Chapter 12: The Second Betrayal
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Marco.
My right hand.
My most loyal soldier.
The man I trusted enough to protect my family.
Standing behind Vanessa.
I replayed the video.
Again.
And again.
Maybe I had misunderstood.
Maybe the angle was wrong.
Maybe someone was pretending to be him.
But then he stepped into the light.
It was him.
Marco Bellini.
The man who had stood beside me for years.
The man who called me brother.
My hand lowered slowly.
Daniel watched my face.
“You didn’t know.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
Daniel sighed.
“That’s why I was afraid.””
I felt anger rising.
Not explosive.
Not wild.
Something colder.
“How long?””
Daniel looked down.
“I don’t know.””
“How long has Marco been betraying me?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
I grabbed the table.
The entire foundation of my life was collapsing.
Everyone I trusted was connected.
Everyone.
My phone rang.
This time, I answered.
Marco.
I put it on speaker.
“Where is my daughter?””
Silence.
Then:
“You always did know how to ask the right question.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Bring her home.””
Marco sighed.
“I can’t.””
“You don’t want to.””
“No.””
His voice changed.
“I can’t.””
I froze.
“What does that mean?””
“Vincent, you still don’t understand what your father left behind.””
“I understand enough.””
“No, you don’t.””
I heard Vanessa crying in the background.
Then Sophia.
“Daddy…”
My heart shattered.
“Marco.””
His voice softened.
“I never wanted this.””
“Then why?””
A long pause.
“Because your father destroyed my family.””
I said nothing.
“He took everything from us.””
“Your father was not the man you think he was.””
I looked at Daniel.
Another person blaming my father.
Another person hiding behind the past.
“You all keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
I stood.
“Where are you?””
Marco didn’t answer.
Instead, he said:
“Come alone.””
“No.””
“If you bring anyone, you’ll never see Sophia again.””
The call ended.
Daniel looked at me.
“You can’t go.””
I looked at him.
“I have to.””
“It’s a trap.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
I looked at the video of Sophia.
Because there were moments when being a powerful man meant nothing.
No money.
No army.
No reputation.
Just a father.
“I’m going.””
Daniel stood.
“Then I’m coming with you.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Vincent—”
“I trusted you once.””
The words hurt him.
Good.
They were supposed to.
“I need to know if I can trust you now.””
Daniel nodded.
“I understand.””
An hour later, I arrived at the location.
An abandoned warehouse near the river.
The same place where my father used to conduct private meetings.
A place filled with old memories.
I entered alone.
Vanessa stood near the center.
Sophia was beside her.
Alive.
Terrified.
“Daddy!””
I moved forward.
Then stopped.
Because Marco stepped out behind them.
And he wasn’t alone.
Another person entered the warehouse.
Someone older.
Someone I had spent years believing was dead.
My father.
I stared at him.
Impossible.
My father looked at me.
And the first words he said were:
“Vincent, I’m sorry.””
My entire world stopped.
May you like
Because the greatest secret of my life wasn’t that my enemies were alive.
It was that the man I had mourned for fifteen years had been watching me the entire time.
