Chapter 6
Domenico kept his eyes on Matteo.
The tunnel felt suddenly smaller.
Isabella stood between her sons.
Carlo remained against the wall, injured but smiling as though the family was finally performing the tragedy he had written for them.
“What did Sofia say?” Matteo asked.
Domenico slipped the phone into his pocket.
“You know.”
Matteo’s jaw tightened.
“She told you not to trust me.”
“Yes.”
Valentina looked between them.
“Maybe because you were the last person at Elena’s hospital room.”
Marcus stepped back.
Security shifted their weapons.
Matteo laughed without humor.
“This is what Carlo does.”
Carlo wiped blood from his mouth.
“I’m sitting on the floor.”
“You don’t need to stand to manipulate people.”
Domenico moved closer to Matteo.
“Tell me everything that happened in the hospital.”
“I already did.”
“No. You gave me pieces.”
Matteo looked at Ruby.
“She shouldn’t be here.”
Ruby’s eyes flashed.
“I’m tired of everyone deciding that.”
Domenico understood her anger.
But this time he agreed with Matteo.
He crouched.
“Ruby, this next part could be bad.”
“The other parts were bad.”
“Yes.”
“And everyone hiding them made them worse.”
He had no answer.
Ruby looked at Matteo.
“Tell me what happened to my mom.”
Matteo closed his eyes briefly.
“When Elena reached the hospital, a doctor named Samuel Crane treated her.”
Valentina frowned.
“I know that name.”
Domenico looked at her.
“How?”
“He served on the foundation medical board.”
Carlo gave a quiet laugh.
Of course he did.
Matteo continued.
“Elena had internal injuries, but she was conscious. She told Crane she believed her brakes had been tampered with.”
“What did he do?” Domenico asked.
“Called Carlo.”
Domenico looked at his father.
Carlo shrugged.
“The doctor was loyal.”
“To your money.”
“Same thing.”
Matteo continued.
“I had been following Carlo’s people. When I heard Elena was alive, I went to the hospital.”
“Why not call me?”
“Because Carlo had people around you.”
“You decided for me again.”
“Yes.”
Matteo looked directly at him.
“And I was wrong.”
The admission surprised Domenico.
Matteo continued.
“I met Sofia there.”
Domenico frowned.
“She was at the hospital too?”
“Yes.”
“She knew Elena survived?”
“Yes.”
“And she let me bury Elena without telling me?”
Matteo’s face showed pain.
“She wanted to tell you.”
“But?”
“I stopped her.”
Domenico’s hand curled.
“You stopped her.”
“Carlo threatened Ruby.”
Ruby stiffened.
“She was five.”
“I know.”
Matteo looked at her.
“He had photographs of you leaving preschool. Sleeping in your bedroom. Playing in the garden.”
Domenico felt sick.
“He told us if you learned Elena survived the crash, he would make Ruby disappear.”
Domenico turned toward Carlo.
His father looked bored.
“You threatened a five-year-old.”
“I protected the family.”
Domenico crossed the distance and struck him again.
This time Carlo hit the floor.
Security did not interfere.
Isabella stared down at her husband.
“You always called cruelty protection.”
Carlo coughed.
“It worked.”
“No.”
She looked around at her broken children.
“It destroyed everything.”
Domenico turned back to Matteo.
“Continue.”
“Isabella entered Elena’s room while confused and heavily medicated. She disconnected the ventilator. Doctor Crane restarted it.”
Isabella wept silently.
“Elena regained consciousness around three in the morning.”
Ruby whispered, “What did she say?”
Matteo looked at her.
“She asked for you.”
Ruby covered her mouth.
Domenico felt tears burn behind his eyes.
“What else?”
“She asked for Domenico.”
Matteo looked at his brother.
“I wanted to call you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
“Because of Carlo’s threat.”
“Yes.”
Domenico wanted to hate Matteo.
Part of him did.
But another part saw a twenty-three-year-old brother who had been controlled by the same father.
A family trained to obey fear.
“What happened at sunrise?”
Matteo’s voice dropped.
“I left the room.”
“Why?”
“Sofia found proof that Carlo’s men were searching the hospital. I went downstairs to stop them.”
“And Elena?”
“Sofia stayed.”
Domenico’s face hardened.
“So Sofia was alone with Elena.”
“For less than ten minutes.”
“What happened?”
“When I came back, Elena was dead.”
Ruby began crying harder.
“Was Aunt Sofia there?”
“No.”
“Where was she?”
“Gone.”
Domenico stared.
“And you’re asking me to believe Sofia didn’t kill her.”
“I don’t know what happened.”
“You spent six years protecting her.”
“I spent six years trying to prove it wasn’t her.”
Carlo laughed from the floor.
“Still loyal to the wrong sister.”
Matteo kicked the cane away from him.
Carlo’s smile disappeared.
Domenico’s phone vibrated again.
A message from Sofia.
No words.
Just coordinates.
The security chief checked them.
“City center.”
Domenico frowned.
“Where?”
The chief zoomed in.
“St. Catherine Medical Center.”
Domenico looked at Matteo.
“Elena’s hospital?”
Matteo nodded.
The building had closed four years ago.
Domenico looked at Carlo.
“You sent Sofia there.”
Carlo said nothing.
Matteo grabbed his coat.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking him.”
Carlo laughed.
“To the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent.”
Domenico stopped.
That response was wrong.
Carlo wanted to go.
Domenico stared at him.
“What’s there?”
Carlo smiled.
“Your answers.”
Domenico looked at security.
“Separate vehicles. Carlo restrained.”
Ruby started toward the exit.
Domenico stopped her.
“No.”
Her face fell.
“Dad.”
“This time, no.”
“You said no more secrets.”
“And I meant it.”
He held her shoulders.
“But no more secrets does not mean I bring you into every dangerous room.”
Ruby stared at him.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You’re going with Grandma.”
Isabella looked surprised.
Domenico continued.
“Security will take both of you to a safe house.”
Ruby shook her head.
“What if someone takes you?”
“Then you stay alive.”
Her eyes filled.
Domenico kissed her forehead.
“That is not negotiable.”
Ruby hugged him tightly.
“Come back.”
“I will.”
She whispered, “Promise?”
Domenico hesitated.
He had learned to hate promises made against uncertainty.
So he gave her a different one.
“I promise I will fight to.”
Ruby accepted that.
Isabella took her hand.
Before leaving, Isabella looked at Domenico.
“Your father lies best when he tells half the truth.”
Domenico glanced toward Carlo.
“I know.”
Isabella shook her head.
“No. You still think he is trying to hide Elena’s killer.”
“What else would he be doing?”
“He may be trying to make you find them.”
Domenico frowned.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
She left with Ruby.
Domenico, Matteo, Valentina, Marcus and security drove back into the city.
Carlo sat in the second vehicle, wrists restrained.
He looked almost relaxed.
At 4:11 a.m., they reached St. Catherine Medical Center.
The building stood abandoned behind construction fencing.
Domenico remembered the hospital.
His father had donated millions to it.
Domenico had attended fundraisers there.
He had never known Elena died inside.
They entered through a side door.
Dust covered the halls.
Matteo led them toward the former intensive care unit.
“Room 614.”
Domenico stopped.
“You remember.”
“I remember everything about that night.”
They climbed six floors.
Room 614 stood at the end of a dark corridor.
The door was open.
Inside, a single lantern glowed.
Sofia sat on the old hospital bed.
Alive.
Untied.
Domenico stopped.
“Sofia.”
She looked at him.
Her face was bruised.
Her wrists raw.
But she was free.
Matteo raised his weapon.
Sofia immediately looked at him.
“I told you not to trust him.”
Matteo’s face hardened.
“Who did this to you?”
“You.”
Domenico turned.
Matteo stared.
“What?”
Sofia stood.
“You had me taken from my house.”
“No.”
“Your people.”
“I have no people.”
“You have had people for thirty years.”
Matteo stepped into the room.
“I came out of hiding to stop Carlo.”
Sofia laughed bitterly.
“You came out because Elena’s vault opened.”
Domenico moved between them.
“Enough.”
Sofia looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
“For which lie?”
Her face collapsed.
“All of them.”
Domenico wanted to embrace her.
He wanted to scream at her.
Instead he asked the only question that mattered.
“Did you kill Elena?”
Sofia’s eyes filled.
“No.”
“Were you with her when she died?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Sofia sat down.
“Elena knew she was dying.”
Matteo interrupted.
“The doctor said she was stabilizing.”
Sofia looked at him.
“The doctor was lying.”
Domenico stared.
“What?”
“Carlo ordered Crane to inject something into her IV.”
Matteo’s face went pale.
“You saw that?”
“No. Elena did.”
Sofia wiped tears away.
“She woke up while Crane was preparing the syringe. She pretended to be unconscious. After he left, she told me.”
“Why did Crane leave?”
“To get Carlo.”
“What did Elena ask you to do?”
“Get the ledger out.”
“And?”
“Protect Ruby.”
Domenico’s voice broke.
“What did she say about me?”
Sofia closed her eyes.
“She said, ‘He’ll believe the evidence once he stops believing his father.’”
Domenico turned away.
Elena had known him too well.
“What happened when you left?”
“I didn’t leave.”
Matteo stared at her.
“You were gone when I returned.”
“I was hiding in the bathroom.”
“Why?”
“Because someone entered the room.”
Domenico turned sharply.
“Who?”
Sofia looked toward the hallway.
“Matteo.”
Everyone stared at him.
Matteo shook his head.
“I was downstairs.”
“No.”
Sofia stood.
“I saw you.”
Matteo looked furious.
“You saw someone who looked like me.”
Sofia laughed.
“You expect us to believe there were two Matteos?”
Carlo’s voice came from the doorway.
“Yes.”
Everyone turned.
Two guards stood beside him.
His wrists still restrained.
But he was smiling.
Domenico felt cold.
Carlo looked at Matteo.
“Tell them.”
Matteo’s face drained.
“Don’t.”
Carlo’s smile widened.
“You wanted truth.”
He looked at Domenico.
“Meet the secret your mother buried before I ever did.”
Domenico stared at Matteo.
Matteo closed his eyes.
Sofia whispered, “What is he talking about?”
Carlo answered.
“Matteo was not born alone.”
Nobody spoke.
Carlo continued.
“Your mother gave birth to twin boys.”
Domenico looked at Isabella’s older medical records in his memory.
There had never been any mention of twins.
“That’s impossible.”
Carlo laughed.
“Your favorite word tonight.”
Matteo opened his eyes.
Domenico saw shame there.
And fear.
Carlo said:
“Matteo had an identical twin.”
Sofia shook her head.
“No.”
“His name was Alessandro.”
Domenico looked at Matteo.
“You knew?”
Matteo whispered, “Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Matteo said nothing.
Carlo looked toward the dark hallway.
A figure appeared at the far end.
Same height as Matteo.
Same gray hair.
Same scar pattern, except mirrored on the opposite cheek.
Sofia stopped breathing.
The stranger walked toward the lantern.
Matteo raised his gun.
The man smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
Domenico stared at two versions of the sibling he had buried.
And suddenly Elena’s death became horrifyingly clear.
Sofia had seen Matteo enter the hospital room.
Matteo swore he had been downstairs.
Both could be telling the truth.
Domenico looked at Alessandro.
“You killed Elena.”
Alessandro smiled.
“No.”
Then he looked at Carlo.
May you like
“Father did.”
Carlo’s smile vanished.
