Chapter 12 - The Secret SisterElena stared at him.
“What?”
Carlo laughed.
“Your father had another child with Victor's mother.”
Victor looked at Daniel.
Daniel shook his head.
“No. Your mother was never with Anthony.”
Carlo smiled.
“Not Anthony.”
Daniel went pale.
“You.”
Victor stared at Carlo.
“What are you saying?”
Carlo answered:
“Daniel Marlow is your father.”
Silence.
Elena looked at Victor.
Victor looked at her.
Their entire night in his bedroom suddenly felt different.
Every conversation.
Every secret.
Every connection.
Carlo continued.
“Anthony raised Victor.”
“Because?”
“Because your real father was too busy destroying people.”
Daniel looked like he had aged twenty years.
Victor's face hardened.
“You've been lying to us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the truth would have made all of you dangerous.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Where is my sister?”
Carlo smiled.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere no one can find her.”
Victor said:
“You're lying.”
Carlo laughed.
“You sound like your father.”
Victor aimed his gun.
“Move away from the ledger.”
Carlo gestured toward it.
“Take it.”
Victor froze.
“What?”
“Take it.”
“Why?”
“Because the moment you leave this room with that ledger, every enemy you have will come after you.”
Carlo leaned closer.
“And I won't have to touch you.”
Victor understood.
The ledger was bait.
He looked at Daniel.
Daniel nodded.
“Don't trust him.”
Victor suddenly kicked the ledger into the water.
Carlo's face changed.
“Victor!”
Pages splashed into the flooded tunnel.
Carlo shouted.
His men rushed forward.
Gunfire exploded.
Victor dragged Elena behind the vault.
Matteo fired at the guards.
Daniel returned fire.
Carlo disappeared into the smoke.
Victor ran after him.
The tunnel split.
Left.
Right.
Victor heard footsteps.
He followed.
The corridor ended in a room.
A woman stood at the window.
Long dark hair.
White coat.
She turned.
Victor stopped.
She looked like their mother.
But younger.
Alive.
“Victor?”
His voice broke.
“Lucia?”
She smiled.
“No.”
Victor lowered the gun.
“Then who are you?”
The woman looked at Elena.
“Her.”
Elena stared.
The woman whispered:
“My name is Mara.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Why do you look like me?”
Mara smiled sadly.
“Because I'm your twin.”
Elena went still.
Victor stared.
“Carlo said…”
“Carlo lies.”
Mara walked closer.
“He separated us when we were babies.”
“Why?”
“He needed a replacement.”
“For what?”
Mara pointed to the wall.
A photograph hung there.
Two baby girls.
One was Elena.
The other was Mara.
Underneath was a date.
And one sentence.
ONE WILL INHERIT THE EMPIRE. ONE WILL CARRY THE BLAME.
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Mara looked at her.
“Carlo chose you for the blame.”
Victor stepped forward.
“And you?”
Mara smiled.
“I was raised to inherit everything.”
Then a gunshot came from behind.
Mara collapsed.
Victor caught her.
Carlo stood in the doorway.
“You should never have opened that vault.”
Victor lowered Mara gently.
He raised his weapon.
This time, Carlo didn't run.
May you like
He said one final thing.
“Ask Elena what she did the night Daniel disappeared.”
