Chapter 4 - The Mother’s Confession
The drainage tunnel was narrow and smelled of copper and decay, but it bypassed Samuel’s men entirely, leading them to a concealed grate near the mansion’s garden perimeter. Luca kicked the iron grating aside, pulling Maggie up into the cool night air. The party music still drifted faintly from the ballroom, an absurd soundtrack to their escape.
Luca led them to the garage, bypassing the main house. He ignored the chauffeur-driven sedans and went straight for a vintage black Porsche 911 tucked in the corner. He threw Maggie the keys to the passenger door while he took the wheel.
"Where are we going?" Maggie asked, clutching the thick stack of files to her chest.
"We need answers before we go to the warehouse," Luca said, starting the engine. It roared to life, violently loud in the enclosed space. "And there’s only one person who can give them to me without putting a bullet in my head first."
He didn't drive toward the city. Instead, he drove the car around to the side terrace. Through the glass doors, they could see the ballroom. It was chaotic. Security guards were arguing with guests.
Luca pulled out his phone and dialed a private number. He watched through the windshield as his mother, sitting rigidly in a chair surrounded by guards, answered her phone.
"Walk out to the terrace, Mom," Luca said through the line. "Alone. If anyone follows you, I disappear forever."
Elena froze, looking around the room. She stood up, brushed past a protesting guard, and stepped out into the night air. Luca flashed the headlights once.
Elena hurried to the car, pulling the passenger door open and climbing into the back seat. Her face was streaked with ruined makeup.
"Luca," she sobbed, reaching for his shoulder. "Thank God you’re safe. Samuel said—"
"Samuel is currently tearing apart the bunker where you kept my father like a pet," Luca interrupted, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Talk. Now. Before I leave you here."
Elena shrank back, trembling. "It was to protect him. To protect you! Sixteen years ago, Anthony found out that Samuel and Tommaso were stealing from the family’s unions. Millions of dollars. When Anthony confronted them, they tried to kill him at the warehouse."
Maggie sat silently in the passenger seat, gripping the files.
"He survived the fire," Elena continued, crying softly. "But he was badly burned. And weak. He knew if he revealed he was alive, they would just finish the job. And they would kill you to take control of the family."
"So you locked him in the basement?" Luca demanded.
"It was his idea!" Elena pleaded. "We faked the dental records on the burned body they found. He stayed in the vault. He watched them from the shadows, gathering evidence, waiting for you to become strong enough to take them down. Tonight… tonight was supposed to be the night. He was going to expose them during the toast."
"But he wasn't in the vault," Luca said coldly. "The bed was empty. The medical equipment was unhooked."
Elena’s eyes widened in genuine horror. "What? No. He's too weak to leave on his own. He can barely walk."
"Tommaso received a text message," Maggie spoke up, turning around in her seat. "It said, 'Don't let him inside. The body is still there.'"
Elena gasped, covering her mouth. "They found him. Samuel must have figured it out. He took him to the warehouse."
Luca shifted the car into gear, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "If Samuel touches one hair on his head, I will burn Chicago to the ground."
"Luca, wait!" Elena cried. "You can't go to the warehouse. Samuel has an army there. It’s a death trap!"
"Get out of the car, mother," Luca ordered.
May you like
Elena hesitated, looking into her son's eyes, seeing the ghost of his father staring back at her. Crying, she opened the door and stepped out onto the terrace.
Luca slammed the accelerator, the tires screaming against the asphalt as they sped toward the gates. The destination was set. Dock 17.
