Chapter 7: The Daughter Between Two Enemies
The first thing I felt was the weight of Ricardo’s hand over the back of my head.
The second thing I felt was the cold marble floor beneath me.
The third thing I heard was chaos.
Guards shouting.
Footsteps running.
Glass breaking.
And outside the shattered window, the voice of the man who had haunted my entire life.
“You took everything from me.””
Adrian Hayes.
My father.
The word still felt impossible.
Ricardo pulled me behind the heavy wooden desk as another gunshot echoed through the room.
“Stay down,” he ordered.
I stared at him.
Not because he was angry.
Because he was afraid.
Not for himself.
For me.
“Ricardo—”
“Clara.””
His voice stopped me.
There was something different about hearing my name now.
Not from a stranger.
Not from a powerful man protecting a secret.
From my father.
“Stay down.””
I wanted to ask a thousand questions.
Why did he leave me?
Why did he let Adrian raise me?
Why did my mother die?
Why did everyone decide my life belonged to their secrets?
But none of those questions mattered while bullets were flying through the room.
Dante rushed in.
“Boss!””
Rico looked up.
“Report.””
“Three vehicles outside. At least eight men.””
“Adrian?””
Dante’s expression tightened.
“He’s here.””
A strange calm settled over Rico.
The kind of calm that frightened people.
I had seen it before.
At Il Destino.
When everyone stepped away from Leo.
When everyone feared making the wrong move.
But now I understood something.
That calm wasn’t because Rico felt nothing.
It was because he felt too much.
“What’s the exit route?”” Rico asked.
“West hallway is clear.””
Rico looked at me.
“Can you walk?””
I almost laughed.
“Seriously?””
His eyebrows lowered.
“Clara.””
“You just found out I’m your daughter, my supposed dead father is attacking your house, and you’re asking if I can walk?””
A strange emotion crossed his face.
Pain.
Regret.
Something close to sadness.
“Yes.””
The answer surprised me.
“Because right now, I’m not asking as Ricardo Moretti.””
The room went quiet.
“I’m asking as your father.””
For one second, I forgot everything.
The anger.
The betrayal.
The confusion.
Because there it was.
The thing I had spent my entire life wanting.
A father who wanted me.
A father who chose me.
Then another gunshot shattered the moment.
Reality returned.
Dante grabbed the door handle.
“Move.””
We ran.
I never imagined my first night learning who my biological father was would involve hiding from armed men through a mansion.
But apparently, my life had never been normal.
We moved through hidden hallways and locked doors.
Rico stayed beside me the entire time.
Not ahead.
Not behind.
Beside me.
Like he was making sure I knew I wasn’t alone.
We reached the lower level when a voice echoed through the mansion speakers.
“Ricardo.””
Everyone froze.
Adrian.
His voice was calm.
Almost polite.
“I know you can hear me.””
Rico stopped.
Dante looked at him.
“Don’t answer.””
But Rico stepped toward the speaker.
“Adrian.””
My stomach tightened.
Hearing them say each other’s names sounded like listening to two people who had destroyed each other.
“You should have given her to me.””
Adrian laughed softly.
“Given her?””
Rico’s voice turned cold.
“She’s not a possession.””
“No?””
A pause.
“She’s Elena’s daughter.””
Rico’s jaw tightened.
“She’s my daughter.””
The words echoed.
And for some reason, they hurt.
Because I realized he had never said it before.
Not out loud.
Not until now.
Adrian went silent.
Then:
“That’s where you’re wrong.””
Everyone looked up.
“You weren’t the only one Elena loved.””
My breath caught.
Rico’s expression changed.
“Don’t.””
“You still don’t know, do you?””
Silence.
Adrian continued.
“Ask your precious daughter what Elena wrote in the second half of that letter.””
My heart dropped.
The letter.
I still had it.
I pulled it from my pocket.
My hands shook.
Rico noticed.
“Clara.””
I looked at him.
“What didn’t you tell me?””
His face went pale.
“I don’t know.””
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
His voice lowered.
“It’s not.””
The truth was suddenly terrifying.
Because maybe there were still more secrets.
Maybe my entire life was just layers of lies.
I opened the letter.
The second page had been folded differently.
A part I hadn’t noticed.
I unfolded it.
And read.
*Clara,*
*There is one more thing you must know.*
My heart raced.
*Your father is not the only person who has been protecting you.*
I looked at Rico.
Then continued.
*Someone else has been watching over you since the day you were born.*
A sound came from behind us.
A door opening.
Everyone turned.
A woman stood there.
Older.
Gray hair.
Tears in her eyes.
I had never seen her before.
But she knew me.
“Clara.””
Her voice broke.
“I’m sorry it took so long.””
Rico stared.
“Maria?””
Dante looked shocked.
“Who is that?””
Rico didn’t answer.
Because the woman was already looking at me.
“I was your mother’s closest friend.””
She stepped forward.
“And I was there the night Elena died.””
The world stopped.
I stared at her.
“You know what happened?””
The woman nodded.
“Yes.””
“Then tell me.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Your mother wasn’t killed because of Ricardo.””
She looked toward him.
“She was killed because she discovered what Adrian was planning.””
My fingers tightened around the letter.
“What was he planning?””
The woman looked terrified.
Then she said:
“He wasn’t trying to take you from Ricardo.””
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A pause.
“He was trying to take you from both of them.””
