Chapter 6 - The Mother Luca Buried
The older woman struck the gunman with a cane before he could fire.
“Move,” she snapped.
Sofia did not need to be told twice.
She pulled Elena and Isabella into the corridor.
The silver-haired woman slammed the pantry door behind them and locked it.
The gunman pounded from inside.
Sofia stared.
“You’re Lucia Bellandi.”
The woman looked offended.
“Who else would I be?”
“You’re dead.”
“Apparently I’ve been misinformed.”
Isabella almost laughed despite the danger.
Sofia stared at Lucia.
She was tiny.
Sharp-eyed.
Elegant despite wearing plain dark clothes.
And unmistakably Luca’s mother.
“How?”
“Later.”
“Your son thinks you’re dead.”
Lucia’s expression changed.
“I know.”
“That is a very large ‘later.’”
“Then survive long enough to hear it.”
Fair point.
They moved through the servants’ corridor.
Lucia knew every turn.
“Matteo has controlled this section since Vittorio died,” she whispered.
“Why hide?”
“Because Matteo tried to kill me three years ago.”
Sofia’s blood chilled.
“Luca attended your funeral.”
“He attended a closed-casket funeral.”
Elena whispered, “My God.”
Lucia’s jaw tightened.
“Vittorio found out Matteo was using Bellandi shipping routes for counterfeit pharmaceuticals. He ordered him to stop. Matteo partnered with Bianca instead.”
Isabella looked at her.
Bianca.
Her aunt.
Lucia continued.
“Vittorio began collecting evidence. Matteo poisoned him slowly.”
“So it wasn’t a heart attack,” Sofia said.
“No.”
“And you?”
“I found Vittorio’s records.”
“So Matteo came for you.”
Lucia nodded.
“One of Aldo’s men helped me escape.”
Sofia stopped.
“Aldo knew?”
“No. One of his men. Peter Valli.”
The missing transport guard.
Everything connected.
“Peter moved my mother,” Sofia said.
“Yes.”
“He betrayed Matteo?”
“He has been helping me for years.”
“Where is he?”
“Trying to keep his wife and daughter alive.”
Lucia opened another hidden door.
They entered an underground storage room.
A wall of old surveillance equipment hummed.
Sofia looked around.
“You’ve been hiding under Luca’s house?”
“Not continuously.”
“That doesn’t improve it.”
Lucia smiled slightly.
“You speak to me like my son.”
Sofia almost choked.
“I’ve known him one day.”
Lucia looked at the wedding ring.
“That was a productive day.”
Sofia ignored that.
“How do we reach Luca?”
Lucia activated a wired intercom.
Old technology.
Not connected to the compromised digital network.
She pressed a button.
“Library emergency line.”
Static.
Then Aldo’s voice.
“Who is this?”
Lucia said, “Tell my son his mother is tired of waiting.”
Silence.
Then a crash.
Aldo whispered, “Madonna.”
Sofia almost laughed.
A second voice came through.
Luca.
“Who is this?”
Lucia closed her eyes.
For the first time, her composure cracked.
“Luca.”
Nothing.
“Luca, it’s Mama.”
The line remained silent so long Sofia thought it had disconnected.
Then Luca whispered one word.
“No.”
Lucia’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“You’re dead.”
“I know what you were told.”
“I buried you.”
“You buried an empty coffin.”
Luca’s breathing became audible.
Sofia imagined him standing in that locked bridal suite.
The strongest man in the room.
Broken by a voice.
Lucia continued.
“Your uncle killed your father. He tried to kill me. I stayed hidden because anyone near you would have become leverage.”
“You should have told me.”
“I tried.”
“For three years?”
“Every person I contacted died.”
Silence.
Then Luca said, “Where are you?”
“Old monitoring room.”
“Sofia?”
“I’m here,” Sofia said.
His voice changed instantly.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Your mother?”
“Safe.”
“Isabella?”
“Safe enough.”
She heard him exhale.
“Good.”
Lucia looked at Sofia.
That look contained a mother’s entire understanding.
Sofia pretended not to notice.
Luca said, “We’re out of the suite. Aldo broke the seal.”
“How?”
“A chair, a fire extinguisher, and language you would disapprove of.”
Lucia almost smiled.
“That sounds like Aldo.”
Sofia spoke.
“Matteo wants you to sign over the port.”
“I know.”
“Don’t.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“There’s a second will.”
Silence.
Luca said, “What second will?”
Lucia answered.
“Your father left Pier Thirty-One to me.”
“Mama.”
“I transferred it.”
“To whom?”
Lucia turned toward Sofia.
Sofia frowned.
Lucia smiled.
“You.”
Sofia stopped.
“What?”
“Not you personally.”
“That did not help.”
“The transfer provision states ownership passes to Luca’s lawful spouse if I am legally presumed dead and Vittorio’s direct heir is threatened or coerced.”
Sofia’s mouth fell open.
Isabella stared.
Elena sat down.
Sofia managed, “Why would anyone write that?”
“Vittorio believed family assets were safer when divided.”
Luca’s voice came through the speaker.
“So the moment Sofia married me…”
“She became controlling trustee of Pier Thirty-One.”
Sofia leaned toward the intercom.
“I own the port?”
“Control, not outright ownership.”
“That is still far too much port for someone who yesterday coordinated flowers.”
Lucia almost smiled again.
“Matteo doesn’t know the marriage activated the provision.”
Isabella whispered, “That’s why he still wants Luca’s signature.”
Sofia understood.
“If Matteo believes Luca owns it, he’s exposing himself.”
Lucia nodded.
“And we can let him.”
A plan formed.
Dangerous.
Possibly stupid.
Exactly the kind of plan Sofia would have rejected twenty-four hours earlier.
“Tell Matteo Luca will sign.”
Luca immediately said, “No.”
Sofia rolled her eyes.
“So much for learning.”
“He will take you.”
“He already wants me.”
“That is not an argument.”
“I legally control the port.”
“Which makes you more valuable.”
“Exactly.”
“Sofia.”
“Luca.”
Lucia pressed her lips together to hide amusement.
Elena whispered to Isabella, “Are they always like this?”
Isabella whispered back, “They’ve been married one day.”
Sofia heard both.
“Not helping.”
Lucia said, “Sofia is right.”
Luca groaned.
“Of course you like her.”
“I have excellent judgment.”
“You pretended to be dead for three years.”
“Mostly excellent judgment.”
Even Luca had no response.
The plan moved quickly.
Matteo expected a frightened Luca.
Instead, he would get one.
They transferred false instructions over the compromised network.
Luca agreed to sign.
Midnight.
Main ballroom.
No outside police.
Matteo demanded Sofia present.
Luca argued publicly.
That made it believable.
By eleven fifty-five, the ballroom was transformed again.
No flowers.
No music.
No guests.
Just a long table.
Documents.
Matteo Bellandi entered with eight armed men.
Bianca came behind him.
She looked defeated.
Luca stood at one end.
Aldo beside him.
Sofia entered from the opposite door.
Matteo smiled.
“There she is.”
Luca’s expression was murderous.
“You said she could remain upstairs.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You do that often?”
“It runs in the family.”
Sofia sat.
Matteo placed the transfer agreement in front of Luca.
“Sign.”
Luca picked up the pen.
Sofia spoke.
“You’re transferring an asset he doesn’t own.”
Everyone looked at her.
Matteo laughed.
“Stay quiet, sweetheart.”
Luca slowly put down the pen.
Sofia smiled.
“Bad choice of words.”
She placed Vittorio’s second will on the table.
Matteo’s face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“So you recognize it.”
He recovered.
“It’s fraudulent.”
“Then you won’t mind a court examining it.”
Matteo looked at Luca.
“What have you done?”
Luca answered.
“Married well.”
Sofia hated how much she liked hearing that.
Matteo reached for his gun.
Aldo raised his.
Every armed man in the room moved.
Stalemate.
Then another door opened.
Lucia Bellandi walked in.
Matteo went white.
“No.”
Lucia smiled coldly.
“Hello, brother-in-law.”
Bianca gasped.
Matteo backed away.
“You’re dead.”
“I’ve heard.”
Lucia placed a recorder on the table.
“Vittorio’s final statement.”
Matteo stared.
Lucia pressed play.
Vittorio Bellandi’s voice filled the ballroom.
He named Matteo.
Bianca.
The counterfeit operation.
The hospitals.
The shipments.
Everything.
Bianca began crying.
Matteo looked around wildly.
“This proves nothing.”
Sofia said, “The federal investigators outside may disagree.”
Matteo froze.
Luca looked at her.
“You called federal investigators?”
“Technically Isabella did.”
Isabella stepped through the doorway.
Behind her came two agents.
Then six more.
Matteo reached for Bianca.
He placed a gun against her throat.
Everyone stopped.
“You,” Bianca whispered.
Matteo dragged her backward.
“You ruined everything.”
Bianca laughed bitterly.
“We ruined it years ago.”
He fired toward the ceiling.
Chaos exploded.
Agents shouted.
Luca pulled Sofia behind a marble column.
Matteo dragged Bianca toward the west corridor.
Aldo pursued.
Sofia looked toward Isabella.
Safe.
Her mother.
Safe.
Lucia.
Safe.
Then she saw Matteo turn in the doorway.
His gun aimed directly at Luca.
Sofia screamed.
Luca turned.
May you like
The gun fired.
And Luca Bellandi fell.
