Chapter 9 - THE LAST BETRAYALLuca raised his weapon.
Matteo pointed his directly at Nora.
Adrian stepped between them.
“Don't.”
Matteo looked at him.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
“So were you.”
Luca stared.
“What is happening?”
Matteo's face was expressionless.
“I joined the Circle seven years ago.”
Luca felt as though someone had knocked the air from his lungs.
“Why?”
“To save my family.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“There it is. Everyone has a reason.”
Matteo ignored him.
“They threatened my wife.”
“Your wife died.”
“I know.”
Luca stared.
“Then why are you still working for them?”
Matteo's gun trembled.
“Because they have my daughter.”
Silence.
Luca lowered his weapon slightly.
“How old?”
“Six.”
“Nora is three.”
Matteo looked at her.
“They took my daughter when she was four.”
Luca's voice softened.
“Where is she?”
“The Circle keeps her hidden.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“Then you're useless to them.”
Matteo looked toward the monitors.
“They don't need me to know.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“They need you to kill Luca.”
Matteo closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Luca stared at him.
“Who ordered it?”
Matteo hesitated.
Then he looked at one screen.
A name appeared.
MARIA FERRARO.
Luca stopped.
His mother.
Impossible.
“She died.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
Luca turned.
“You told me she was dead.”
“That's what the Circle told everyone.”
“Where is she?”
Adrian didn't answer.
A door opened behind them.
An older woman entered.
Dark coat.
Silver hair.
Luca's breath stopped.
His mother.
Alive.
She smiled.
“My son.”
Luca couldn't move.
Tears filled his eyes before he could stop them.
“You're dead.”
“I know.”
She stepped closer.
“I needed you to believe that.”
Luca shook his head.
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted you dead.”
“Harland said you were his.”
Maria's expression hardened.
“Harland lied.”
She looked toward Adrian.
“Tell him.”
Adrian nodded.
“Harland isn't Luca's father.”
Maria closed her eyes.
“I am.”
Luca stared.
Maria continued.
“Harland was Adrian's biological father.”
Luca looked between them.
“You mean…”
“Yes.”
“Then who is my biological father?”
Maria smiled sadly.
“Your father's twin.”
Luca's face went blank.
“What?”
“His name was Antonio.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Our grandfather erased him.”
“Why?”
“Because Antonio wanted to expose the Circle.”
Luca's mind spun.
Every secret led to another.
Every answer created a larger question.
Then Maria walked to the central console.
“You want to know why Adrian hid?”
She touched the screen.
“Because I ordered him to.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“I didn't know you would—”
“I had no choice.”
Maria looked at Luca.
“The Circle knew about you.”
“They knew I existed.”
“Yes.”
“They wanted me dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't they kill me?”
“Because they needed the Ferraro heir.”
Luca stared.
Maria continued.
“But they couldn't control you.”
“So they planned to.”
“Yes.”
“And Adrian tried to stop them.”
“Yes.”
“Then Father—”
“Your father discovered everything.”
She looked away.
“The night he died, he chose you.”
Luca's eyes filled.
“He told me never to trust Adrian.”
“He was trying to protect you.”
“By making us hate each other?”
“He knew the Circle was listening.”
A silence.
Then an alarm sounded.
Adrian looked at the monitors.
“They found us.”
Maria's face hardened.
“How long?”
“Three minutes.”
Matteo looked at Luca.
“I can stop them.”
“How?”
Matteo pulled a keycard from his pocket.
“The main server.”
Adrian understood.
“If we destroy it, the Circle loses the financial records.”
Maria shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the server isn't the real archive.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Then where?”
Maria turned toward Nora.
“The archive is inside the child.”
Everyone froze.
Luca looked at Nora.
“What does that mean?”
Maria knelt.
“Nora, sweetheart.”
The girl stepped closer.
“Do you remember what Daddy told you about the song?”
Nora nodded.
“The counting song.”
“Sing it.”
Nora began.
“One house.”
“Two doors.”
“Three lights.”
“Six steps.”
“Three turns.”
“Seven names.”
Luca looked at Adrian.
“What is that?”
“A code.”
Nora continued.
“One…”
She stopped.
The walls began to vibrate.
Maria looked terrified.
“What's wrong?”
Nora whispered:
“I forgot the last number.”
Then the speakers turned on.
Harland's voice filled the underground room.
“That's all right.”
Everyone looked up.
“You won't need it.”
The final door exploded inward.
Harland stepped through.
Behind him stood dozens of armed men.
And beside him was a little girl.
Six years old.
Terrified.
Matteo's daughter.
Harland smiled.
“Choose, Luca.”
He pointed at Nora.
Then at the child.
May you like
“One girl lives.”
“The other doesn't.”
