Chapter 14
Giulietta’s first emotion was not joy.
It was anger.
Another child hidden.
Another family truth decided by adults who believed concealment was love.
“How old?”
Margaret answered:
“Twenty-four now.”
Giulietta stared.
One year younger than her.
Meaning Lucia had been pregnant before the lake-house fire.
“No.”
Cesare whispered.
“She wasn’t showing.”
“Early.”
Margaret nodded.
“Lucia learned two weeks before the fire.”
Giulietta sat.
Her brother existed.
Or had.
Twenty-four.
Raised somewhere outside Marconi.
“What is his name?”
“Adrian.”
Giulietta closed her eyes.
Adrian Marconi?
Maybe not.
“Surname?”
“Lucia never used Marconi.”
“What did she use?”
“Bell.”
Giulietta almost laughed.
Every hidden child got a new name.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Dominic spoke.
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
Giulietta stood.
“Where?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“Close.”
Cesare moved.
Dominic lifted one hand.
“No theatrics.”
Giulietta stared.
“You watched him.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“His whole life.”
Margaret went pale.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“You let Lucia think she hid him.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“I never touched the boy.”
“That does not make stalking mercy.”
“No.”
Giulietta stepped closer.
“Why watch him?”
“Because Vittorio asked me to.”
Again.
Her father.
“Did Dad know?”
“Yes.”
The room changed.
Margaret whispered:
“No.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Vittorio found Lucia in Boston.”
“We know.”
“He knew she was pregnant.”
Margaret stared.
“She told me she hid it.”
“She lied.”
Giulietta’s anger twisted again.
Her mother too.
Everyone lied in directions they called necessary.
Dominic continued.
“Vittorio promised not to take the boy.”
“Why?”
“Because Lucia told him if he forced either child back into Marconi, she would disappear forever.”
Giulietta stared.
“So Dad let my brother stay away.”
“Yes.”
“But watched him.”
“Yes.”
“Through you.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Because you were becoming heir.”
“And?”
“He feared you would bring Adrian home.”
“I would have.”
“Exactly.”
Giulietta almost laughed.
Protection.
Again.
Cesare asked:
“Where is Adrian?”
Dominic did not answer him.
Giulietta stepped closer.
“Where?”
“Philadelphia.”
“What does he do?”
“Owns a boxing gym.”
“Does he know?”
“No.”
“Nothing?”
“He knows Lucia is his mother.”
“Vittorio?”
“No.”
“Me?”
Dominic hesitated.
“He knows he has a sister.”
Giulietta stopped.
“He knows me.”
“By name.”
“Has he seen me?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Dominic looked almost ashamed.
“Your father’s funeral.”
Three years ago.
Giulietta remembered thousands of faces.
One man near the rear.
Young.
Dark coat.
Staring.
She had assumed another associate’s son.
Adrian.
Her brother.
She felt something inside her break quietly.
“Why didn’t he approach?”
“Lucia asked him not to.”
“Mom was alive three years ago.”
Silence.
Dominic nodded.
Giulietta almost lost control.
Cesare stepped toward her.
She raised a hand.
No.
She needed the pain clean.
“When did you last see Lucia?”
Dominic answered:
“Eight months ago.”
Warren cursed softly.
Margaret stared.
Giulietta’s voice became almost inaudible.
“Eight months.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Philadelphia.”
“With Adrian?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“That you were going to marry Preston.”
Giulietta looked toward Preston.
He stood very still.
“And?”
“She was afraid.”
“Of Preston?”
“No.”
“Warren?”
“No.”
“Then?”
Dominic looked at Giulietta.
“You.”
Silence.
“My mother was afraid of me.”
“Yes.”
Giulietta swallowed.
“Why?”
“Because she saw you becoming Vittorio.”
That hurt more than any accusation that night.
Dominic continued.
“She said you were using the engagement to strengthen territory.”
“You were surrounding yourself with men who agreed too quickly.”
“You had begun speaking about loyalty the way your grandfather did.”
Giulietta looked toward Cesare.
He did not deny it.
Because he had seen it too.
Dominic continued.
“Lucia wanted to come home.”
Giulietta’s breath caught.
“She almost did.”
“Why didn’t she?”
“She learned about Preston.”
“What?”
“That he had inherited Warren’s violence.”
Preston closed his eyes.
“And instead of warning me?”
“She wanted to.”
“Then why didn’t she?”
Dominic looked at him.
“Because she believed Giulietta needed to recognize it herself.”
Rage flashed.
“My mother turned my marriage into a test?”
“No.”
Dominic’s voice sharpened.
“That was me.”
Silence.
Giulietta stared.
“I introduced Preston because Vittorio once asked me to.”
“I continued putting him near you because Lucia’s fear made me curious.”
Margaret whispered:
“You bastard.”
Dominic nodded.
“Yes.”
He looked at Giulietta.
“I wanted to know whether Lucia was right.”
“Whether I would become Dad.”
“Yes.”
“Tonight you almost got me beaten with a golf club to answer a question.”
“Yes.”
Giulietta’s face went cold.
There was the line.
Understanding stopped.
Consequence began.
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
“You used Preston’s damage.”
“Yes.”
“You used Warren’s violence.”
“Yes.”
“You used my mother’s fear.”
“Yes.”
“And Noah? No Noah. Not relevant.
Giulietta looked toward her capos visible outside.
“You wanted one house.”
Dominic nodded.
“Why?”
“Because divided families are harder to steer.”
There it was.
Not philosophy alone.
Power.
He had dressed manipulation as experiment because it sounded smarter than ambition.
Giulietta almost smiled.
“You’re not different from Samuel.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“Samuel enjoyed chaos.”
“And you enjoy design.”
Silence.
“Same hunger.”
Dominic stood.
The older warmth vanished.
“You think your capos will choose you after tonight?”
Giulietta looked toward the doorway.
“Ask them.”
Dominic laughed.
“They watched their boss cancel a wedding.”
“Drag Hale secrets into Marconi land.”
“Discover her father used corruption.”
“Her mother abandoned the family.”
“Her uncle lied.”
“Her senior capo betrayed her confidence.”
He stepped closer.
“You look weak.”
Giulietta’s voice stayed calm.
“No.”
“I look informed.”
Then footsteps filled the lodge.
Marconi men.
Hale men.
Not fighting.
Standing.
Giulietta had sent messages before entering.
No single story.
Only:
Come hear what Dominic Vane says when he believes the room belongs to him.
The old man looked around.
His face changed.
Giulietta continued.
“You taught me one useful thing.”
“What?”
“People reveal themselves when they think everyone else is trapped.”
Dominic stared.
She stepped closer.
“The wedding was your experiment.”
May you like
“This room is mine.”
For the first time, Dominic Vane looked afraid.
