Leo."
Helena nodded.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I didn't know they'd follow you."
"Who took the drive?"
Helena's answer stunned everyone.
"Salvatore."
Adrian's father.
"He's here?" Dominic asked.
"He was."
Helena explained that Anthony had hidden her in the convent shortly before his planned meeting with Mia. He believed Adrian might hurt her.
Then Anthony crashed.
Helena wanted to go to the hospital, but Elena convinced her to stay hidden because someone was watching the family.
Yesterday, Helena left long enough to retrieve Leo.
Adrian's men intercepted her.
She escaped only because Elena had arranged Mia as a backup.
Then Salvatore found the convent.
"He said he was protecting Adrian," Helena whispered.
"From what?"
"The truth."
She looked at Dominic.
"Adrian didn't cause Anthony's crash."
Dominic's face became stone.
"Who did?"
"Salvatore."
No one spoke.
Helena continued.
"Anthony recorded him."
"On the second drive?"
She nodded.
Salvatore had discovered his son's theft months ago.
Rather than expose Adrian, he began covering it up.
When Anthony traced the accounts, Salvatore panicked.
"He sabotaged Anthony's brakes."
Dominic's fists clenched.
His brother was still unconscious in intensive care because their uncle tried to murder him.
"Why kidnap Leo?"
"Salvatore wants Adrian to believe Anthony threatened his son. He's turning them against each other."
"Why?"
"Because Adrian found something worse."
Mia leaned forward.
"What?"
Helena looked at her.
"Evidence that Salvatore ordered your parents killed."
Dominic frowned.
"We already have audio."
"No."
Helena shook her head.
"The recording you have makes it sound like Vittorio agreed."
"He did."
"Not exactly."
Elena had arrived behind them.
Everyone turned.
She stepped into the chapel.
"Vittorio backed out."
Mia's face changed.
"What?"
Elena's voice trembled.
"He told Salvatore no."
"But the recording—"
"Was edited."
Mia stared at her.
Elena approached slowly.
"Vittorio wanted Jonathan's company. He threatened him. He bribed officials. He committed crimes I'm not defending."
Her eyes filled.
"But he did not order the boat destroyed."
"Then who did?"
"Salvatore."
Mia shook her head.
"No."
"After Rebecca came to me, Vittorio discovered she planned to expose him. He was furious. He wanted the documents. But when Salvatore proposed killing them, Vittorio refused."
"Why hide it?"
"Because after the deaths, Vittorio used the situation anyway."
The ugliness of it settled over them.
Vittorio might not have ordered the murders.
But he profited from them.
Covered them up.
Stole the company afterward.
Mia looked devastated.
"He let everyone believe an accident killed them."
"Yes."
"And took everything my father built."
"Yes."
Elena did not soften it.
"I'm sorry."
Mia turned away.
Dominic wanted to say something.
Nothing seemed enough.
Helena continued.
"The second drive contains the unedited recording and proof Salvatore arranged the explosion."
"Explosion?" Dominic asked.
"It wasn't a boating collision. There was an explosive device."
Mia shut her eyes.
For nearly three decades, she'd been told bad weather and mechanical failure killed her parents.
Now the truth became worse every hour.
Marcus received a call.
He listened.
Then handed the phone to Dominic.
"Hospital."
Dominic answered.
"Mr. Moretti?"
"Yes."
"This is Dr. Ramirez. Your brother regained consciousness."
Dominic's breath caught.
Anthony.
"When?"
"Three minutes ago."
"Can he speak?"
"Briefly."
"I'll be there."
The drive to Northwestern took thirty-seven minutes.
Dominic ignored every speed limit.
Anthony looked smaller than Dominic remembered.
Machines surrounded him.
Bandages covered his chest.
His eyes opened when Dominic entered.
"Hey," Dominic whispered.
Anthony's mouth moved.
"You found... Leo?"
"He's safe."
Relief flooded his brother's face.
Dominic gripped his hand.
"Who did this?"
Anthony struggled.
"Uncle Sal."
"I know."
Anthony shook his head.
"Not... alone."
Dominic leaned closer.
"Who helped him?"
Anthony's eyes filled with urgency.
"The council."
"What council?"
"The Seven."
Dominic had heard the phrase once before.
At his father's funeral.
Seven old men had stood together near the family mausoleum.
Businessmen.
Judges.
Former police officials.
Political donors.
Men who had built Chicago careers alongside Vittorio Moretti.
Dominic had assumed they were friends.
Anthony squeezed his hand.
"They own... everything."
"Who?"
"Salvatore has names."
"Where?"
Anthony coughed.
The monitors accelerated.
A nurse moved closer.
"Mr. Moretti, we need—"
Anthony pulled Dominic toward him.
"Leo... isn't the target."
Dominic froze.
"What?"
Anthony whispered.
"Mia is."
Then he looked past Dominic.
Toward the glass wall.
His eyes widened in terror.
Dominic turned.
A man wearing blue hospital scrubs stood outside.
Their eyes met.
The man's hand went into his pocket.
Dominic lunged.
The glass door opened.
May you like
The stranger pulled a pistol with a suppressor.
And aimed directly at Mia Calder.
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