Chapter 10 - The Night Dante Burned His Own Name
War Inside the Family
Dante declared the Falcone estate closed.
No one entered.
No one left.
He gathered every senior member of his organization.
Forty-three men.
One room.
Three exits.
Nobody was armed except the guards.
Dante stood at the head of the table.
“Someone inside this family took a child.”
Nobody spoke.
“Someone inside this family killed my wife.”
Silence.
“Someone inside this family tried to kill Sophia.”
A chair moved.
Dante slammed his hand down.
“You will all answer.”
The questioning lasted eight hours.
Accounts.
Phones.
Travel records.
Secret meetings.
Every lie pulled apart.
Then Dante discovered something.
Payments had been made for six years.
Monthly.
To a private clinic.
Under the name of Carmela.
The clinic had received money from one account.
Matteo's.
Dante turned toward him.
“You lied.”
Matteo nodded.
“Yes.”
The room went still.
“Why?”
“Because Carmela ordered me to.”
Dante wanted to kill him.
But Matteo handed him another envelope.
Inside was a letter.
Dante opened it.
Dante,
If you're reading this, you are probably angry with Matteo.
Do not kill him.
He did what I asked.
I knew they would come for the children.
I knew they would search every house connected to us.
So I split the truth.
Matteo knew about Adrian.
Elena knew about Sophia.
And Rosa knew only enough to keep Sophia alive.
Dante stopped reading.
He looked at me.
“You were chosen.”
I shook my head.
“I don't understand.”
Carmela's letter continued.
Rosa,
You will not remember me.
That is intentional.
I erased your memory of that night because you were terrified.
But one day Sophia may remember the lullaby.
When she does, trust her.
She has been dreaming the truth since she was two.
My hands shook.
Dante read the final paragraph.
The enemy is not Daniel.
Daniel was only the courier.
The person you truly fear is the man who sits at the table and has never needed to lie.
Dante looked around.
Every man stared back.
Then Sophia entered.
She walked slowly to Dante.
She looked at every man.
One by one.
Then she pointed.
Not at Matteo.
Not at Daniel.
At Dante's uncle.
Salvatore Falcone.
The old man smiled.
“Children imagine things.”
Sophia shook her head.
“Pretty lady says you hurt her.”
Salvatore's smile disappeared.
Dante stood.
“Uncle.”
Salvatore sighed.
“This family became soft after Carmela.”
Dante's voice went low.
“You killed her?”
Salvatore laughed.
“No.”
He leaned forward.
“She killed herself.”
The room exploded.
Dante grabbed him.
Salvatore smiled through the chaos.
“She walked willingly into that warehouse because she believed she could save the children.”
Dante froze.
“What children?”
Salvatore looked at Sophia.
Then at the ceiling.
“She knew exactly what was waiting for her.”
He smiled.
“And so did someone else.”
A phone rang.
Everybody looked at Dante.
Unknown number.
Dante answered.
Carmela's voice came through again.
“Dante, you're getting closer.”
He gripped the phone.
“Where is Adrian?”
The voice whispered:
“Ask your daughter.”
Dante looked at Sophia.
May you like
She pointed toward the locked sitting room.
“The boy is behind the piano.”
