Chapter 13 - The Man Who Betrayed Them Both
Nadine’s father had not died from natural causes.
But Vittorio had not personally killed him.
The accountant had.
Under orders.
He confessed everything.
Vittorio had threatened his family.
He poisoned Nadine’s father and spent twenty years living with the guilt.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because your father knew.”
Nadine stared.
“He knew you were going to kill him?”
“He suspected.”
The envelope contained one final letter.
Her father had written that if the accountant ever confessed, Nadine should decide what justice meant.
Not revenge.
Justice.
Nadine handed the confession to investigators.
The accountant was arrested.
She did not absolve him.
She did not curse him.
She simply let the truth proceed.
Dante watched.
“I don't know how you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Not become like us.”
Nadine looked at Lucia.
“I have a reason.”
Within days, Vittorio’s network collapsed.
Dante surrendered records implicating himself.
His attorney negotiated cooperation.
Adrian did the same.
For the first time, the brothers chose something other than war.
Then Vittorio sent one final message.
A photograph of the Castellano mansion.
The nursery window.
Nadine’s blood chilled.
He had returned to where everything began.
Dante wanted to go.
Investigators ordered him not to.
Nadine looked at the photograph.
There was something on the nursery window.
A white cloth.
Her father’s old signal.
She remembered it from childhood.
HELP INSIDE.
Someone was still in the mansion.
“Who?” Celeste asked.
Nadine enlarged the photograph.
A hand appeared behind the curtain.
A woman’s hand.
Wearing their mother’s ring.
Celeste went white.
“That’s impossible.”
Their mother had supposedly died twelve years earlier.
Nadine stared at the photograph.
Then the front door camera at the safe house activated.
Someone stood outside.
An elderly woman.
Thin.
Shaking.
Alive.
Nadine opened the monitor.
The woman looked directly into the camera.
May you like
And whispered:
“Nadine, don't go to the mansion. Vittorio is waiting for you…”
