Chapter 11: The Monster Behind the Family Name
The name meant nothing to me.
Victor Moretti.
Another secret.
Another person I had never known existed.
But the reaction around me told me everything.
Rico’s face lost all color.
Adrian looked like he had been punched.
Even Celeste looked afraid.
“Who is Victor Moretti?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
Again.
I was so tired of silence.
I stepped forward.
“Who is he?””
Rico finally spoke.
“My father.””
The words landed heavily.
I looked at him.
“Your father is alive?””
“No.””
His voice was bitter.
“He died years ago.””
The speakers crackled.
A laugh followed.
“You always hated that word.””
Everyone looked up.
The voice continued.
“Dead.””
A pause.
“Such a convenient thing.””
Rico’s expression became dangerous.
“You’re using his recordings.””
Adrian looked at him.
“What?””
Rico ignored him.
“He’s not alive.””
The speaker laughed.
“Still protecting her.””
I felt a chill.
“Who is doing this?””
Rico looked at me.
Then at the speaker.
“Someone who learned from my father.””
The lights returned.
The mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Then Dante’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
“Boss.””
Rico looked at him.
“What?””
Dante hesitated.
“We found the source.””
“Where?””
Dante swallowed.
“Inside the house.””
Everyone froze.
A security breach.
Inside.
That meant someone had been here.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Rico immediately looked at Leo.
“Take him upstairs.””
Dante nodded.
But Leo refused.
“No.””
Everyone stopped.
The little boy looked at Rico.
“I want to stay.””
Rico crouched.
“Leo.””
“I’m not scared.””
The words were small.
But powerful.
Because we all knew they weren’t completely true.
He was scared.
But he was trying.
Like his father.
Like me.
Rico touched his face.
“You don’t have to be brave.””
Leo whispered:
“But you are.””
Rico looked away.
For a second, he looked broken.
Then Dante took Leo upstairs.
The rest of us remained.
Rico turned to Adrian.
“You knew about Victor.””
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“I knew he was involved.””
“Involved?””
Rico laughed bitterly.
“He built everything.””
I looked at them.
“Explain.””
Rico walked to the window.
“My father created the Moretti organization.””
The word made my stomach turn.
Organization.
Not business.
Not empire.
Something darker.
“He taught me that fear was the only thing people respected.””
Rico’s voice lowered.
“I spent years becoming exactly what he wanted.””
Adrian spoke.
“And then Elena changed him.””
Rico looked at him.
“Yes.””
I looked between them.
“You were friends.””
Adrian nodded.
“We were.””
“Before everything fell apart.””
“Yes.””
“Because of my mother?””
“No.””
Both men answered at the same time.
That surprised me.
Adrian continued.
“Because of Victor.””
The name felt heavier now.
“What did he do?””
Rico’s hands tightened.
“He manipulated everyone.””
Celeste spoke quietly.
“He convinced Adrian that Elena was betraying him.””
She looked at Adrian.
“He convinced Ricardo that Adrian was the threat.””
“And you?””
I asked her.
“What did he convince you of?””
Her eyes lowered.
“That I deserved more.””
A sad answer.
A dangerous one.
The speaker came alive again.
“Beautiful.””
Everyone turned.
“All these years later, and you still blame yourselves.””
Rico stepped toward the speaker.
“Show yourself.””
“No.””
The voice laughed.
“Because you already know me.””
A pause.
Then:
“Clara, there is something your mother never told you.””
My chest tightened.
“Stop.””
Rico’s voice was a warning.
But I needed to know.
The voice continued.
“Your mother didn’t just leave you a necklace.””
Silence.
“She left you a key.””
My hand immediately moved toward the necklace.
The crescent moon pendant.
I stared.
“What?””
Rico looked at it.
His expression changed.
“What did he mean?””
Nobody answered.
I removed the necklace.
For the first time, I looked closely.
The pendant wasn’t just metal.
There was a tiny line running through it.
A hidden opening.
My breath stopped.
“Mom…”
Maria stepped closer.
“She told me never to touch it.””
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
“I knew it existed.””
Rico carefully took the necklace.
He examined it.
Then pressed the side.
A tiny click sounded.
The pendant opened.
Inside was a miniature piece of paper.
Folded impossibly small.
Rico unfolded it.
His eyes moved across the words.
Then he went completely still.
“What?””
He didn’t answer.
I grabbed the paper.
And read.
Three names.
Three dates.
And one sentence.
*The person who killed Elena Hayes is still protecting Clara.*
I looked up.
“What does this mean?””
Rico looked at everyone.
Then at me.
His face was filled with disbelief.
“Because the person who killed your mother…”
A pause.
“…is standing in this room.””
Everyone froze.
My eyes moved from Rico.
To Adrian.
To Celeste.
To Maria.
Someone here had murdered my mother.
Someone I had trusted.
Someone who had been protecting me.
Then the mansion doors opened.
And Leo screamed.
“Clara!””
We all turned.
Dante stood at the top of the stairs.
But he wasn’t alone.
A man stood behind him.
Holding him at gunpoint.
And I recognized him.
Because I had seen his face before.
In my mother’s photographs.
May you like
The last person anyone expected.
My uncle.
