Chapter 18 - The Father Alessandro Never KnewEverything Alessandro believed shattered again.
The man standing before him was not the father he remembered.
Not the tyrant.
Not the architect.
Not the monster.
A victim.
His father had been imprisoned.
The man Alessandro knew as his father had been an impostor.
A clone of identity.
A cousin who had stolen the Moretti name.
The real Alessandro Moretti Senior had spent twelve years trying to stop him.
Alessandro stared.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
His father looked at Emma.
“I only want you to know the truth.”
Isabella began crying.
“I tried to tell him.”
Her father nodded.
“You were always braver than me.”
Alessandro turned toward her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Father made me choose.”
“What choice?”
“Emma or you.”
Silence.
“I chose Emma.”
Alessandro closed his eyes.
The pain was immense.
But for the first time, it made sense.
Then Sophia stepped forward.
“I need to tell you something too.”
Alessandro looked at her.
Sophia took Emma’s hand.
“Emma isn’t your niece.”
Alessandro froze.
“She is your daughter.”
The room became silent.
Luca looked at Sophia.
“Now.”
Alessandro stared at Emma.
Emma stared back.
“I don’t understand.”
Sophia began crying.
“Isabella was protecting Emma. But the baby wasn’t hers.”
Alessandro shook his head.
“No.”
“She belonged to you.”
“How?”
“Your father had your DNA taken when you were young. The child was created from it.”
Everyone froze.
Emma looked at Alessandro.
“You’re my dad?”
Alessandro could not speak.
Luca looked away.
Isabella closed her eyes.
Sophia held Emma closer.
“You were never supposed to know.”
Alessandro slowly walked toward Emma.
He knelt.
“Is that why you trusted me?”
Emma shook her head.
“I trusted you because you helped me clean the window.”
His eyes filled.
She touched his face.
“You promised.”
“Yes.”
“You always keep promises.”
“Yes.”
She hugged him.
For the first time in decades, Alessandro Moretti cried.
Not from pain.
Not from fear.
From relief.
Then a gunshot echoed.
Sophia collapsed.
Emma screamed.
Alessandro caught her.
The shooter stood in the doorway.
The old man smiled.
“You really believed it was over?”
He raised the weapon again.
But before he could fire, Luca stepped between them.
The bullet hit him.
Luca fell.
May you like
Alessandro roared.
And the old man ran.
