Chapter 11: The Son Who Was Erased From History
We found the remaining documents inside the inheritance file.
There were birth certificates, hospital photographs, DNA reports, and a handwritten letter from Vincent.
Ricardo sat beside Isabella, unable to look at her.
I sat across from them, reading the first document.
It was a medical report dated the day Ricardo and I were born.
Two babies.
Two separate identification numbers.
One marked male.
The other marked female.
But something was written beneath Ricardo's name.
*GENETIC PATERNITY EXCLUDED — VINCENT MORETTI.*
I read it again.
Then I looked at Ricardo.
“There's something wrong with this report.””
He took it.
His eyes moved across the page.
“What does this mean?””
Isabella covered her mouth.
Vincent suddenly tried to stand.
“Put that document away.””
Ricardo ignored him.
“Father, why does it say you're not my biological father?””
Antonio, still trapped behind the chamber door, began laughing.
“Oh, this is getting better.””
Ricardo turned toward him.
“Explain.””
Antonio leaned against the metal door.
“Vincent wasn't your father, brother.””
The silence was unbearable.
“Then who was?”” Ricardo demanded.
Antonio smiled.
“Your real father was the man Vincent had killed twenty-nine years ago.””
Isabella began crying.
“His name was Gabriel.””
I looked at her.
“Who was Gabriel?””
She took Ricardo's hand.
“Your biological father. He was Vincent's closest friend and the only man who ever truly loved me.””
Vincent slammed his fist against the desk.
“Enough!””
Isabella continued.
“Vincent discovered our relationship when I was pregnant. He couldn't tolerate the humiliation. He took Ricardo from me and told everyone the child was his.””
Ricardo stood.
“Then why did he raise me?””
“Because he wanted to punish Gabriel even after his death.””
Antonio laughed.
“And because he wanted an heir with the right bloodline.””
Ricardo stared at Vincent.
“You murdered my father?””
Vincent looked at him.
“I gave you everything.””
“You stole my identity!””
“I made you powerful.””
“You made me believe I was someone I wasn't!””
Vincent's voice rose.
“Without me, you'd be nothing!””
Ricardo looked at the old man for a long moment.
Then he quietly said:
“Maybe that's why I spent my entire life trying to prove I deserved your approval.””
Vincent looked away.
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
The man who had terrorized half of New York had spent his childhood begging for love from someone who had stolen his real father's identity.
But the documents contained another surprise.
I found a second DNA report.
This one compared my genetic profile with Ricardo's.
The result showed a sibling relationship.
We were biological twins.
I looked at him.
“Does that mean we're really brother and sister?””
Ricardo nodded.
“Yes.””
For the first time since we'd met, neither of us knew what to say.
Then Isabella reached across the table and touched my hand.
“You were both beautiful babies.””
I swallowed.
“Why didn't you come looking for us?””
She lowered her eyes.
“Vincent told me Ricardo was dead. He told me you had been sent to a family overseas. When I discovered the truth, he locked me away.””
I glanced at the hospital bracelet around her wrist.
“How long?””
“Twenty-seven years.””
I covered my mouth.
Twenty-seven years.
My mother had spent nearly three decades imprisoned beneath a chapel while the rest of the family built their lives on her disappearance.
Ricardo looked toward the door.
“Dante!””
The guard appeared.
“Yes, boss?””
“Get medical assistance for my mother. And secure Antonio.””
Dante nodded.
Then his radio crackled.
A man's voice came through.
“Dante, we have a problem.””
“What?””
“The eastern security team has been compromised.””
Ricardo stood.
“By whom?””
The voice hesitated.
“Someone wearing your identification entered the mansion.””
Ricardo's expression changed.
“That's impossible. I'm here.””
The voice continued.
“The person claims to be you. He has your fingerprints, your access codes, and your personal security authorization.””
I looked at the old documents.
A photograph had slipped from the folder.
It showed a younger Vincent standing beside a man who looked almost exactly like Ricardo.
But there was one difference.
A scar above his right eyebrow.
I looked at Ricardo.
He had the same scar.
Then I looked closer at the photograph.
The man standing beside Vincent wasn't Ricardo.
It was Gabriel.
Isabella saw the photograph and gasped.
“No.””
Ricardo turned.
“What?””
She pointed at the man.
“Gabriel had an identical twin brother.””
Vincent's face went pale.
Helena whispered:
“God help us.””
Isabella looked toward Ricardo.
“His name was Adrian.””
The radio crackled again.
“Boss, the man at the mansion just opened the private vault.””
Ricardo grabbed his weapon.
“What does he want?””
The answer came through in a terrified whisper.
“He's asking for the child.””
Ricardo looked at Leo.
My stomach dropped.
Because Adrian wasn't asking for Ricardo's son.
May you like
He was asking for the only child who could legally inherit the Moretti empire.
Me.
