Chapter 13 - The Last Lie
Carlo sat alone beneath a single light.
His wrists were secured to the table.
Blood had dried along his temple.
He looked tired.
But not defeated.
Adrian entered first.
Daniel followed.
Marco closed the door.
Carlo smiled.
“The brothers.”
Daniel pulled out a chair.
“Talk.”
Carlo looked at Adrian.
“You finally found Father’s little apology?”
“Yes.”
“Moving, wasn’t it?”
Adrian said nothing.
Carlo leaned back.
“Vittorio became sentimental near the end.”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“You said you have proof I killed him.”
“I do.”
“Show us.”
Carlo laughed.
“You think I kept it in my pocket?”
Adrian sat across from him.
“Where?”
“Archive box V-17.”
Marco left.
Carlo watched Adrian.
“You look different.”
“So do you.”
“I mean inside.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“You were never good at reading me.”
Carlo shrugged.
“I read you well enough for thirty years.”
“No.”
“You read Father’s version of me.”
That silenced him.
Marco returned with a sealed evidence folder.
He placed it on the table.
Carlo nodded.
“Open it.”
Inside was a medical report.
A pharmacy log.
And a photograph.
Daniel stared.
The pharmacy record showed a prescription collected under Daniel Bennett’s alias.
The drug was the same blood thinner Isabella had used on Vittorio.
The date was one week before Vittorio’s death.
Daniel looked up.
“This is fake.”
Carlo smiled.
“Is it?”
Daniel read it again.
Sofia’s address.
His alias.
His signature.
Adrian watched his brother.
“You were in Chicago?”
Daniel hesitated.
That was enough to make the room colder.
“When?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Five years ago.”
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“You told me you never came back.”
“I said I stayed hidden.”
“That is not the same answer.”
Carlo laughed softly.
“Here we go.”
Adrian ignored him.
“Why were you here?”
Daniel looked at the report.
“I came to see Mother.”
Isabella.
Adrian understood.
“You knew she was alive.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Adrian stood.
“You knew?”
“I found her eight years ago.”
“And said nothing.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
Adrian laughed once.
“Of course.”
Daniel stood too.
“Don’t.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“For twelve years, every lie you tell is protection.”
“You protected Sofia.”
“You protected Emily.”
“You protected Mother.”
“Apparently the only person you forgot to protect was me.”
Daniel’s expression cracked.
“I did not know who you were anymore.”
“I was your brother.”
“You were Father’s heir.”
“And you never gave me a chance.”
Carlo smiled between them.
Exactly what he wanted.
Marco saw it.
“Boss.”
Adrian stopped.
He looked at Carlo.
Then slowly sat again.
Carlo’s smile faded.
Adrian understood the game now.
Divide.
Confuse.
Reopen old wounds.
Carlo had survived for years because the Morettis preferred fighting one another to looking at him.
Not anymore.
Adrian turned to Daniel.
“Did you pick up the medication?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Mother asked me.”
Daniel looked toward Carlo.
“She told me it was for a friend.”
Adrian nodded.
“So you were involved.”
“Without knowing.”
“Yes.”
Carlo laughed.
“That will sound wonderful in court.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You don’t care about court.”
Carlo stopped smiling.
“You care about breaking the trust.”
Carlo said nothing.
“If Daniel is tied to Vittorio’s death, you challenge his beneficiary status.”
Silence.
“Then Emily’s claim becomes disputed.”
“And you step in as trustee.”
Carlo’s eyes narrowed.
Adrian continued.
“But you made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You kept evidence.”
Carlo frowned.
Adrian looked at Marco.
“Scan everything.”
Marco understood.
Carlo’s face changed.
“Adrian.”
“Every forged signature.”
“Every recording.”
“Every payment.”
“Every blackmail file.”
“All of it.”
“You cannot release that archive.”
“No.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“I can release you.”
Carlo stared.
“What?”
Adrian leaned forward.
“You spent your whole life believing secrets were power.”
“They are.”
“Only while they are secret.”
Carlo’s face went still.
Adrian continued.
“If every prosecutor, journalist, regulator, and court receives the same archive…”
“No one can blackmail anyone with it anymore.”
Daniel slowly smiled.
Carlo’s breathing changed.
“You’ll destroy the family.”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
Carlo stared at him as though he were insane.
“You’ll lose billions.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll lose companies.”
“Some.”
“Influence.”
“Good.”
Carlo laughed sharply.
“You think you become clean because you throw away the empire?”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice was calm.
“I become responsible for ending what I helped continue.”
That silenced the room.
Daniel looked at him.
Something changed between them.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
Respect.
Carlo pulled against the restraints.
“You cannot do this.”
Adrian stood.
“I already decided.”
Carlo’s face twisted.
“Vittorio would despise you.”
Adrian looked down at him.
“Maybe.”
Then he took his father’s letter from his pocket.
“But he told me to burn it.”
Carlo lunged forward.
Marco restrained him.
Adrian walked toward the door.
Then Carlo shouted.
“Emily will still carry the blood!”
Adrian stopped.
Carlo laughed desperately.
“You can destroy the trust.”
“You can destroy the money.”
“You can expose every name.”
“But that child will always be a Moretti.”
Adrian turned.
“No.”
“She’ll always be Emily.”
He left.
Daniel followed.
In the hallway, neither spoke.
Then Daniel said.
“I’m sorry.”
Adrian stopped.
“For which year?”
Daniel accepted that.
“All of them.”
Adrian looked at him.
“I’m not ready.”
“I know.”
“But don’t disappear again.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“I won’t.”
Adrian nodded once.
May you like
It was not forgiveness.
But it was the beginning.
