Chapter 6 - THE FAMILY CREST
The heavy gold pendant swung from the Russian's wrist.
The Moretti family crest. Only blood members of the family were given that necklace. Luca had one. Teresa had one. And Matteo, the dead brother, had one.
Answer one: The Russians didn't just break into Luca's safe. Open two: Was Matteo really dead? Or was this guard someone else entirely?
Before the man could fire, a shadow dropped from the roof of the SUV. Luca landed behind the guard, wrapping his arm around the man's neck and twisting sharply. The guard collapsed.
Luca opened my door. He was covered in soot and blood, but his eyes were wide with urgency. "Emma, we have to move. Now."
"My father!" I cried.
"He's safe," Luca said, pointing down the alley.
I looked. Stumbling out of the shadows, leaning heavily on a wooden cane, was my father. Beside him was a terrified little boy with dark curly hair. Leo. Matteo's son.
I threw the car door open and ran to my father, wrapping my arms around him. "Dad! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Emmie," he wheezed, patting my back. "Your boss is quite the negotiator."
Luca gathered Leo into his arms. The little boy buried his face in Luca's shoulder. "We need to go," Luca said. "The police will be here in three minutes."
We piled into the SUV. Luca drove us away from the burning warehouse, taking backroads to avoid the sirens.
Vanessa sat in the back, staring at Leo. "My baby," she whispered.
Luca didn't look at her. "You lost the right to call him that when you put a price tag on his head."
I sat in the passenger seat, my father breathing heavily behind me. I reached down and picked up the gold necklace the Russian guard had dropped. I handed it to Luca.
"He was wearing this," I said quietly.
Luca took the heavy gold chain. He looked at the crest. His face turned completely pale under the streetlights.
"This isn't mine," Luca said. "And it isn't Matteo's."
"Whose is it?" I asked.
Luca turned the pendant over. Engraved on the back was a single initial. T.
"Teresa," Luca whispered.
My blood ran cold. "Your aunt?"
Luca gripped the steering wheel. "Teresa was the one who gave Vanessa the money. Teresa was the one who found the watch. Teresa was the one who pushed this entire night into motion."
The reversal hit us with devastating clarity. Vanessa wasn't the mastermind. Vanessa was a pawn.
"Why would Teresa orchestrate this?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Luca didn't answer. He hit the gas, speeding back toward the Gold Coast mansion. "Because Teresa never forgave my mother for inheriting the family business. And she never forgave me for taking over."
We arrived at the estate. The gates were open. The guards were gone.
We rushed into the grand foyer. The house was eerily silent. The engagement decorations still hung from the ceiling, mocking the chaos of the night.
"Teresa!" Luca roared, his voice echoing off the marble.
Footsteps sounded at the top of the grand staircase. Teresa stood there, leaning on her cane. She looked down at us with a calm, terrifying smile.
"You survived, Luca," the old woman said. "How unfortunate."
"You sold my brother's son to the Russians," Luca growled, pulling his weapon.
Teresa laughed. "I sold a bastard child to clear the path for the true heir."
"I am the heir!" Luca shouted.
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"No," Teresa said softly. She reached into her navy cardigan. She pulled out a faded, yellowed piece of paper.
"This is the real letter your mother wrote," Teresa said. "The one you read at dinner was a fake I planted. And this one reveals a truth you are not prepared for."
