Chapter 9: The Choice
Vittorio read the note twice.
Then a third time.
His mind rejected every word.
“Find her.””
Daniel was already speaking into his radio.
“Seal every exit. Roadblocks at the north and east gates. Check every vehicle leaving the property.””
Vittorio grabbed him.
“Not the gates.””
Daniel looked at him.
“They want us looking outside.””
Vittorio pointed toward the walls.
“The passage.””
They ran back to the hidden entrance.
It was open.
Vittorio descended the stairs.
The underground room was empty.
But this time, the lights were on.
A projector had been placed on the old table.
The screen flickered.
Then Matteo appeared.
He sat in the same dark room as before.
His face was older now.
Scarred along the left side.
But his eyes were unmistakably his brother's.
“You have three hours.””
Vittorio stepped toward the screen.
“Where is Lucy?””
“Safe.””
“If you touch her—”
“I won't.””
“Then bring her back.””
Matteo shook his head.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because she's not with me.””
Vittorio froze.
“Then who has her?””
Matteo leaned closer.
“The same people who took Elena.””
Vittorio's anger faltered.
“Why?””
“Because they believe you have something they need.””
“The black box?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
Matteo stared at him.
“The truth.””
Vittorio laughed bitterly.
“You've spent twelve years hiding it.””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
“You let me raise a child that wasn't mine.””
“Yes.””
“You let me bury you.””
“Yes.””
“You watched my family fall apart.””
Matteo's expression hardened.
“And I watched our father murder people who asked the wrong questions.””
Vittorio went silent.
Matteo continued.
“That's why I disappeared.””
“What did he do?””
“He built an empire on secrets.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because you still don't understand what the Romano empire actually is.””
Matteo reached toward the camera.
The video changed.
Documents appeared.
Photographs.
Names.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police officials.
Bankers.
Shipping companies.
Then one photograph filled the screen.
Antonio Romano.
Standing beside a young man.
Vittorio recognized him.
Marcus Hale.
Vittorio's face changed.
“Marcus.””
Matteo nodded.
“He wasn't your wife's assistant.””
Vittorio stared.
“He worked for my father.””
“He still does.””
“That's impossible.””
“Look closer.””
The photograph changed.
Marcus stood beside Antonio.
Beside them was a third person.
Vittorio's breath caught.
It was Bianca.
Much younger.
Pregnant.
He turned toward the darkness behind him.
“Bianca.””
No answer.
Matteo spoke.
“She didn't marry you by accident.””
Vittorio closed his eyes.
Every memory suddenly looked different.
Their first meeting.
Her tears.
Her insistence on marrying him quickly.
The way she had always discouraged him from investigating Matteo's death.
The custody petition.
The forged signature.
Lucy.
He opened his eyes.
“Did Bianca betray me?””
Matteo was silent.
“That isn't an answer.””
“She was ordered to watch you.””
Vittorio's stomach twisted.
“For how long?””
“Since before your wedding.””
The words hurt more than he expected.
“Did she ever love me?””
Matteo looked away.
“That is the one question I can't answer.””
The screen went black.
A new video started.
This one was old.
Vittorio recognized the room.
His father's office.
Antonio sat behind his desk.
A young Bianca stood in front of him.
She was holding a baby.
Lucy.
No.
The baby was different.
A tiny girl with dark hair.
Vittorio leaned closer.
Antonio said, “You will take her.””
Bianca's younger voice answered, “Why?””
“Because Matteo's daughter must disappear.””
“This isn't his daughter.””
“Not anymore.””
Antonio handed her a second infant.
Golden hair.
Vittorio stared.
There were two babies.
Two girls.
One dark-haired.
One golden-haired.
Bianca looked between them.
“What do you want me to do?””
Antonio answered.
“Raise the one I give you.””
Vittorio stopped the video.
He couldn't breathe.
Two children.
Two babies.
One had been Lucy.
The other had been Elena.
His brother's daughter.
He looked at the screen.
“Which one did Bianca take?””
Matteo appeared again.
“That's the question.””
Vittorio's voice cracked.
“You don't know?””
“I know.””
“Then tell me.””
“I need you to understand what happened next.””
The footage resumed.
Bianca stood in the nursery.
She was crying.
She looked at the two babies.
Then someone entered the room.
Marcus.
Young Marcus.
He took the dark-haired infant.
Bianca clutched the golden-haired baby.
Antonio's voice came from off camera.
“Don't get attached.””
Bianca whispered, “I already have.””
The video ended.
Vittorio stared.
He understood.
Bianca had taken the golden-haired baby.
She had raised her as Lucy.
But Elena had been the dark-haired child.
The child Marcus took.
The child everyone thought had died.
Vittorio turned toward Matteo.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
“Where is Elena?””
Matteo's eyes filled with something Vittorio had never seen in him before.
Pain.
“She is alive.””
Vittorio's heart stopped.
“Where?””
“With the people who took Lucy.””
“Why would they take Lucy?””
“Because they want Elena back.””
Vittorio stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
Matteo spoke slowly.
“They believe Bianca stole Elena.””
“She didn't.””
“No.””
Matteo paused.
“Marcus did.””
Vittorio's blood went cold.
“Then why does everyone blame Bianca?””
“Because she let him.””
The screen flickered.
A new image appeared.
A warehouse.
Old.
Abandoned.
Vittorio recognized it immediately.
The original Romano shipping warehouse.
The same place where Matteo had supposedly died.
Coordinates appeared beneath the image.
Matteo said, “Bring the black box.””
Vittorio held it up.
“I have it.””
“No.””
“What?””
“The box you found isn't the one your father hid.””
Vittorio frowned.
“Then what's inside this?””
“A message.””
The video cut to black.
A phone rang in Vittorio's pocket.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice spoke.
“Mr. Romano.””
Vittorio recognized it.
Marcus.
“Where is my daughter?””
“She isn't your daughter.””
“Where is she?””
“Bring the box to the old warehouse.””
“What happens then?””
“You get Lucy.””
“And Elena?””
A pause.
“You'll get one of them.””
Vittorio's jaw tightened.
“No.””
Marcus laughed.
“You still don't understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
“Do you?””
Marcus's voice became colder.
“Because in three hours, the warehouse will burn.””
Vittorio stared at the screen.
“If you want both girls alive…”
A pause.
“…you'll have to decide which one you can save.””
The call ended.
Daniel looked at him.
“Sir.””
Vittorio slowly picked up the black box.
“We're going.””
Daniel shook his head.
“It could be a trap.””
“It is.””
“Then why go?””
Vittorio looked toward the photograph of the two babies.
“Because I've spent twelve years believing one daughter was dead.””
He looked at the empty doorway.
“And five years believing another was mine.””
His voice hardened.
“I'm not burying either of them.””
Behind him, Bianca appeared.
She was holding something in her hand.
A tiny silver key.
Vittorio turned.
“What is that?””
Bianca stared at him.
“The key to the real black box.””
Vittorio stepped closer.
“You had it.””
She nodded.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because your father told me that if I ever gave it to you…”
Her voice broke.
“He would kill Lucy.””
Vittorio took the key.
Then he noticed the engraving on it.
Two letters.
*M.R.*
Matteo Romano.
Vittorio looked at Bianca.
“You knew where he was all these years.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Then why does this key have his initials?””
Bianca whispered:
“Because Matteo gave it to me the night before he disappeared.””
Vittorio stared at her.
“And he told me something I never understood.””
“What?””
Bianca looked toward the staircase.
“He said, ‘When Vittorio finally learns the truth, tell him the first child was never the one we lost.’”
Vittorio's blood ran cold.
“The first child…”
Bianca nodded.
“The first child was never Elena.””
A phone buzzed.
Vittorio looked down.
A message.
One photograph.
Lucy and another little girl stood side by side in a dark room.
The second girl had dark hair.
She looked about twelve.
And on her wrist was the same red ribbon Lucy had been wearing.
May you like
Under the photograph were four words:
*SHE CALLS YOU DADDY.*
