Chapter 11: The Brother’s Secret
I didn’t sleep.
Not that night.
Not the next.
Sleep required peace.
And peace required knowing who you were.
I had spent twenty-seven years believing I was Avery Marino.
A waitress.
A normal person.
Someone whose biggest problems were rent and car repairs.
Now I was Avery Moretti.
Daughter of a man who faked his death.
Granddaughter of a man who built an empire through fear.
The person wearing the necklace everyone wanted.
Normal had disappeared.
And somehow, the only person who seemed calm was Luca.
Which was ridiculous.
Luca Moretti should have been the least calming person in my life.
Yet there I was.
Sitting in the back of his car while rain covered the windows, watching him silently review documents.
“You’re staring.””
I looked away.
“I’m thinking.””
“About?””
“How strange my life has become.””
He nodded.
“Fair.””
“You always say that.””
“Because you’re usually right.””
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then I looked at the folder in his hands.
“What is that?””
“Information.””
“About?””
“You.””
I hated that answer.
“Luca.””
He closed the folder.
“Your father gave me permission.””
“To do what?””
“To investigate.””
I looked outside.
“I’m tired of being investigated.””
His expression changed.
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
“You’re right.””
Again.
That honesty.
It was becoming impossible to stay angry.
“Why are you helping me?””
The question had been sitting inside me since Aurelia.
Since the first time Leo reached for me.
Luca looked at me.
“Because your mother asked me to.””
“That’s all?””
A pause.
Then:
“No.””
My heart skipped.
“What else?””
He looked away.
“I owe your family a debt.””
“What kind?””
“The kind that can’t be repaid.””
Before I could ask more, the car stopped.
We had arrived at a private building.
Not an office.
Not a house.
Something between.
Security everywhere.
Inside, Leo was sitting on the floor with a toy car.
The second he saw me, his entire face changed.
He crawled toward me.
I laughed.
“Hi.””
He grabbed my hand.
Luca watched.
“You see?””
I looked up.
“What?””
“He remembers.””
“He’s a baby.””
“He remembers you.””
Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.
Before I could answer, Matteo entered.
The mood changed instantly.
Leo looked at him.
Then away.
Interesting.
Matteo noticed.
“He doesn’t like me.””
“He doesn’t know you.””
“He knows enough.””
The bitterness surprised me.
I looked between them.
“You’re brothers.””
“Yes.””
“But?””
Matteo smiled sadly.
“But families are complicated.””
Luca’s expression hardened.
“Not now.””
Matteo ignored him.
“Avery deserves to know.””
“Know what?””
Matteo looked at me.
“The reason your father survived.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Someone helped him disappear.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
Matteo looked at Luca.
And for the first time, Luca looked angry.
“Don’t.””
The warning was clear.
Matteo continued anyway.
“It was me.””
Silence.
I stared.
“You?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Matteo looked down.
“Because I knew Victor would kill him.””
“But you disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
His answer was quiet.
“Because I found out something worse.””
“What?””
Matteo looked at Luca.
“I found out someone inside our family was working with Victor.””
I swallowed.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone went still.
I looked at Luca.
He nodded once.
Answer.
I did.
“Hello?””
A voice.
Old.
Calm.
Familiar.
A voice I had never heard before.
“Avery.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then:
“I’m the man your mother spent her entire life trying to protect you from.””
I couldn’t move.
Luca reached for the phone.
But I held it tighter.
“Victor Moretti?””
A soft laugh.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
“Where are you?””
“Closer than you think.””
My hands shook.
“Why are you calling me?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Because you deserve to know the truth.””
I almost laughed.
Everyone said that.
Everyone claimed they had the truth.
“And what truth is that?””
Victor’s voice lowered.
“That your mother didn’t die because of me.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She died because of Luca.””
The phone slipped slightly in my hand.
I looked at Luca.
His face had gone completely still.
And that scared me more than anger.
May you like
Because he didn’t look shocked.
He looked guilty.
