Chapter 12 - The Aunt Who Came Back from the GraveShe knew my mother before I did
Her name was Rosalia Russo.
The woman behind the entire war.
She didn't come alone.
Six armed men spread across the warehouse.
Tony stood beside her.
Dante tried to stand.
His poison-weakened body betrayed him.
Rosalia smiled.
"Still trying to be the hero?"
Dante glared.
"You should be dead."
"So should half this family."
She walked toward me.
I stepped back.
"Don't touch her."
Rosalia stopped.
"You still don't understand."
"What?"
"Your mother didn't save you."
She looked at Elena.
"She stole you."
My mother's face went white.
Rosalia continued.
"When the twins were separated, your grandmother chose Lucia to remain in the family."
She pointed at me.
"Your mother took you."
"Why?"
"Because you were the stronger heir."
I laughed bitterly.
"I grew up broke."
"Exactly."
Rosalia smiled.
"We needed someone outside the family."
"What for?"
"Insurance."
Dante stepped forward.
"Enough."
Rosalia looked at him.
"Your father split the succession."
She explained the plan.
One heir inside.
One heir outside.
If the Russo organization survived, Dante's line would continue.
If it collapsed, the outside heir would inherit the protected assets and rebuild from nothing.
I was that heir.
The bakery.
The necklace.
The old property.
Everything traced back to me.
Even my dream of owning a bakery wasn't entirely mine.
My mother had quietly preserved the original bakery property for me.
I was furious.
"She manipulated my entire life."
Rosalia shook her head.
"She protected you."
I looked at my mother.
"Is that true?"
She cried.
"Yes."
Dante stepped between us.
"Whatever happened before, this ends tonight."
Rosalia laughed.
"You don't get to decide that."
She held up a phone.
A live video appeared.
Sophia.
Tied to a chair.
Lucia screamed.
"Where is my daughter?"
"Safe."
"You promised."
Rosalia smiled.
"She'll stay safe when the final heir signs."
She held out documents.
My signature.
My eyes widened.
"What is this?"
"The transfer of ownership."
"To you?"
"No."
She looked at Dante.
"To Sophia."
Dante stared.
"Why?"
"Because once Sophia becomes legal owner, the entire network becomes hers."
Rosalia smiled.
"And we control her."
A gunshot sounded.
One of Rosalia's men fell.
Chaos erupted.
Matteo fired from the shadows.
Dante pulled me behind a pillar.
Tony ran.
Rosalia disappeared.
We chased her.
Up the stairs.
Across the warehouse.
Onto the pier.
Then she turned.
A gun in one hand.
A detonator in the other.
"One step."
Dante stopped.
Rosalia pointed at me.
"Elina comes with me."
"No."
"Then Sophia dies."
I stepped forward.
Dante grabbed me.
"Don't."
I looked at him.
"I'll go."
His grip tightened.
"Elina."
"I know where she is."
Rosalia smiled.
"Smart girl."
She reached for me.
Then a child's voice came through the darkness.
"Daddy?"
Dante's head snapped around.
A small figure appeared behind the shipping containers.
Sophia.
She was holding a kitchen knife.
And standing behind her was Tony.
May you like
Tony smiled.
"You should have checked the other entrance."
