Chapter 14 - THE LAST ROOMDr. Elias Voss was hiding beneath the city.
The clues led Alejandro to an abandoned subway facility under Manhattan.
He entered with Victor, Valentina, Clara, Emma and Daniel.
For the first time, the entire broken Moretti family moved together.
No one trusted anyone.
But they had the same enemy.
At the end of the tunnel stood a steel door.
Voss was waiting.
He was older than Alejandro remembered.
But his eyes were exactly the same.
“You survived,” Voss said.
Alejandro raised his gun.
“You stole my life.”
Voss smiled.
“No.”
“I made you.”
Alejandro froze.
Voss continued.
“Your father wanted a weapon.”
“You turned me into one.”
“You were already angry.”
Voss walked closer.
“I simply gave your anger a direction.”
Alejandro's hands tightened.
“Where is my father?”
Voss looked behind him.
The door opened.
An old man entered.
Alejandro recognized him instantly.
His father.
Alive.
Older.
But still terrifying.
Alejandro stared.
For years he had imagined killing the man.
Now he couldn't move.
His father smiled.
“My boy.”
Alejandro raised the gun.
“You died.”
“I retired.”
“You killed Mom.”
“No.”
“You killed Matteo.”
“No.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty was almost worse than the lies.
His father looked at Emma and Daniel.
“They are the final key.”
Alejandro stepped in front of them.
“Touch them and I will kill you.”
His father laughed.
“You still think this is about the children.”
He pointed toward the vault key.
“It is about inheritance.”
He explained the truth.
The Moretti empire was never the real empire.
The Black Ledger was.
Whoever controlled it could manipulate anyone.
And the person chosen to inherit it was not Alejandro.
It was Emma.
Because only her DNA could unlock the final encryption.
Daniel could open the vault.
Emma could control what happened next.
His father extended his hand.
“Bring her to me.”
Alejandro shook his head.
“No.”
His father sighed.
“You were always sentimental.”
He pressed a button.
The room doors locked.
Gas began filling the chamber.
Everyone panicked.
Alejandro covered Emma's mouth.
Victor fired at the vents.
Nothing.
Voss smiled.
“Five minutes.”
Alejandro looked at Emma.
Then at Daniel.
Then at Clara.
“Find the exit.”
They searched.
No door.
No vents.
Nothing.
Emma suddenly pointed toward the floor.
“There.”
A small crack.
Alejandro dropped to his knees.
He removed a metal panel.
Underneath was a tunnel.
They crawled through.
Behind them, explosions shook the chamber.
When Alejandro reached the other side, he realized they were beneath the main Moretti estate.
Back home.
But something was wrong.
The house was empty.
Every light was off.
Then Alejandro heard a child's voice.
Emma.
From upstairs.
“Daddy?”
Alejandro looked at the real Emma beside him.
His blood froze.
There was another Emma.
Same voice.
Same words.
From the second floor.
Victor raised his gun.
“It isn't possible.”
Alejandro slowly looked at Clara.
Clara's face turned white.
“No.”
“What?”
Clara whispered:
“There were two babies.”
Alejandro stared.
“One was Emma.”
“The other…”
Clara couldn't finish.
A woman's voice spoke from the stairs.
“Was never meant to survive.”
Valentina raised her weapon.
The lights came on.
Dozens of armed men surrounded them.
At the top of the stairs stood a little girl with Emma's face.
And beside her stood a man with one blue eye.
Stefano.
Alive.
Again.
May you like
He smiled.
“Welcome home.”
