Chapter 4 - THE BRASS LAMP
The heavy brass lamp struck Marcus directly on the wrist. He grunted in pain, the gun clattering onto the thick Persian rug. I didn't hesitate. I kicked the weapon beneath the massive oak desk, out of his reach. Marcus lunged at me, his eyes wide with fury. "You stupid little—" Before he could finish, the study door burst open. Luca stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, his dark eyes taking in the scene instantly. He saw Marcus grabbing my arm, the overturned lamp, and Joe cowering behind the desk. "Let her go," Luca commanded. Marcus froze. He released my arm and took a step back, holding his bruised wrist. "Boss. The maid went crazy. I came to secure the old man, and she attacked me." Luca walked slowly into the room. The air around him felt suffocatingly dense. He looked down at the floor, spotting the toe of Marcus's gun peeking out from under the desk. "You came to secure him," Luca repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. "With your weapon drawn? In my private study?" Marcus swallowed hard. "Protocol, Boss. I didn't know who else was in here." I stepped forward, my hands still shaking. "Mr. Moretti, Joe told me something. The man who threatened him in the hospital thirty-three years ago... it was Marcus." Luca turned slowly to look at his head of security. Marcus let out a forced, nervous laugh. "She's lying. The old man is senile! I was fifteen years old thirty-three years ago!" "A teenager with a scar over his left eyebrow," Joe whispered from behind the desk. Luca stared at Marcus's forehead. "My father took you in when you were fourteen, Marcus," Luca said, his voice laced with absolute betrayal. "You grew up in this house." "I was loyal!" Marcus shouted, abandoning the lie. "Your father was weak, Luca! Carlo knew it. Your mother knew it! She was going to take the money and leave him! Carlo did what had to be done to save the family!" Luca's expression went entirely blank. It was a terrifying absence of emotion. "My mother was leaving?" Luca asked softly. "She had bags packed," Marcus sneered, realizing he had nothing left to lose. "She paid the housekeeper, Maria, to help her sneak out with you. But Carlo caught them. The fire was meant to bury the evidence." I felt sick to my stomach. "And Vanessa?" Luca asked. "Maria's kid," Marcus spat. "Carlo felt guilty. He took her in, raised her. Gave her the stolen earrings as a sick trophy. He thought marrying her to you would keep his bloodline on the throne." Luca walked over to the desk. He didn't yell. He didn't strike Marcus. He simply picked up his desk phone and dialed a single number. "Send Antonio and his men to the study," Luca said into the receiver. "We have a traitor." Marcus turned pale. He bolted for the door, but two massive men in dark suits were already standing there, blocking his exit. They grabbed him effortlessly and dragged him down the hall. The study fell into a heavy silence. Luca stood by the desk, his head bowed. The most powerful man in the city looked completely broken. I walked over to the wheelchair and helped Joe push himself back out into the open. "I'm so sorry, Anthony," Joe said, crying quietly. "I didn't know." Luca knelt in front of the old man again. "You brought me the truth, Uncle Joe. You gave me back my mother's memory. You don't ever have to apologize." Luca stood up and looked at me. His dark eyes softened. "You risked your life for him, Emma," Luca said. "Why?" "He just wanted to give you a present," I said quietly. Luca nodded slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled photograph of Vanessa as a child. He turned it over. There was faded handwriting on the back. "My father didn't write this," Luca murmured, his brow furrowing. He handed it to me. I looked at the elegant, looping script. Keep her safe. She knows where the ledger is. I looked up at Luca. "What ledger?" "I don't know," Luca said. "But if Vanessa's mother knew about a ledger, it means the fire wasn't just about stopping my mother from leaving." Suddenly, the study phone rang. Luca picked it up. He listened for a few seconds, his face turning entirely pale. He hung up the phone and looked at me. "That was the gate guard," Luca said. "Carlo Bellini just arrived. And he has your brother."
