Chapter 7 - The Man Who Sold My Father’s Death
Aldo resurfaced forty-eight hours later.
Not in hiding.
On television.
Mara stood in Luca's kitchen watching a live press conference.
Aldo Valenti stepped before reporters outside a downtown hotel wearing a gray suit and the wounded expression of a respectable businessman.
“My nephew,” he announced, “has become dangerously unstable.”
Mara nearly dropped her coffee.
Luca entered behind her.
He looked at the television.
No reaction.
Aldo continued.
“He has allowed an emotionally traumatized young woman to influence major business decisions.”
Mara slowly looked at Luca.
“Emotionally traumatized young woman?”
“Don't.”
“I'm going to murder him.”
“That would undermine our legal strategy.”
“Fine. You murder him.”
Luca finally smiled.
On television, Aldo claimed Luca had fabricated allegations to remove senior family leadership.
Then he mentioned Mara.
“My heart goes out to Mrs. Valenti. She survived a terrible attack. But grief can make vulnerable people believe things that aren't true.”
Mara's face went cold.
Her father had been murdered.
Aldo was calling her unstable.
The old trick.
Discredit the woman before she speaks.
Then Aldo made his mistake.
“The so-called ledger she claims to possess is a forgery.”
Dana Brooks, watching remotely from Washington, called immediately.
“He just acknowledged knowing about evidence we have never made public.”
Mara smiled.
“That's bad for him?”
“Very.”
Luca's eyes stayed on the screen.
Aldo had spent decades surviving by being smarter than the men around him.
Now fear was making him careless.
That evening Dana received authorization for expanded surveillance.
Mara spent hours reviewing her father's records.
She discovered an odd payment.
Two hundred thousand dollars transferred the week after Thomas's death.
Not to Aldo.
To Mara's mother.
She stared at it.
Recipient account:
Claire Quinn.
Sender:
Angelo Valenti.
Mara confronted Elena.
“What is this?”
Elena looked at the page.
Her shoulders lowered.
“Protection money.”
“What?”
“Not in the way you're thinking.”
“Explain.”
“After Thomas died, Angelo believed your mother and you were in danger. He wanted to move you both.”
“My mother refused?”
“Yes.”
“So he paid her.”
“He gave her enough to disappear if she needed.”
Mara felt sick.
“She never told me.”
“She didn't want you growing up afraid.”
“Instead I grew up ignorant.”
Elena's eyes filled with pain.
“We thought that was kinder.”
“It wasn't.”
“I know.”
Mara looked away.
Elena touched her hand.
“I've made many mistakes trying to protect people.”
Mara swallowed.
“So has Luca.”
“Yes.”
“So did my mother.”
“Yes.”
“Apparently protection makes everyone stupid.”
Elena laughed softly.
“Frequently.”
That night, Mara found Luca on the terrace.
Lake Michigan was black beneath the winter sky.
“You're freezing,” he said.
“So are you.”
“I deserve it.”
“That sounds dramatic.”
“My wife told me I have that problem.”
She stood beside him.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Mara asked, “Did you ever want this?”
“What?”
“The empire.”
“No.”
She turned.
“Really?”
“My father wanted me to study law.”
“What happened?”
“My older brother died.”
Mara hadn't known Luca had one.
“Carlo?”
He nodded.
“He was supposed to take over.”
“How did he die?”
“Shot outside a nightclub at twenty-eight.”
“Marcelli?”
“We never proved it.”
Luca looked over the lake.
“My father stopped believing I had a choice after that.”
“So you inherited everything.”
“Yes.”
“And became good at it.”
His mouth twisted.
“Unfortunately.”
Mara studied him.
“What would you have done?”
“Without this?”
“Yes.”
He thought.
“Built boats.”
She blinked.
“Boats?”
“My grandfather was a carpenter.”
Mara smiled.
“I expected international finance.”
“I hate international finance.”
“Good. Because your accounting is terrible.”
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
She loved the sound before she could stop herself from thinking it.
That frightened her.
Luca turned.
The space between them felt suddenly smaller.
“Mara.”
“Don't.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“I don't know.”
He understood anyway.
“This marriage doesn't give me rights to you.”
“I know.”
“I won't confuse gratitude with affection.”
“I know.”
She wished he would stop being reasonable.
It would have been easier.
Then his phone vibrated.
Matteo.
Luca answered.
“Yeah.”
His face hardened.
“Where?”
He ended the call.
“Aldo made contact.”
“With who?”
“Marcelli.”
“Can they prove it?”
“Federal surveillance got photographs.”
Mara exhaled.
Finally.
Luca wasn't relieved.
“What?”
“Aldo offered Marcelli the river terminals.”
“In exchange for what?”
Luca looked at her.
“My head.”
Mara's stomach tightened.
“And mine?”
A pause.
“Yours too.”
Before she could respond, Luca's phone rang again.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Aldo's voice came through.
“You should have kept the waitress out of family business.”
Luca's expression went dead.
Mara could hear enough to understand.
Aldo continued.
“Give me Thomas Quinn's book.”
“No.”
“Then she dies.”
Luca stared at Mara.
“No one is touching her.”
Aldo laughed.
“You're making the same mistake your father made.”
“What mistake?”
“Believing love makes men stronger.”
The line disconnected.
Mara watched Luca.
His fists were clenched.
“Aldo is wrong.”
Luca looked at her.
“How?”
“Love doesn't make people weaker.”
She stepped closer.
“It gives them something worth changing for.”
His expression broke.
Not completely.
Enough.
This time when Luca kissed her, he stopped an inch away first.
Waiting.
Mara closed the distance.
The kiss was soft.
Nothing like the violence surrounding them.
When they pulled apart, Luca whispered, “That wasn't part of the contract.”
“No.”
“Good.”
Then an alarm screamed through the estate.
Every security light turned red.
Matteo's voice thundered from the hallway.
“BREACH!”
Luca pulled Mara behind him.
Outside, the front gates were opening.
Not being forced.
Opening normally.
May you like
Someone had entered the correct code.
And whoever was coming had been invited from inside.
