Chapter 11
Vittorio left the room.
Nobody stopped him.
He walked into Elena’s study and closed the blue door.
For almost an hour, nobody heard anything.
Inside, he sat on the floor beside her desk.
No violence.
No orders.
No revenge.
Just silence.
That silence frightened the house more than shouting would have.
Eventually Lucy padded down the hallway in pajamas.
Emma tried to stop her.
Vittorio heard the small knock.
“Daddy?”
He opened the door.
Lucy looked past him.
“Mommy room.”
“Yes.”
She held out the photograph.
Emma must have given it back.
“Bad picture?”
Vittorio crouched.
“No.”
“Uncle Marcus bad?”
He took a breath.
“Uncle Marcus did bad things.”
“Bianca?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
Lucy looked at him.
“Daddy sad?”
His throat tightened.
“Yes.”
She put one hand against his cheek.
No speech.
No perfect child wisdom.
Just her palm.
Vittorio closed his eyes.
Later that evening, he returned downstairs.
Bianca and Marcus were still there.
Neither expected forgiveness.
Both expected punishment.
Marcus looked almost relieved when Vittorio entered.
“You going to kill me now?”
Vittorio’s eyes settled on him.
“No.”
Marcus frowned.
That answer frightened him.
Vittorio removed Marcus from every operational role immediately.
Accounts frozen.
Access revoked.
Men reassigned.
Properties reviewed.
No meeting.
No vote.
Marcus’s power vanished through ten quiet phone calls.
Then Vittorio turned toward Bianca.
She had put the engagement ring back on the table.
“I never wanted Elena dead.”
“I know.”
Bianca looked up sharply.
Vittorio continued.
“That doesn't help you.”
Her eyes filled.
“I loved her.”
“You loved your brother more.”
Bianca flinched.
Then Marcus laughed bitterly.
“At least she chose family.”
Vittorio turned.
Marcus’s last defense.
Family.
The word he had used to justify everything.
Then Vittorio’s security chief entered.
“We found the fourth recording.”
Marcus’s face changed again.
Vittorio looked toward the phone.
The technician had recovered only eleven seconds.
Elena’s voice.
“If Bianca betrays me, there’s one person Marcus will never expect me to trust.”
May you like
Then another voice answered.
Emma’s.
