Chapter 2 - The Brother Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Giovanni moved first.
He pushed Isadora behind him.
Luca and Matteo drew their weapons.
But the old man didn't fire.
He simply smiled.
“Still protecting strangers, Giovanni?”
Gio stared at him.
“Uncle Vittorio.”
Vittorio lowered his gun.
“You finally remembered me.”
“You died.”
“No.”
Vittorio's smile disappeared.
“Your father made sure everyone believed I did.”
Isadora stepped from behind Giovanni.
“Why?”
Vittorio looked at her.
“Because your father knew the truth.”
She stiffened.
“My father?”
“Marco Marino was never your father.”
The words struck harder than the gunshots.
Isadora shook her head.
“No.”
Vittorio continued.
“He was the man who raised you.”
Gio turned toward him.
“Enough.”
But Vittorio's eyes remained on Isadora.
“Your biological father was Antonio Rossi.”
The room went silent.
Isadora couldn't breathe.
Gio looked at her.
Then at Vittorio.
“No.”
“Your brother survived the assassination attempt.”
“You said Antonio died.”
“I lied.”
Gio's face became unreadable.
“Where is he?”
Vittorio smiled bitterly.
“Closer than you think.”
A sound came from the kitchen.
Footsteps.
Everyone turned.
Emilio stood in the doorway.
His face was wet with tears.
“I'm sorry, Isadora.”
She stared at him.
“You knew?”
Emilio nodded.
“For twenty years.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your mother made me promise.”
Isadora stepped forward.
“What happened to her?”
Emilio's eyes lowered.
“She didn't disappear.”
Isadora stopped.
“What?”
“She was taken.”
The world seemed to tilt.
“My mother died six years ago.”
“No.”
Emilio's voice broke.
“That's what they wanted you to believe.”
Gio's eyes sharpened.
“Who took her?”
Emilio looked at Vittorio.
Vittorio looked away.
Then a phone rang.
Not Gio's.
Not Luca's.
Isadora's.
Her phone was supposed to be in the missing backpack.
Yet somehow it was ringing inside the restaurant.
A waiter picked up a black phone from beneath table seven.
He handed it to her.
“It's for you.”
Isadora answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
“Dela...”
Isadora's blood turned cold.
It was her mother's voice.
“Mom?”
“Don't trust Giovanni.”
Gio's face tightened.
“Who is this?”
The line went dead.
Then a second message arrived.
A photograph.
Isadora opened it.
Her mother was sitting in a room.
Alive.
Older.
Terrified.
May you like
And beside her stood Antonio Rossi.
---
