Chapter 9 - THE PRICE OF THE TRUTH
The message destroyed Adrian.
I saw it happen.
A man like him didn’t panic.
He didn’t lose control.
He didn’t show weakness.
But when he saw Luca’s picture…
Something inside him broke.
“Who sent it?”
Gabriel asked.
Adrian didn’t answer.
He was already moving.
“Lock down the city.”
His guards ran.
“Check every camera.”
“Find every vehicle leaving the area.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that came before violence.
I grabbed his arm.
“Adrian.”
He stopped.
His eyes met mine.
“Bring him back.”
The desperation in those three words shocked me.
Not as a mafia boss.
Not as a powerful man.
As a father.
“I will.”
He looked at me.
“You don’t understand.”
“Yes, I do.”
His expression changed.
“My whole life has been someone taking people away from me.”
I swallowed.
“My mother disappeared from my life.”
I looked at him.
“You lost Elena.”
A pause.
“So maybe we both know what it feels like.”
For a second…
The anger disappeared.
Then Adrian nodded.
“We bring Luca home.”
The investigation led us back to the one place nobody wanted to search.
The old Viscari estate.
The same place where Elena disappeared.
The same place where my past was buried.
We entered with weapons ready.
The house was dark.
Silent.
Too silent.
“Something is wrong,” Gabriel whispered.
Adrian nodded.
“Stay close.”
We moved through the halls.
Then we heard it.
A baby crying.
My heart jumped.
“Luca.”
I ran.
Adrian grabbed my hand.
“Wait.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because it’s too easy.”
He was right.
A door opened slowly.
Inside was Luca.
Sitting safely in a chair.
Crying.
And beside him…
Was a woman.
An older woman.
She turned.
And smiled.
I froze.
Because I knew her.
Not personally.
But from somewhere.
A memory.
A dream.
A voice.
“Hello, Mara.”
My blood ran cold.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“I’m the person who kept you alive.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Where is Elena?”
The woman looked at him.
“You still don’t understand.”
Her eyes moved to me.
“Elena didn’t die because of an enemy.”
She smiled.
“She died because someone she trusted betrayed her.”
The room became cold.
“Who?”
The woman looked directly at Adrian.
And answered:
“Your own father.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because the biggest secret in the Viscari family…
Had just been revealed.
But then the woman leaned closer to me.
And whispered:
“And Mara…”
I looked at her.
“Your mother didn’t hide you from the Viscari family.”
She smiled sadly.
“She hid you from yourself.”
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?”
The woman reached into her pocket.
And pulled out a small necklace.
The same necklace from my mother’s hidden box.
She placed it in my hand.
Then whispered:
“Because you were the one who watched Elena die.”
I froze.
“No…”
The memories came rushing back.
A room.
A scream.
A woman crying.
My tiny hands covered in blood.
I stepped backward.
“No…”
Adrian looked at me.
“Mara?”
I couldn’t breathe.
Because suddenly…
May you like
I remembered.
Everything.
