Chapter 8 - The Lie Alessandro Never ToldThe man I had begun to trust admitted he had one more secret.
The gun shook in Anna's hand.
Alessandro didn't move.
“Put it down.”
“You killed her.”
“No.”
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You were the last person to see her alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why is she dead?”
Alessandro's face hardened.
“Because my father ordered it.”
Anna laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.”
I stood between them.
“Anna.”
“Don't call me that.”
“Elise.”
She flinched.
“No one has called me that since I was born.”
I felt something break inside me.
“My mother named you?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you disappear?”
“Because someone stole me.”
Alessandro lowered his weapon.
“I was trying to find you.”
She stared.
“Then why did you bring my mother back to the estate?”
“I didn't.”
“You did.”
“No.”
“You were in the car.”
“My father forced me.”
“And you obeyed.”
Alessandro closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
The room went silent.
I looked at him.
“You did take my mother.”
“I was twenty-three.”
“That isn't an excuse.”
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“It isn't.”
Elise lowered the gun slightly.
“What happened?”
Alessandro finally told the truth.
Vittorio had discovered Marina planned to expose him.
She had learned he had stolen the newborn heiress and intended to transfer the trust.
Marina tried to save Elise.
She failed.
Alessandro was ordered to retrieve her.
But when he reached the hospital, Marina had already escaped with one baby.
Mia.
The second child had been taken by someone else.
I stared.
“Then why did you let me work here?”
Alessandro looked at me.
“Because I wanted to know where Marina had hidden you.”
“You knew who I was?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since the day you applied.”
My chest tightened.
“So the job…”
“Wasn't an accident.”
“You hired me because of my mother.”
“Yes.”
I slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
Alessandro accepted it.
No defense.
No anger.
Just silence.
“You used me.”
“I did.”
“And you let me hide Mia for three months.”
“I didn't know she was here.”
“You found her.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
That stopped me.
“You?”
“Yes.”
He looked at Mia.
“When I saw her, I recognized the birthmark.”
“The same one as Elise?”
“No.”
“The same one as Marina.”
My blood cooled.
Alessandro continued.
“Your mother had that crescent mark.”
“So does Mia.”
“Yes.”
“And Elise?”
“She has it too.”
I looked between them.
Three generations.
One mark.
One family.
One secret.
Then someone outside shouted.
“Drop the weapons!”
The guards turned.
Gunfire erupted.
Elise shoved me down.
Alessandro tackled a shooter.
Glass exploded.
I crawled toward Mia.
A bullet struck the wall beside me.
Then everything stopped.
The attackers fled.
One man remained.
He was dead.
Alessandro searched his pockets.
A photograph fell out.
I picked it up.
A woman stood beside him.
Lucia.
Alive.
I stared.
“That's impossible.”
Alessandro looked at the photograph.
“Not impossible.”
“When was this taken?”
“Today.”
My blood ran cold.
“Lucia isn't dead?”
He shook his head.
“The body in the garage wasn't Lucia.”
“Then who was it?”
He turned the photograph over.
A name was written in black ink.
MARGARET BELLINI.
I froze.
“My aunt.”
The woman who had raised me after my mother disappeared.
The woman who had always told me Marina was dead.
The woman who had warned me never to ask about my father.
“She lied to me.”
Alessandro nodded.
“About everything.”
My phone rang.
Margaret.
I answered.
No words.
Just breathing.
Then her voice.
“Elena.”
My blood froze.
“Where is Mia?”
I looked at my daughter.
Margaret whispered:
May you like
“Because she isn't your daughter.”
The call ended.
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