Chapter 9
Lucian was alive.
Barely.
Eighty-seven.
Cancer.
Kidneys failing.
Body collapsing.
Revenge intact.
Celeste had assumed he died months earlier because he stopped communicating.
Instead he had gone underground.
Again.
Michael was taken because Lucian discovered his son had betrayed the Circle.
Celeste looked toward Roman.
“He will kill him.”
“When?”
“Not immediately.”
“Why?”
“He needs a witness.”
“To what?”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“His final succession.”
Roman almost laughed.
“Still chairs.”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Confession.”
Lucian wanted Michael to admit publicly that Vittorio stole the family.
He wanted Roman present.
He wanted Sophie’s existence acknowledged.
Then he wanted one final act.
“What?”
Celeste looked at Nora.
“Roman kills Helena.”
Silence.
Nora stared.
Roman’s face went blank.
“Why?”
“Because Lucian believes Helena is the origin of everything.”
Roman looked toward Celeste.
“You disagree.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Evelyn started it.”
Vittorio’s first wife.
Celeste’s mother.
Celeste continued:
“My mother convinced Lucian that Vittorio stole his place.”
“Was that false?”
“Partly.”
“Grandfather chose Vittorio.”
“Yes.”
“But Evelyn wanted Lucian.”
“As what?”
“Replacement husband.”
Roman stared.
Evelyn had been married to Vittorio.
Then supported his brother.
Family politics intertwined with betrayal.
“She manipulated Lucian.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Vittorio abused her.”
Roman said nothing.
Celeste continued:
“She wanted escape.”
“Lucian wanted power.”
“They used each other.”
“Then Helena married Vittorio.”
“Lucian blamed her for replacing Evelyn.”
“So he wants Roman to kill Helena.”
“Yes.”
“Symbolically proving another woman gets sacrificed to male succession.”
Roman almost smiled bitterly.
The revenge had become theater.
Nora looked at Celeste.
“And you stayed with this?”
“For years.”
“Why?”
“Because I hated Vittorio.”
“He’s dead.”
“I know.”
“Roman was a child.”
“I know.”
“Sophie wasn’t born.”
“I know.”
Every I know sounded like Vanessa, Helena, Michael.
Awareness after damage.
Roman asked:
“Where is Lucian?”
Celeste hesitated.
Nora stepped closer.
“If you want to save Michael, choose.”
Celeste looked at her great-granddaughter.
The same word turned back.
Choice.
“At the old D’Angelo winter estate.”
Roman knew it.
Closed forty years.
“Security?”
“Lucian has maybe twelve men.”
“Loyal?”
“To memory more than him.”
Good.
Memory could be fractured.
Roman looked at Nora.
“You stay.”
She laughed.
“No.”
“Nora.”
“You followed me after promising.”
Fair.
Roman exhaled.
“What do you want?”
“To come.”
“Why?”
“Because my mother is here.”
“Celeste is part of this.”
“Sophie is the target.”
“And I am done letting D’Angelo men handle conversations about my daughter without me.”
Roman nodded.
“Fine.”
Celeste almost smiled.
“You really did change.”
Roman looked at her.
“Don’t romanticize it.”
May you like
“I’m still angry enough to make mistakes.”
“Then let’s try not to.”
