Chapter 14 - The Bloodline Was a LieEvery relationship I thought I understood was built on forged records.
My knees nearly gave out.
Alessandro wasn't my brother.
He wasn't Vittorio's son.
He was Adrian's.
My father's son.
My half-brother.
No.
Margaret shook her head.
“Still confused?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She enjoyed that.
“You deserve to be.”
She explained.
Marina had been married to Adrian.
Adrian had two children.
Me.
And Alessandro.
Vittorio stole Alessandro as an infant and raised him as his son.
He built an empire around him.
He manipulated succession records.
He forged DNA reports.
He created a fake bloodline.
And when Marina discovered the truth, she disappeared.
“But Mia?”
I asked.
Margaret looked at the baby.
“Mia is yours.”
“And Alessandro is the father?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
He looked as stunned as I was.
“How?”
Margaret smiled.
“You married Adrian.”
I shook my head.
“I never married him.”
“You did.”
She pulled out a marriage certificate.
My name.
His name.
Date.
Signature.
Everything.
Fake?
Real?
I couldn't tell anymore.
Then Alessandro stepped closer.
“I don't remember.”
“You were drugged.”
Margaret looked at me.
“You were both drugged.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian wanted to hide the child.”
I felt sick.
“Why would he hide his own daughter?”
“Because someone was hunting her.”
“Who?”
Margaret looked toward the warehouse entrance.
“No.”
“What?”
“Too late.”
The doors exploded open.
Men rushed inside.
Gunfire.
Chaos.
Alessandro shoved me behind a concrete pillar.
Margaret disappeared.
The baby cried.
I crawled toward her.
Alessandro covered me.
One shooter rushed forward.
He was wearing a Duca security uniform.
Alessandro shot him.
Another came from the side.
A bullet struck Alessandro's shoulder.
He fell.
I screamed.
“Alessandro!”
He pushed himself up.
“Take the baby.”
I grabbed her.
We ran.
A truck crashed through the warehouse door.
Adrian jumped out.
He held a gun.
“Give me the child.”
“Why?”
“Because I can save her.”
“From whom?”
He looked at Alessandro.
“From the people who created him.”
I looked at Alessandro.
He was bleeding.
Adrian pointed his gun toward him.
“He isn't your protector.”
“Then who is he?”
“My son.”
The same truth in a different shape.
Alessandro stared.
“You're my father.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because if Vittorio knew you remembered, he'd kill you.”
Alessandro laughed bitterly.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I needed you hidden.”
I stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Both men stopped.
I held Mia.
“She is mine.”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
“And hers?”
I pointed at Alessandro.
“Yes.”
“Then why is everyone lying?”
Adrian looked at me.
“Because your daughter carries something inside her DNA that can destroy the Duca empire.”
“What?”
“The succession marker.”
I stared blankly.
“It proves the original will is valid.”
“And?”
“And the empire belongs to the women.”
I slowly understood.
Vittorio had rewritten everything.
He built a male-controlled dynasty around a legal document that gave ownership to the female heirs.
Marina.
Me.
And Mia.
Adrian continued.
“Your mother found the original will.”
“Where?”
He pointed to the rabbit in my hand.
The stuffed rabbit.
The silver thread.
The initials.
I opened the seam.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
I stared.
“Your mother hid the original will inside Mia's toy.”
Alessandro looked at me.
Then at the rabbit.
And suddenly he smiled.
For the first time in months.
“The entire empire is inside that rabbit.”
Before we could move, another gunshot cracked through the warehouse.
Adrian fell.
Blood spread across his chest.
His final words were barely audible.
“Run.”
I looked behind us.
Vittorio stood in the doorway.
Alive.
Smiling.
And behind him stood my mother.
May you like
But she was holding a gun.
Pointed directly at me.
