Chapter 11 - The Name Buried Under MorettiThe truth about Sophia's birth was buried because knowing it would start a war.

Nobody moved.

Edward stood beneath the cemetery trees.

Several armed men surrounded them.

Sophia looked at Matteo.

His face was rigid.

"Who did you kill?"

Edward smiled.

"Julian Moretti."

Enzo's eyes darkened.

"You killed Julian twenty years ago."

"Yes."

"Then how is Sophia his daughter?"

Edward laughed softly.

"Biology is remarkably inconvenient."

Sophia's voice shook.

"Explain."

Edward studied her.

"Your mother loved Julian."

Sophia looked at her mother.

She was not there.

For one terrifying second, Sophia realized she'd been separated from Agnes and her mother during the escape.

Edward continued.

"Julian was supposed to become the head of the Moretti family."

He looked at Enzo.

"And your father was supposed to become the head of the Valentes."

The two families had once been allies.

Then Julian died.

The alliance collapsed.

Blood followed.

"Marcus found your mother after Julian's death."

Edward's expression became colder.

"She was pregnant."

Sophia stared.

"No."

"Marcus took the child."

"Why?"

"Because he knew the war would never end if anyone knew Julian had an heir."

Sophia's voice was barely audible.

"So he raised me."

"Yes."

"Why hide me from the Moretti family?"

"They would have used you."

"Then what did he do?"

"He made the world believe Julian never had a child."

Edward's gaze moved toward Enzo.

"And then he made another mistake."

Enzo's voice was low.

"What?"

"Marcus trusted you."

Enzo said nothing.

Edward stepped closer.

"That is why the fire worked."

Sophia looked at him.

"What fire?"

"Marcus needed his own death."

"But you said..."

"I helped."

Sophia's eyes hardened.

Edward smiled.

"Your father believed he could expose Daniel Vale."

"His father."

"Yes."

"And the Black Ledger?"

"Real."

"The photographs?"

"Real."

"Then why kill him?"

Edward's smile vanished.

"Because Marcus discovered something he should never have known."

Sophia swallowed.

"What?"

"Daniel Vale wasn't the architect."

"Then who?"

Edward looked at Matteo.

"Ask him."

Sophia turned.

Matteo stared at the ground.

Enzo's voice sharpened.

"Matteo."

His brother looked up.

"Your father."

Silence.

Enzo froze.

"My father?"

Matteo nodded.

"Your father started the network."

Enzo took a step forward.

"You're lying."

"I wish I were."

Sophia looked between them.

Enzo's family had always been feared.

But even he looked shocked.

Matteo continued.

"Our father built the first network to protect the family."

"Then what went wrong?"

"Money."

"Power?"

"Fear."

Matteo looked toward the cemetery.

"Your father stopped protecting people."

He became the kind of man others feared.

The kind of man who believed law and crime were simply different languages.

Sophia understood.

Marcus had discovered the same thing.

A criminal empire hidden behind legitimate institutions.

Enzo stared at Matteo.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd kill him."

"You should have told me."

"I was trying to save you."

Sophia interrupted.

"And what about my father?"

Matteo looked at her.

"Marcus wanted to end it."

"How?"

"By making both families believe he had a ledger that could destroy them."

"And the piano?"

"A key."

Sophia looked confused.

"The music wasn't the ledger."

"No."

Matteo's voice softened.

"It was the map."

A shot rang out.

Matteo shoved Sophia down.

The bullet struck him in the shoulder.

Enzo fired back.

Chaos erupted.

Men scattered among the graves.

Sophia crawled behind the stone.

Matteo stumbled.

Enzo reached him.

"You're hit."

"I've had worse."

Sophia looked for Edward.

Gone.

Then she heard a woman's scream.

Her mother.

Sophia ran toward the sound.

A black SUV tore out through the cemetery gate.

Inside was her mother.

And sitting beside her was Edward.

Sophia stopped.

The vehicle disappeared.

Her phone vibrated.

A video.

Edward.

He sat beside her mother.

"You want her alive?"

Sophia watched.

"Then come to the Moretti estate."

Enzo's phone vibrated too.

Another message.

Bring Matteo. Leave Valente men behind.

Matteo looked at Enzo.

"They want all three of us."

Sophia stared at the screen.

"Why?"

Matteo answered.

"Because the Moretti estate contains the final piece."

"What final piece?"

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He looked at her.

"Your father's last confession."