Chapter 8 - LILY’S BIRTHDAY TRAP
For five days, Dante disappeared publicly.
Rumors spread that the Moretti estate was collapsing.
Salvatore was missing.
Adrian was wounded.
Sophia had vanished.
Marco was accused of betrayal.
The Moretti organization appeared leaderless.
Exactly as planned.
In reality, Dante was preparing something none of his father’s generation would ever have considered.
Complete exposure.
Michael’s archive was copied to federal investigators.
Journalists.
Attorneys.
International financial agencies.
Every release was scheduled for midnight on Lily’s fourth birthday.
Rafael could not stop all of them.
Unless he obtained the encryption key first.
Lily.
Claire hated every part of the plan.
“She’s not bait.”
Dante looked at her across the kitchen table.
“She won’t be.”
“Rafael believes she will.”
“He will never get within fifty feet of her.”
“You can’t promise that.”
Dante was silent.
Claire’s anger sharpened.
“Exactly.”
He stood.
“I can send you out of the country.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“I’m done running from men who decide my life.”
He looked frustrated.
“So your solution is to stay in the middle of a war?”
“My solution is to end it.”
They stared at each other.
Then Dante said something unexpected.
“When this is over, I want you to leave.”
Claire froze.
“What?”
“You and Lily.”
She laughed once.
Cold.
“Fine.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“Sounds clear.”
“You deserve a normal life.”
“And you?”
“I’m not normal.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
Claire stepped closer.
“So everything Sophia said was true.”
His face changed.
“What?”
“You care until caring becomes inconvenient.”
“That is not what this is.”
“You paid Lily’s school without telling me.”
“Yes.”
“You protected us.”
“Yes.”
“You let her destroy a million-dollar car.”
“Apparently.”
“You nearly died for me at the terminal.”
“I would do it again.”
“Then stop pretending this means nothing.”
Dante said nothing.
Claire’s voice softened.
“I know what you are.”
“You don’t.”
“I know enough.”
“I’ve hurt people.”
“So have secrets.”
“That doesn’t excuse me.”
“I’m not excusing you.”
She stepped even closer.
“I’m asking what you want.”
Dante looked at her for a long time.
Then finally:
“You.”
Claire’s breath caught.
“And Lily.”
Her eyes filled.
Dante’s voice became quieter.
“That’s exactly why you should leave.”
Claire kissed him.
Not carefully.
Not politely.
Dante froze for one heartbeat.
Then held her as if he had been fighting himself for months.
When they separated, Claire whispered:
“Let me decide what I deserve.”
He rested his forehead against hers.
“Terrible decision.”
“Probably.”
From the doorway:
“Mommy kissed Mr. Dante.”
They turned.
Lily stood holding a juice box.
Claire closed her eyes.
Dante looked like someone had put a gun against him.
Lily smiled.
“Are you my new daddy?”
Dante stopped functioning.
Claire nearly died of embarrassment.
“Lily—”
Dante crouched.
“No.”
The little girl’s face fell.
Claire looked at him.
He continued.
“Not unless your mother decides that someday.”
Lily considered this.
“Okay.”
Then handed him the juice box.
“Open.”
Dante Moretti, feared by half the city, obediently opened apple juice.
The birthday arrived.
The estate appeared quiet.
A small cake sat in the kitchen.
Four candles.
Rosa returned from the medical wing with a cane.
Gabriel decorated badly.
Marco brought Lily a stuffed bear and looked terrified she might reject it.
At 8:14 p.m., security caught a drone.
At 9:02, power failed temporarily.
At 10:47, a vehicle approached the outer gate.
Empty.
At 11:31, Dante received a message.
COME TO THE CHAPEL.
ALONE.
Claire looked at him.
“Rafael?”
“Probably.”
“I’m coming.”
He didn’t argue anymore.
Progress.
The chapel was dark.
Candles burned near the altar.
Rafael Vescari sat in the first pew.
Seventy-two.
Elegant.
Silver hair.
The kind of man who could have been a university professor.
He smiled at Claire.
“You look like Michael’s mother.”
Claire’s stomach turned.
“Don’t speak about him.”
“Michael was sentimental.”
“He was better than you.”
“Yes.”
The easy admission surprised her.
Rafael looked at Dante.
“And you look exactly like Salvatore did before power ruined him.”
“Where is my father?”
“Alive.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“Where?”
Rafael smiled.
“Close.”
A side door opened.
Salvatore entered.
Hands tied.
Bruised.
Behind him stood Adrian.
Claire stared.
Adrian held a weapon against Salvatore.
Rafael sighed.
“Family reunions are exhausting.”
Dante understood.
Rafael had arranged everyone here.
Adrian wanted Salvatore dead.
Salvatore wanted Rafael dead.
Rafael wanted the archive stopped.
Then Sophia entered behind Claire.
Gun raised.
“You really are difficult to kill.”
Claire froze.
Dante reached toward her.
Sophia aimed at him.
“Don’t.”
Rafael looked at the clock.
11:52.
“Eight minutes.”
He smiled at Claire.
“Give me the key.”
“I don’t have it.”
“You are the key.”
Claire frowned.
“Michael built the second archive around a biometric recovery system.”
Dante stared.
Rafael continued.
“Claire’s voice. Lily’s voice. A phrase spoken together.”
Claire’s blood turned cold.
“What phrase?”
Rafael smiled.
“Michael’s final words.”
Claire remembered the video.
Our brave girl.
No.
Rafael’s eyes glittered.
“You and Lily say those words, the archive opens.”
“Lily isn’t here.”
“Oh, Claire.”
Rafael looked toward the chapel balcony.
Claire followed his gaze.
Her heart stopped.
Lily stood upstairs.
Holding Gabriel’s hand.
Gabriel had a gun pressed against his back.
Marco stood behind him.
Claire stared.
“Marco?”
His face was empty.
Dante whispered:
“No.”
Marco pushed Gabriel forward.
Then looked down at Dante.
“I’m sorry.”
Dante’s eyes filled with betrayal.
Again.
But Marco said something strange.
“Trust the flower.”
Dante froze.
The flower.
Lily’s pink flower on his car.
Their emergency code.
Earlier that afternoon, Dante had told Marco:
If anything goes wrong, say something only Lily would recognize.
The betrayal was fake.
Rafael did not know.
Lily looked at Dante.
And smiled.
The clock reached 11:58.
The trap was closing.
May you like
On Rafael.
---
