Chapter 10
Vincent Moretti had been dead for ten years.
Luca had identified the body.
He had buried him.
He had stood beside Sofia while dirt covered the coffin.
None of that mattered anymore.
The photograph was real.
Agent Bennett confirmed it within two hours.
Facial structure matched.
Scars matched.
Dental records from a traffic stop in Canada matched.
Vincent Moretti was alive.
Emma watched Luca become very quiet.
She knew that version of him now.
Anger became silence first.
Then decisions.
“Where was the photo taken?”
Bennett answered.
“Possibly coastal Virginia.”
“Find it.”
“We are.”
“Faster.”
She ignored the tone.
Emma sat beside him.
“You don’t have to do anything right now.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Because every hour we wait, someone disappears.”
That was true.
Vanessa had vanished again after learning about Vincent.
Sofia was under federal protection.
Elias and Rebecca were together at a secure hospital.
Martin remained missing.
Caldwell remained missing.
Victor remained missing.
Too many ghosts.
At midnight, Bennett got a hit.
The background of the photograph matched a marina near Norfolk.
Security footage showed Vincent boarding a yacht three weeks earlier.
The yacht belonged to a shell company.
The shell company belonged to Caldwell Strategic Assets.
Luca laughed once.
“Of course.”
Federal agents prepared warrants.
Emma packed a bag.
Luca noticed.
“No.”
She zipped it.
“Yes.”
“This isn’t your fight.”
Emma stared at him.
“My father lost eight years. My mother faked her death. I was attacked. Your mother was nearly disappeared through a medical prison. I own twenty percent of your company.”
“Technically—”
“Do not technically me.”
He stopped.
“Fine.”
“Good.”
“You stay with Bennett.”
“Maybe.”
“Emma.”
“Luca.”
They stared at each other.
Matteo walked past.
“You two sound married already.”
Both turned.
“Leave,” they said together.
He left laughing.
By dawn, they were in Norfolk.
The marina was almost empty.
The yacht was gone.
But one warehouse had activity.
Thermal cameras showed four people inside.
Bennett’s team moved.
Luca stayed in the command van because federal agents threatened to arrest him if he didn’t.
Emma sat beside him.
For seven minutes, they listened through radios.
“Entry.”
“Clear left.”
“Clear.”
“Movement rear.”
Then:
“Two suspects down.”
Luca leaned forward.
“Who?”
No answer.
Then Agent Bennett’s voice:
“We found Vanessa.”
Emma exhaled.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“And the others?”
A pause.
“Come in.”
That was not a good answer.
Inside the warehouse, Vanessa sat on the floor wrapped in a blanket.
Bruised.
Terrified.
Alive.
She looked at Luca.
“I’m sorry.”
He crouched.
“For what?”
“For all of it.”
“Where’s your father?”
She shook her head.
“Gone.”
“Martin?”
“Gone.”
“Victor?”
“Dead.”
Emma frowned.
“How?”
Vanessa looked at her.
“My father shot him.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor was going to testify.”
Of course.
Luca said, “My father?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Vanessa.”
“I don’t.”
She grabbed his hand.
“But he’s not with them willingly.”
Luca stopped.
“What?”
“I heard Martin talking.”
Emma stepped closer.
“About what?”
“Vincent was trying to destroy Project Orpheus from inside.”
Luca stared.
“He let us believe he was dead for ten years.”
“He thought Caldwell would kill you if he came back.”
Same excuse.
Different parent.
Emma almost laughed.
Vanessa continued.
“Your father has been collecting evidence.”
“Where is it?”
“He hid copies in every facility.”
Bennett nodded to agents.
“Search everything.”
They did.
Behind a false wall, they found hard drives.
Documents.
Financial ledgers.
Videos.
One video file was labeled LUCA.
He opened it.
Vincent appeared on screen.
Older.
Tired.
Alive.
“Luca.”
His son stopped breathing.
“If you are watching this, then I failed to end this quietly.”
Luca sat.
Vincent continued.
“I owe you the truth.”
He explained everything.
The plane crash had been staged after Caldwell discovered Vincent was cooperating with federal investigators.
The body in the coffin belonged to a John Doe planted by Martin before Martin switched sides.
Sofia had not known.
Neither had Luca.
Neither had Matteo.
Vincent had gone underground with evidence.
Then Martin found him.
Used Orpheus to keep him isolated.
Moved him between clinics.
Forced him to help maintain the network.
Until he began sabotaging it from inside.
Then Vincent said:
“There is one person I trusted completely.”
Luca leaned forward.
“His name is Marco DeLuca.”
Emma looked at Luca.
Marco.
Head of security.
The man who had been everywhere.
Vincent continued.
“If Marco is still with you, trust him.”
Luca exhaled.
Finally.
One person.
Then the video glitched.
Vincent looked off camera.
His face changed.
Someone entered.
A voice.
Male.
Familiar.
Marco’s voice.
“Vincent, we have to move.”
Luca relaxed.
Then Vincent said something that made his blood run cold.
“No. Luca can never know you’re the one who started Orpheus.”
Silence.
Emma stared at the screen.
Luca replayed it.
Same words.
Marco.
Started Orpheus.
The man protecting the family had built the system that destroyed it.
Luca called him.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Emma’s phone rang.
Marco.
Everyone froze.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Marco’s voice was calm.
“Put Luca on.”
She handed him the phone.
Luca said nothing.
Marco did.
“Your father is alive.”
“I know.”
A pause.
“You found the video.”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“Then you know enough to hate me.”
“Not enough.”
Marco breathed out.
“I built Orpheus for your father.”
“Why?”
“To hide witnesses from Caldwell.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“Then why did Caldwell use it?”
“Because Martin sold him access.”
That changed the story again.
Luca closed his eyes.
“Where are you?”
“Taking Vincent somewhere safe.”
“Bring him to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s still someone inside your family feeding Caldwell information.”
Luca looked around.
Emma.
Matteo.
Vanessa.
Sofia by phone.
Elias.
Rebecca.
Who?
“Who?”
Marco was silent.
Then he said:
“The person who forged your signature.”
Luca looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
“I didn’t.”
Marco continued.
“It wasn’t Vanessa.”
Emma’s heart stopped.
“Then who?”
Marco gave the answer.
“Matteo.”
Silence.
Everyone turned.
Matteo was gone.
Luca looked toward the open warehouse door.
His brother’s car was missing.
The realization came slowly.
Matteo had access to the medical company.
The house.
The signatures.
The transfer process.
Every internal system.
Luca whispered:
“No.”
Marco’s voice continued.
“He’s been working with Caldwell for six years.”
Emma grabbed the table.
Vanessa began crying.
Luca asked the only question that mattered.
“Why?”
Marco answered:
“Because Vincent left Moretti Holdings to you.”
Luca said nothing.
“He thought it should have been his.”
Outside, tires screamed.
Bennett shouted.
A black SUV crashed through the marina gate.
Gunfire erupted.
Agents moved.
Emma ducked.
Luca pulled her behind a steel column.
The SUV door opened.
Matteo stepped out.
Gun in one hand.
Sofia’s wheelchair beside him.
Emma’s blood turned cold.
He had her.
Again.
Matteo pointed the gun at his mother.
Then looked at Luca.
His face was wet with tears.
“I’m sorry.”
Luca stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No.”
Matteo shook his head.
“You always got everything.”
Luca stared.
“This was about jealousy?”
“You got Dad.”
“He was gone.”
“You got the company.”
“I never asked for it.”
“You got her respect.”
He looked at Sofia.
“She always chose you.”
Sofia began crying.
“Matteo.”
“Don’t.”
His voice broke.
“Don’t pretend now.”
Emma watched Luca lower his weapon.
“Take the company.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What?” Matteo whispered.
“Take it.”
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
“Luca—” Bennett warned.
He ignored her.
“You want my shares? Take them. You want the house? Take it. You want my name? Take that too.”
He stepped closer.
“But you don’t get Mom.”
Matteo’s gun shook.
“You think you can fix everything with money.”
“No.”
Luca looked at Emma.
Then back at his brother.
“I learned that recently.”
Emma’s throat tightened.
Matteo laughed through tears.
Then a shot rang out.
Sofia screamed.
Matteo fell.
Not dead.
Shot through the shoulder.
Behind him stood Vincent Moretti.
Alive.
Holding a gun.
Luca stopped breathing.
His father lowered the weapon.
Ten years of grief stood between them.
Vincent looked at his sons.
One bleeding.
One frozen.
Then at Sofia.
She whispered:
“Vincent.”
He broke.
So did she.
Luca did not move.
Emma touched his hand.
Only then did he breathe.
Vincent looked at Luca.
“I’m sorry.”
Luca’s voice was barely audible.
“You don’t get to say that once.”
Vincent nodded.
“I know.”
Police surrounded Matteo.
Vanessa sat against the wall.
Sofia cried.
Marco entered behind Vincent.
Everyone raised weapons.
He raised his hands.
“Fair.”
Emma almost laughed.
Hours later, Senator Caldwell was arrested at a private airfield.
Martin Vale was captured two days later in Montreal.
Victor Hale’s death was confirmed.
Project Orpheus became a federal investigation spanning four states.
Matteo survived.
He confessed to forging Luca’s signature.
He also admitted he had arranged Sofia’s transfer.
But he insisted he never intended to hurt her.
Luca did not forgive him.
Not yet.
Maybe never.
Elias recovered slowly.
Rebecca moved into a small apartment near him.
They did not pretend twenty-eight lost years could be repaired quickly.
Emma did not accept the eighty-four million immediately.
She accepted one thing first.
The truth.
Three months later, Sofia walked six steps with a therapist.
Emma cried harder than Sofia did.
Luca watched from the doorway.
Afterward, Emma found him in the garden.
“You’re staring.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
He smiled.
“The engagement is officially over.”
“I assumed the police interviews helped.”
“A little.”
“And Vanessa?”
“California.”
“Good.”
Silence.
Then Luca said, “I owe you.”
Emma frowned.
“For what?”
“My mother.”
“You paid me.”
“For the job.”
“Yes.”
“Not for running barefoot into a ballroom and destroying my engagement.”
“That part was free.”
He laughed.
A real laugh.
Then became serious.
“I’m glad you did.”
Emma looked at him.
“So am I.”
He stepped closer.
“Do you still think everyone in this family is insane?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Why good?”
“Because your judgment is intact.”
She smiled.
Then his phone buzzed.
He looked.
A message from Matteo’s attorney.
One attachment.
A scanned document.
Luca opened it.
His face changed.
“What?”
He handed it to Emma.
DNA TEST.
MATERNAL MATCH: SOFIA MORETTI.
Emma stared.
Subject A: Emma Grant.
Subject B: Sofia Moretti.
Probability of maternal relationship: 99.98%.
Emma stopped breathing.
“No.”
Luca took the phone back.
Read it again.
Same result.
Emma whispered:
“Elias said Sofia raised him.”
“Yes.”
“He said she wasn’t his biological mother.”
“Yes.”
Emma looked toward the house.
Sofia stood at the window.
Watching them.
And suddenly every look, every touch, every whispered apology felt different.
Emma’s voice shook.
“If Sofia is my grandmother…”
Luca understood before she finished.
Elias had lied about being Vincent’s son.
Which meant only one thing.
Emma’s father was not Luca’s half brother.
He was Sofia’s son from her first marriage.
To Richard Caldwell.
Emma stared at Luca.
“My father is Vanessa’s half brother.”
“Yes.”
Her face went white.
“And that means Senator Caldwell is my grandfather.”
Luca said nothing.
Inside the house, Sofia slowly turned away from the window.
Emma whispered:
“There’s still one more secret.”
Luca looked at her.
“What?”
She held up the DNA report.
“This test was ordered yesterday.”
He froze.
“By who?”
Emma scrolled to the signature at the bottom.
Then showed him.
Ordered by: Sofia Moretti.
Luca looked toward the house.
His mother had known.
She had known exactly who Emma was.
May you like
From the moment Emma walked through the door.
And she had never forgotten at all.
