Chapter 11 - The Truth Emma HeardEmma sat in a chair.
Adrian crouched before her.
She held her rabbit.
“Are you Daddy's brother?”
“Yes.”
“Then why doesn't Daddy know you?”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“He does now.”
“Is he coming?”
“I hope so.”
Emma frowned.
“That's not an answer.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“You really are his daughter.”
“Mommy says Daddy is stubborn.”
“He is.”
“Are you bad?”
Adrian looked away.
“I've done bad things.”
“Like what?”
“I hurt people.”
Emma thought about this.
“Did you hurt Daddy?”
“No.”
“Would you?”
Adrian stared at her.
“No.”
Then a gunshot sounded outside.
Adrian turned.
Men were coming.
He grabbed Emma.
“Run.”
They entered a hidden tunnel.
Behind them, armed men flooded the room.
The leader spoke into his radio.
“Take the child alive.”
Adrian fired.
They ran.
At the other end of the tunnel, Luca's mother waited.
She looked at Emma.
For the first time, her face softened.
“You look like him.”
“Are you Daddy's mommy?”
“Yes.”
Emma walked closer.
“Why did you leave him?”
The woman froze.
Children had a brutal talent for finding the exact wound.
“I made mistakes.”
“Daddy made mistakes too.”
“Yes.”
“Then can you both say sorry?”
The woman almost smiled.
“I wish it were that simple.”
Adrian watched them.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
“What?”
He listened.
“Who?”
He looked at Emma.
Then at the old woman.
“They found us.”
“Who?”
Adrian whispered:
“Luca.”
The woman stepped forward.
“Where?”
“Below the hospital.”
A second later, the building shook.
Luca had escaped.
Barely.
He emerged from the vault coughing.
Mara followed.
Marco was bleeding.
“Where's Emma?” Luca demanded.
“We don't know.”
Then every television in the emergency department turned on.
A live video appeared.
Emma sat in front of the camera.
Her eyes were wet.
A masked man stood beside her.
“Luca Bellini,” the man said.
“Listen carefully.”
Luca stepped closer.
“If you want your daughter alive…”
The man held up a syringe.
“…bring us your heart.”
Mara stared.
“What does that mean?”
The man answered:
“The surgical procedure begins in one hour.”
Luca's face became expressionless.
“What do you want?”
“A transplant.”
Marco looked horrified.
“You can't transplant a heart with this disease.”
The masked man smiled.
“We aren't taking your heart.”
He raised the syringe.
“We're taking the part of it that still belongs to your father.”
Luca didn't understand.
Then the mask came off.
Luca froze.
The man was older.
Scarred.
But unmistakable.
A face he'd never expected to see.
His father.
Alive.
Luca whispered:
“No.”
The man smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Emma looked at the screen.
“Daddy?”
Luca couldn't move.
His father leaned toward the camera.
“You always were the difficult one.”
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Then the feed ended.
And Luca's heart began beating wildly.
