Chapter 9 - The Mother Who Came BackElena Had Returned for One Reason

Sophia couldn't move.

Her mother was standing ten feet away.

Alive.

Twenty years of grief collapsed into one unbearable second.

"Mom?"

Elena's lips trembled.

"Sophia."

Sophia ran to her.

They collided.

Elena almost fell.

She smelled different.

Not perfume.

Rain.

Salt.

Old soap.

But beneath it all was the memory Sophia had carried for years.

Her mother.

Sophia cried into her shoulder.

"Where were you?"

Elena held her tighter.

"Everywhere you couldn't find me."

"Why did you leave?"

"Because I wanted you alive."

Sophia pulled away.

"You let me believe you were dead."

"I know."

"You let me bury you."

"I know."

"You let me hate the man standing there."

Elena looked at Matteo.

"No."

Sophia stared.

"No?"

"You were supposed to hate me."

Matteo looked at Elena.

"Why?"

"Because if she hated me, she wouldn't come looking."

Sophia shook her head.

"Looking for what?"

Elena looked at Luca's photograph.

"Protection."

Matteo stepped forward.

"From whom?"

Elena's eyes filled with fear.

"The real enemy."

Salvatore entered.

Elena stiffened.

"You."

He lowered his head.

"Signora."

"You failed."

"I know."

Matteo's hand moved toward his gun.

"What did you tell her?"

Salvatore didn't answer.

Elena did.

"He told me you had become your father."

Matteo looked wounded.

"Did I?"

"You almost did."

"Almost."

"That was enough."

Sophia looked between them.

"My brother."

Elena's expression changed.

"Luca remembers."

"He remembers too much."

"What?"

"The accident."

Elena's face went pale.

"Then they will come for him."

"Who?"

"My father's old allies."

Matteo stiffened.

"Your father was killed twenty-four years ago."

"No."

Elena looked at him.

"He was never the man you thought he was."

Matteo frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't order my death."

Silence.

Sophia felt something cold move through her.

"Then who did?"

Elena looked at Matteo.

"Your mother."

Matteo stopped breathing.

"My mother died before that."

"She didn't."

Sophia whispered:

"You knew?"

"No."

Matteo's face darkened.

"You saw her."

"Once."

"Where?"

"In Rome."

"When?"

"Three years ago."

Matteo's voice dropped.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she was dying."

That landed harder.

Sophia looked at Elena.

"She's alive?"

"Not anymore."

Matteo turned away.

Then Elena said:

"Before she died, she told me the truth."

"What truth?"

"Your father wasn't the head of the family."

Matteo stared.

"Then who was?"

Elena looked toward the sea.

"The person who had been controlling Bellandi money for decades."

Sophia waited.

"Who?"

Elena whispered:

"Your father didn't own the empire."

She pointed at Matteo.

"He was protecting it."

"From whom?"

"From the woman who actually built it."

Sophia felt her blood run cold.

"Who?"

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Elena looked at her daughter.

"Me."