Chapter 13 - What Elena RememberedElena couldn't speak.
Victor turned toward her.
“What did you do?”
“I was a child.”
Carlo smiled.
“You were six.”
Elena's head began to ache.
Images came.
A hallway.
Rain.
Her father shouting.
Her mother crying.
A black car.
A man dragging Daniel away.
And Elena holding a small object.
A key.
Carlo whispered:
“Remember.”
She closed her eyes.
Suddenly she remembered.
Her mother had crouched beside her.
“Never give this to anyone.”
Then Elena had heard her father shout:
“Run!”
She remembered running.
Then a gunshot.
Then darkness.
She opened her eyes.
“I saw him.”
Victor stared.
“Who?”
“Your father.”
Anthony Russo.
“He was there.”
Daniel's face tightened.
“Anthony?”
Elena nodded.
“He told Carlo to stop.”
Victor froze.
“He tried to save you?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at Carlo.
“You lied.”
Carlo shrugged.
“Your memory is incomplete.”
Elena looked around.
Then she noticed something.
A small red ribbon.
Tied to the end of the hallway.
The same ribbon from Frank D'Amico's key.
She followed it.
It led to a hidden door.
Victor opened it.
Inside was a tiny room.
A child's bed.
A box of toys.
And dozens of drawings.
Each drawing showed two girls.
Elena and Mara.
Someone had kept them there.
Victor picked up a photograph.
Anthony was standing beside both girls.
He was smiling.
On the back:
I failed to protect them once. I won't fail again.
Victor's eyes filled.
Carlo stepped into the room.
“This is the part Anthony never told you.”
Victor turned.
“Stop talking about my father like you knew him.”
“I knew him better than anyone.”
“You were his brother.”
“And his worst mistake.”
Carlo raised his gun.
Victor raised his.
Then Daniel stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Carlo laughed.
“You still think you can stop this?”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
He pulled the master ledger from inside his coat.
Victor stared.
“You had it.”
“Yes.”
Carlo's eyes lit up.
“Give it to me.”
Daniel shook his head.
“This ends tonight.”
He opened the ledger.
Inside was a small remote device.
Carlo stopped smiling.
“What is that?”
“Every page was copied.”
Victor understood.
Daniel had created duplicates.
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
Carlo's face changed.
“Who has them?”
Daniel looked at Elena.
“She does.”
Elena frowned.
“Me?”
“Your father left them with you.”
Daniel pointed to the pendant.
“The card contains instructions.”
Elena pulled it out.
A map appeared.
Not of Chicago.
Of a network.
Media offices.
Federal agencies.
Newsrooms.
Banks.
Law firms.
The truth had already been distributed.
Carlo suddenly fired.
Daniel shoved Elena aside.
The bullet struck him.
Victor screamed.
He shot Carlo.
Carlo fell.
The room went silent.
Daniel collapsed.
Elena caught him.
“Dad.”
Daniel smiled weakly.
“You finally know.”
Victor knelt beside them.
“Stay with us.”
Daniel looked toward Elena.
Then Victor.
“Your father…”
He coughed.
“He didn't betray me.”
Victor froze.
“He saved you.”
Daniel's eyes closed.
Elena screamed his name.
But Daniel had stopped breathing.
Victor held Elena as she cried.
Across the room, Carlo's body was gone.
Blood marked the floor.
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And on the wall, written in red, were four words:
THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT CARLO.
