Chapter 4 - THE FATHER WHO REFUSED TO STAY BURIED
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The sound echoed through hidden speakers.
Alejandro held Isabella tighter.
Marco raised his g/u/n toward the ceiling.
Vittorio’s voice came through the walls.
“Beautiful.”
Alejandro slowly stood.
“You wanted me here.”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Because a father deserves to meet his granddaughter properly.”
Isabella buried her face against Alejandro’s shoulder.
He felt her trembling.
Whatever Vittorio had done during five years of captivity, the child understood enough to fear his voice.
That was all Alejandro needed to know.
“Where are you?”
Vittorio laughed.
“Still impatient.”
Marco searched the walls.
“There must be cameras.”
Alejandro whispered, “Let him watch.”
Then louder:
“You lost.”
“Did I?”
“I found Isabella.”
“You found the room I left open.”
Alejandro froze.
Marco’s face changed.
A distant mechanical sound rolled through the building.
Doors locking.
Metal gates dropping.
Vittorio continued.
“You always confuse movement with victory.”
Alejandro looked toward the hallway.
A steel barrier slammed across the exit.
Marco swore.
Isabella whispered,
“Papa?”
Alejandro forced his voice to remain calm.
“I’m here.”
“I know another way.”
He looked down.
“What?”
She pointed toward the wall.
“Grandpa has secret doors.”
Marco stared at her.
“You know them?”
She nodded.
“He says children don’t notice things.”
Alejandro almost smiled.
“He doesn’t know Moretti children.”
Isabella slipped from his arms and crawled beneath the bed.
She pressed one floorboard.
A section of wall clicked open.
Marco stared.
“You taught her that?”
“No.”
Alejandro crouched.
“Isabella, how do you know this?”
“I followed him.”
“How often?”
“When he sleeps after lunch.”
Marco actually laughed.
Alejandro shook his head.
“My daughter.”
They entered the passage.
Isabella led them through tight maintenance corridors.
At one junction, Alejandro heard voices ahead.
Luca.
“Sofia!”
He pushed through another panel.
Sofia spun around.
For half a second, she simply stared.
Then she saw Isabella.
Her entire face broke.
“My baby.”
Isabella ran.
Sofia fell to her knees.
They collided.
Mother and daughter clung to each other, crying.
Alejandro looked away.
It was too private.
Too sacred.
Luca placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You did it.”
“No.”
Alejandro looked toward the corridor.
“Vittorio let us.”
Luca’s expression hardened.
“Then what does he want?”
A speaker crackled nearby.
“All of you.”
Vittorio.
Sofia stood, holding Isabella.
“Show yourself.”
“Patience.”
“You took my daughter.”
“I raised her.”
“You stole her.”
“I saved her from you.”
Sofia’s voice sharpened.
“From me?”
“You were running with four infants and a criminal organization behind you.”
“And your solution was kidnapping one?”
“Language, Sofia.”
Alejandro stepped toward the speaker.
“Stop hiding.”
“Very well.”
Lights flickered on at the end of the corridor.
An old elevator opened.
Inside stood Vittorio Moretti.
White hair.
Black suit.
Thin frame.
Alive.
Alejandro stared at the father he had buried eighteen years ago.
Vittorio smiled.
“My son.”
Alejandro felt no warmth.
No nostalgia.
Only emptiness.
“You look smaller.”
Vittorio laughed softly.
“And you look exactly like me at forty-five.”
“That should insult both of us.”
Vittorio’s gaze moved toward Isabella.
She clung to Sofia.
Something almost tender crossed his face.
“Bella.”
She turned away.
Vittorio’s smile faded.
“You poisoned her against me.”
Sofia snapped,
“She is five.”
Vittorio stepped from the elevator.
Marco raised his g/u/n.
Vittorio looked at him.
“Marco.”
“Don’t.”
“I was sorry about your daughter.”
Marco’s face twisted.
“No, you weren’t.”
“No.”
Vittorio sighed.
“I wasn’t.”
Marco’s hand trembled.
Alejandro watched him.
“Marco.”
Marco did not look away from Vittorio.
“You made me hate him.”
Vittorio shrugged.
“You were useful.”
“You forged his orders.”
“Yes.”
“You had my daughter k/i/lled.”
Vittorio tilted his head.
“She made an unfortunate discovery.”
Marco lunged forward.
Alejandro grabbed his wrist.
“Not here.”
Marco struggled.
“Let me go.”
“No.”
“He took her from me.”
“And he wants you angry.”
Marco turned.
Alejandro’s eyes were cold.
“Do not give him the last thing he wants.”
Marco slowly lowered the we/@/pon.
Vittorio seemed disappointed.
“You’ve become sentimental, Alejandro.”
“No.”
“What, then?”
“A father.”
Vittorio’s smile disappeared.
He looked toward Isabella.
“You think she belongs with you?”
“She belongs with herself.”
That answer surprised everyone.
Even Sofia.
Alejandro continued.
“She is not an heir. Not leverage. Not a Moretti asset.”
He looked at his daughter.
“She is Isabella.”
Her tiny fingers tightened around Sofia’s hand.
Vittorio studied Alejandro.
“You really have changed.”
“You never knew me.”
“I made you.”
“No.”
Alejandro shook his head.
“You scared me. Sofia loved me. Luca stayed beside me. Elena raised half my conscience without realizing it. My children finished the job.”
Vittorio smiled again.
“Beautiful speech.”
Then he pressed a button.
Every exit locked.
The lights turned red.
A monitor descended from the ceiling.
On it appeared Camila.
Elena.
The four boys.
Still inside the church.
But men surrounded them.
Sofia gasped.
“No.”
Vittorio said calmly,
“I never leave one family member unattended.”
Alejandro’s stomach turned.
Vittorio held up a small remote.
“You choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Your daughter or your sons.”
Isabella stared at him.
Sofia went pale.
Vittorio continued.
“You can leave here with Isabella.”
“And the boys?”
“They come with me.”
“No.”
“Then Isabella stays.”
Alejandro almost laughed.
Vittorio frowned.
“What?”
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
“There is no choice.”
“You have five children and one exit.”
“No.”
Alejandro reached into his coat.
Vittorio’s guards lifted we/@/pons.
Alejandro slowly removed his phone.
“There are six exits.”
Vittorio stared.
Alejandro smiled.
“Camila wasn’t alone.”
The monitor flickered.
Then the men surrounding the church suddenly turned.
Behind them appeared dozens of armed figures.
Not rival criminals.
Police.
Federal agents.
Vittorio’s expression changed.
Luca laughed.
“You really thought Camila would babysit?”
Alejandro looked at his father.
“She called the people you spent twenty years bribing.”
Vittorio’s jaw hardened.
“You brought federal agents into family business?”
Alejandro nodded.
“Yes.”
“You fool.”
“No.”
His smile disappeared.
“I’m ending the family business.”
Sofia stared at him.
Luca did too.
Vittorio stepped back.
“You would destroy everything I built?”
Alejandro looked at Isabella.
“At Sofia.”
“At Marco.
Then said,
“Yes.”
The elevator doors suddenly opened behind Vittorio.
A woman stood inside.
Camila.
Holding a folder.
“You missed something,” she said.
Vittorio turned.
Camila tossed the folder toward Alejandro.
He caught it.
“What is this?”
“Every account.”
Vittorio went still.
“Camila.”
“Every shell company. Every judge. Every official. Every bank.”
She smiled.
“I copied everything.”
Vittorio’s face finally lost its composure.
“You stupid girl.”
“No.”
Camila stepped out.
“You taught Sofia to run.”
She looked at Alejandro.
“You taught him to rule.”
Then she looked at Vittorio.
“And you taught me to steal.”
For the first time, Alejandro heard Luca laugh openly.
Vittorio’s guards exchanged glances.
Their loyalty was disappearing by the second.
Sofia whispered,
“It’s over.”
Vittorio looked at her.
“No.”
Then he looked at Isabella.
His face softened.
“Bella, come here.”
She pressed herself against Sofia.
Vittorio’s expression cracked.
“You’re my little girl.”
Isabella looked at him carefully.
Then said,
“You always told me family is the person who stays.”
Vittorio’s face went still.
She pointed toward Alejandro.
“He came.”
Those two words destroyed something no we/@/pon ever could.
Vittorio lowered his eyes.
Outside, sirens grew louder.
Alejandro expected his father to fight.
Instead Vittorio smiled faintly.
Then he said something nobody expected.
“Good.”
Alejandro frowned.
Vittorio reached inside his coat.
Marco raised his g/u/n.
“Hands!”
Vittorio slowly removed a small key.
He tossed it to Isabella.
She caught it.
“What is it?” Alejandro asked.
Vittorio looked at him.
“The reason I let you find her.”
Silence.
“There is one final vault beneath St. Gabriel.”
“What’s inside?”
Vittorio smiled.
“The truth about why Sofia was targeted in the first place.”
Sofia froze.
May you like
Vittorio’s smile widened.
“And why Isabella was the only child I took.”
