The Mafia Boss Watched Her Dance With His Brother—Then She Slipped Him a Bloody Note
Chapter 7
Nobody moved.
Victoria looked at Vincent.
Then at Luca.
“He’s lying.”
Vincent laughed.
“Am I?”
Luca stared at his mother.
“Tell me.”
Victoria’s lips trembled.
“Your father had become dangerous.”
“To whom?”
“To you.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“He wanted to expose the Council.”
“Yes.”
“And he wanted to take you out of the organization.”
Luca froze.
“What?”
“He wanted you to become a lawyer.”
The words struck harder than any bullet.
Luca remembered.
At seventeen, his father had given him a briefcase.
At eighteen, he had been sent to work for one of the family’s lawyers.
Then everything changed.
His father had died.
Luca became the head of the organization.
He had always believed his father wanted him to inherit the empire.
But perhaps he had been wrong.
Victoria looked at him.
“Your father wanted you free.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“And she stopped him.”
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
“I made a deal.”
“You ordered Vincent to kill him.”
“I ordered him to protect Luca.”
Vincent shook his head.
“Protection required your husband’s death.”
Luca looked at him.
“And you obeyed.”
“I did.”
Elena stepped between them.
“Then why help my father?”
Vincent looked at her.
“Because Gabriel knew the truth.”
“And you kept him alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew one day the Council would need him.”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“You used my father.”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
Vincent looked at her.
“You were never part of the plan.”
“What happened?”
“You found him.”
“Where?”
“In a safe house.”
Elena stared.
“My father told me to run.”
“He knew they would come.”
“They did.”
Vincent nodded.
“And you brought me here.”
“Because the ledger needed you.”
“Why me?”
Vincent looked at Gabriel.
“Because your father trusted only you.”
Gabriel stepped forward.
“Enough.”
His voice was weak but firm.
“I hid the ledger in this building because I knew Victoria would never search here.”
Luca looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because she hated this place.”
Victoria looked down.
“This was where Richard and I were married.”
Gabriel nodded.
“And that memory made it sacred.”
The Council’s voice returned.
“Time is up.”
The ballroom doors locked again.
Then the chandeliers went dark.
A red laser appeared on Luca’s chest.
Elena shouted:
“Luca!”
He dropped.
A shot rang out.
But the bullet missed.
Matteo tackled the gunman.
Chaos erupted.
People screamed.
Security rushed in.
Victoria pulled Elena behind a pillar.
Gabriel crawled toward the kitchen.
Luca fired toward the ceiling.
“Everyone down!”
Another shot.
Vincent grabbed the ledger.
He ran.
Luca followed.
The chase moved through the ballroom.
Vincent reached the balcony.
Luca caught him.
They crashed against the railing.
The ledger fell.
Vincent grabbed Luca’s shirt.
“You don’t understand!”
“Then explain!”
“The Council isn’t one organization.”
“What?”
“It’s hundreds of people.”
Vincent coughed.
“They’re not going to disappear if you expose them.”
“Then we’ll expose them.”
“They’ll kill everyone you love.”
Luca stopped.
Vincent looked at Elena.
“Especially her.”
Luca’s face hardened.
“You threatened her.”
“No.”
Vincent shook his head.
“They already did.”
Luca looked toward Elena.
She was standing beside Gabriel.
Safe.
For the moment.
Vincent whispered:
“Look at the ledger.”
Luca picked it up.
A final page had been added.
The ink was fresh.
There was a list of names.
At the bottom:
ELENA MORETTI — TARGET
Luca’s blood ran cold.
Vincent said:
“They knew about her before tonight.”
Luca stared.
“How?”
Vincent pointed toward the crowd.
“Because someone in this room told them.”
Luca looked around.
Hundreds of faces.
Friends.
Business partners.
Employees.
Family.
Then Elena suddenly screamed.
Someone had grabbed her.
A hand covered her mouth.
She disappeared behind the curtains.
Luca ran.
Matteo followed.
Gabriel shouted:
“Elena!”
The ballroom erupted.
Luca reached the curtains.
Nothing.
Only Elena’s red scarf lay on the floor.
He picked it up.
Blood stained the fabric.
And beneath it was another note.
Three words.
Come alone, Luca.
