Chapter 4 - THE BLUE BOX
By noon, Elena had broken three of Aleandro’s rules.
She had yelled at him.
She had refused security.
And she had tried to leave with Sofia.
Aleandro blocked the front entrance.
“No.”
“You don’t own me.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then move.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever shot through my window this morning knew you were here.”
“That’s your problem.”
“They had a photograph of your daughter.”
That stopped her.
Aleandro lowered his voice.
“You can hate me later.”
“I already do.”
“Good. Stay alive long enough to enjoy it.”
Elena glared at him.
Then she hated herself for realizing he had a point.
Two hours later, they drove toward Connecticut in an armored SUV.
Aleandro sat across from Elena.
Marco drove.
Sofia sat in a child seat between them, humming to herself as though traveling with armed criminals was completely normal.
“Mr. Moretti?”
Aleandro looked at her.
“Yes?”
“Are you a bad guy?”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Sofia.”
“What? I wanna know.”
Aleandro considered the question.
“I’ve done bad things.”
“Did you say sorry?”
Elena nearly choked.
Marco coughed to hide a laugh.
Aleandro looked out the window.
“Not enough.”
Sofia seemed satisfied with that.
Isabella’s old house stood at the edge of a quiet neighborhood outside Stamford.
A new family lived there.
Aleandro’s men had already arranged access.
Elena didn’t ask how.
She probably didn’t want to know.
Sofia led them toward the backyard.
“Grandma said secrets sleep where flowers can’t.”
Aleandro frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Sofia pointed toward an old greenhouse behind the garage.
Inside, dead vines curled around wooden shelves.
Dust coated everything.
Sofia walked toward a blue ceramic planter.
“There.”
Elena stared.
“You remember this?”
“Grandma said don’t forget.”
Elena lifted the planter.
Nothing.
Sofia frowned.
“No. Under it.”
Aleandro moved the shelf.
Beneath one loose floorboard sat a blue metal box.
Elena’s heart started hammering.
Sofia held up the brass key.
“See?”
The lock clicked.
Inside were photographs.
Documents.
An old cassette tape.
And one sealed envelope.
Elena picked it up.
Her name was written across the front.
ELENA.
Her mother’s handwriting.
Her hands began trembling.
“Open it,” Aleandro said.
She looked at him.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Fair.”
She opened it anyway.
My dearest Elena,
If you are reading this, then I failed to protect you from the past.
Elena stopped.
Her vision blurred.
Aleandro said nothing.
She continued.
There are things I never told you because I wanted you to have a normal life.
Your father was not the man whose name appears on your birth certificate.
Elena covered her mouth.
“No.”
She read the next line.
Then she looked at Aleandro.
His face had changed.
“What does it say?” Marco asked.
Elena couldn’t speak.
Aleandro gently took the letter.
He read.
Your real father is Aleandro Moretti.
Nobody moved.
Sofia broke the silence.
“Does that make him Grandpa?”
Elena stared at Aleandro.
Aleandro stared back.
His hands shook for the first time.
Then Marco’s voice snapped through the room.
“Boss.”
He was looking through the greenhouse window.
Three black SUVs had stopped in the street.
Doors opened.
Armed men stepped out.
Aleandro folded the letter and put it inside his jacket.
May you like
“Everybody down.”
The first bullet tore through the greenhouse glass.
