Chapter 6 - The Memory of a Three-Year-Old
Elena broke.
Not loudly.
That made it worse.
She simply stared at the dead phone screen while all expression left her face.
Then she turned toward Marissa.
“Where did they take her?”
Marissa smiled.
Elena stepped closer.
Matteo blocked her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Move.”
“If you kill her, Lily disappears.”
Elena’s eyes were wild.
“That woman murdered my husband.”
“And right now she’s useful.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
Elena looked at him with pure hatred.
Matteo accepted it.
Nico tied Marissa’s hands.
Sofia freed herself and knelt beside Vittorio.
The bullet had passed through his shoulder.
He would live.
Matteo crouched beside Marissa.
“Where?”
She looked away.
He grabbed her chin.
“Where is Lily?”
“You won’t hurt me.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s right.”
Marissa nodded toward Elena.
“You’ve started caring what the maid thinks of you.”
Matteo’s expression hardened.
Marissa laughed.
“You don’t even see it.”
He leaned closer.
“Tell me where the girl is.”
“No.”
Matteo stood.
“Nico.”
Nico understood.
He placed Marissa’s phone on the table and opened the tracking logs.
“They used a relay application.”
“Can you trace?”
“Maybe.”
Matteo looked at Sofia.
“Take Vittorio downstairs.”
Vittorio groaned.
“No.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I know.”
“Then bleed quietly.”
Vittorio almost smiled.
Even now.
Matteo hated him for that.
He hated that this man could still feel like family.
Sofia helped Vittorio leave.
Nico worked.
Elena paced.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Then Nico looked up.
“Got something.”
Matteo crossed the room.
“Where?”
“Old DeLuca bottling plant.”
Vittorio’s former wine facility.
Closed twelve years.
Matteo knew it well.
“What makes you sure?”
“Marissa’s phone contacted a private router there eight minutes ago.”
Elena was already heading for the door.
Matteo grabbed her coat.
“You stay.”
She spun.
“No.”
“You’re emotional.”
“That’s my daughter.”
“Exactly.”
She stepped close.
“If you leave me here, I’ll steal a car.”
Matteo believed her.
“Fine.”
Nico came too.
Three vehicles headed toward the abandoned plant.
Matteo did not call police.
Not yet.
Too much of his world could collapse under official scrutiny.
But he had sent copies of Daniel’s files to an attorney with instructions.
If Matteo died, everything would go public.
He had finally learned from Daniel.
The plant rose beside the highway like a dead castle.
Broken windows.
Old brick.
Rusting gates.
They entered through the rear.
Nico found two guards.
Silent takedowns.
Matteo found the third.
Less silent.
Elena did not flinch anymore.
They reached the bottling hall.
A child’s voice echoed.
“Mommy!”
Elena ran.
“Lily!”
Matteo caught her arm.
“Wait.”
A man appeared on the catwalk.
Gun.
“Drop yours!”
Matteo obeyed.
Slowly.
Nico did too.
Elena looked upward.
Lily stood beside the man.
Crying.
Her wrists were not tied.
But a second man held her shoulder.
“Mommy!”
“I’m here!”
Elena’s voice broke.
The first man shouted, “Bring Marissa!”
Matteo said, “She’s not here.”
“Then the kid stays.”
Matteo stepped forward.
“Take me.”
The man laughed.
“Already tried that.”
“Then what do you want?”
“The drive.”
Matteo reached into his jacket.
Pulled out the USB.
Elena stared.
“You brought it?”
“Yes.”
“You idiot.”
“Probably.”
He held it up.
“Let Lily come down.”
“Throw it.”
“Girl first.”
The man raised his gun.
Matteo did not move.
Seconds stretched.
Then Lily looked at the second man holding her.
Her eyes widened.
She whispered something.
The man frowned.
“What?”
Lily pointed at him.
“You.”
Everyone froze.
Elena asked, “Lily?”
The girl stared at the man.
“You were at Daddy’s house.”
The man’s face changed.
Matteo saw it.
Elena did too.
“That’s him?”
Lily nodded.
“He put drops in Daddy’s cup.”
The man grabbed her.
Lily screamed.
Elena moved.
Gunfire exploded.
Nico had retrieved a hidden ankle weapon.
One shot.
The gunman above dropped.
Matteo ran.
The second man dragged Lily toward the far stairs.
Elena followed.
Matteo overtook her.
He hit the stairs two at a time.
The man reached the top landing.
Held Lily against his chest.
Gun beneath her chin.
Matteo stopped.
“Let her go.”
“Back up.”
Lily cried.
“Mommy!”
Elena reached the stairs.
Matteo held out one hand behind him.
She stopped.
The man’s eyes darted.
Cornered.
Panicked.
Matteo knew that look.
Most dangerous kind.
He lowered his hands.
“Listen to me.”
“Shut up.”
“You walk out with her, you die.”
“I said shut up.”
“You leave her, you live.”
The man laughed.
“No, I don’t.”
“You do.”
“You’re Matteo DeLuca.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t forgive.”
Matteo looked at Lily.
Then at Elena.
Maybe that had once been true.
“Today I do.”
The man hesitated.
Just enough.
Lily bit his wrist.
He screamed.
Matteo moved.
One shot.
The man fell backward.
Lily slipped free.
Matteo caught her before she hit the floor.
Elena ran up.
She grabbed her daughter.
Held her.
Sank to her knees.
“Baby.”
Lily sobbed into her shoulder.
Matteo stood nearby.
His hands shook.
He hid them.
Nico joined them.
“Other man’s alive.”
“Good.”
Matteo looked at the dead gunman.
“And him?”
“Not.”
Elena looked at Lily.
“Sweetheart, that man you recognized. You saw him put something in Daddy’s tea?”
Lily nodded.
“Was Marissa there?”
Lily sniffed.
“The lady?”
“Yes.”
Lily nodded again.
Then said something that changed everything.
“The lady told him not to.”
Matteo stared.
Elena did too.
“What?”
Lily wiped her face.
“The lady said, ‘Not yet.’”
Matteo felt the entire story shift again.
Marissa had confessed.
But maybe not fully.
Elena asked, “Who told the man to put drops in Daddy’s tea?”
Lily looked confused.
Then pointed at Matteo.
Not at him exactly.
At his phone.
“Grandpa man.”
Matteo’s heart stopped.
“Who?”
“The man in the picture.”
“What picture?”
“Mommy’s box.”
The photograph from Warehouse Nine.
Vittorio.
Elena’s face drained.
Matteo stared.
No.
Vittorio had claimed Marissa poisoned Daniel.
Marissa had accepted the blame.
But Lily remembered a man taking instructions.
From Vittorio.
Why would Marissa lie to protect the father she hated?
Matteo’s phone rang.
Sofia.
He answered.
Her voice was shaking.
“Matteo.”
“What happened?”
“Vittorio’s gone.”
Matteo’s blood ran cold.
“What?”
“He knocked out the guard downstairs.”
“Where is Marissa?”
Silence.
“Sofia.”
“She’s gone too.”
Matteo looked at Nico.
“Track them.”
Nico grabbed his phone.
Sofia continued.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“I found a note in Vittorio’s room.”
Matteo closed his eyes.
“What does it say?”
Sofia read it.
“Family sins are buried where the family began.”
Matteo opened his eyes.
He knew exactly where.
The old DeLuca chapel.
Where his father was buried.
Where Vittorio had taken him the night he became head of the family.
Nico looked up.
“Two phones are moving toward the cemetery.”
Matteo handed Lily to Elena.
“Stay here.”
Elena stood.
“No.”
“This is between me and Vittorio.”
“My husband died because of him.”
“We don’t know that yet.”
She looked at Lily.
Then Matteo.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “We do.”
Outside, thunder rolled in the distance.
Matteo headed for the exit.
His phone buzzed.
A new video appeared.
Vittorio standing inside the old chapel.
Marissa was kneeling in front of him.
A gun pressed to her head.
Vittorio looked directly into the camera.
“Come alone, Matteo.”
May you like
Then he smiled.
“And bring Daniel’s drive.”
