Chapter 10 - The Promise That Was Never Meant To Be Broken
“Dominic, it’s time you kept the rest of your promise.”
Maria’s voice came through the darkness.
I couldn’t see her.
But I could hear her breathing.
Calm.
Almost amused.
Dominic stood between me and the basement door.
“Maria.”
“Yes.”
“Open the door.”
“No.”
“You have five seconds.”
She laughed softly.
“You still think you can order everyone around.”
“I can.”
“Not tonight.”
I looked at Dominic.
His face had become unreadable.
“Tell me what promise she means.”
He didn’t answer.
“Dominic.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
His eyes met mine.
“I promised your mother I would protect you.”
“I know.”
“There was more.”
“What?”
He swallowed.
“I promised never to tell you who your father was unless you were ready.”
“I’m ready.”
“You weren’t.”
“How did you decide that?”
“Because your mother asked me to.”
My anger rose.
“My mother is dead. You don’t get to hide behind her anymore.”
His expression tightened.
“I know.”
“Then tell me.”
Maria laughed from the other side.
“He won’t.”
Dominic turned toward the door.
“Stay out of this.”
“I’ve stayed out of it for twenty-eight years.”
“You kidnapped Isabella.”
Silence.
Then Maria answered:
“I saved her.”
“You took her.”
“I took her away from Michael.”
“You lied about her death.”
“So did your father.”
Dominic’s jaw clenched.
“Where is she?”
“You’ve been looking for the wrong woman.”
“What does that mean?”
Maria didn’t answer.
Instead, the basement lights came back on.
The door remained locked.
A projector mounted near the ceiling suddenly activated.
An old recording appeared on the far wall.
Evelyn Hayes.
My mother.
She was sitting at a desk.
Her face looked tired.
Older than I remembered.
Her eyes were red.
I stepped closer.
“Mom…”
The recording began.
“Clara, if you are watching this, then Dominic has finally broken the promise.”
Dominic looked away.
My heart tightened.
Mom continued.
“I need you to understand why I made him swear.”
She took a slow breath.
“Twenty-eight years ago, I gave birth to two girls.”
My eyes filled.
“Clara and Isabella.”
She paused.
“And I loved them both.”
The recording flickered.
“Vincent Moretti was their father.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
I looked at him.
Mom continued.
“Michael Rossi knew Vincent had fathered my children. He also knew Vincent was preparing to leave Chicago.”
She looked frightened.
“Vincent wanted to take the girls with him.”
“What happened?” I whispered.
The recording answered.
“Michael stopped him.”
A second voice appeared behind my mother.
A man's voice.
I recognized it immediately.
Michael Rossi.
“You're making a mistake, Evelyn.”
Mom turned toward him.
“They're my daughters.”
“They're Vincent's.”
“That doesn't make them property.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“It makes them leverage.”
The recording froze for a moment.
Then continued.
Michael stood beside the desk.
“You know what Vincent will do if he learns one of those girls carries his blood.”
“He already knows.”
“No.”
Michael shook his head.
“He thinks you had one child.”
Mom stared at him.
“I told him about the twins.”
“Then you have already endangered them.”
Michael walked closer.
“Give me one girl.”
Mom's face collapsed.
“No.”
“Then I'll take both.”
“You wouldn't.”
“I would.”
The screen flickered.
Then came the sentence that changed everything.
“Evelyn, choose which daughter survives.”
I covered my mouth.
Dominic stared at the recording.
The woman in the video was crying.
“I couldn't choose.”
Michael answered:
“Then I'll choose for you.”
The screen went black.
Nobody spoke.
Maria's voice returned through the speaker.
“That was the night everything changed.”
Dominic looked toward the door.
“Open it.”
“No.”
“You've shown enough.”
“Not yet.”
Another image appeared.
A hospital nursery.
Two newborn babies.
One wearing a white bracelet.
One wearing a pink bracelet.
My mother stood between them.
Then another woman entered.
Maria.
She was younger.
She picked up the baby with the pink bracelet.
I whispered:
“Isabella.”
Maria looked toward the camera.
Her younger face was filled with tears.
“I am sorry.”
Then the recording changed.
Michael Rossi entered the room.
He took the other baby.
Me.
I felt my knees weaken.
Dominic caught me.
I pushed his hand away.
“No.”
He stopped.
“I need to see.”
The video continued.
Michael carried me away.
Maria carried Isabella in the opposite direction.
The twins disappeared into different corridors.
Then the recording ended.
I stared at the blank wall.
“They separated us.”
“Yes,” Maria said.
“Why?”
“Because Michael believed one twin could be controlled.”
“Which one?”
“You.”
My stomach twisted.
“Why me?”
“Because Evelyn trusted you to survive.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
The door finally opened.
Maria stood there.
Older than in the recording.
Dark hair streaked with gray.
Her eyes were exactly like the woman I had heard on the phone.
But she wasn’t alone.
A young woman stood behind her.
Long dark hair.
Pale skin.
A thin scar near her temple.
I knew those eyes.
My own eyes.
She looked at me.
Neither of us moved.
Dominic whispered:
“Isabella.”
The woman shook her head.
“No.”
I stared.
“Then who are you?”
She stepped forward.
“My name is Elena Moretti.”
Maria closed her eyes.
Dominic’s face changed.
“Maria’s daughter.”
Elena nodded.
“But not Vincent’s.”
I looked at her.
“Then why do you look like me?”
Elena reached into her coat.
She pulled out an old photograph.
Two newborn girls.
One boy.
The same photograph from the hospital.
She turned it over.
A handwritten note appeared.
Clara and Isabella were not the only children born that night.
Dominic stared.
“What?”
Elena looked at him.
“You were the third.”
“We know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You were the third child born to Evelyn.”
The room went silent.
I looked at Dominic.
His face had gone pale.
“That’s impossible.”
Elena shook her head.
“You were born first.”
Dominic froze.
“What?”
“You were Evelyn’s first child.”
I stared at her.
“Then who is his biological father?”
Elena looked at Maria.
Maria finally spoke.
“Michael Rossi.”
Dominic stepped backward.
“No.”
Maria nodded.
“Michael was your biological father.”
“But the record said Vincent.”
“Because Vincent was listed as the father of the twins.”
I felt dizzy.
Three children.
Two fathers.
One mother.
A secret that had survived twenty-eight years.
Dominic looked at me.
“I thought we were connected through Vincent.”
“We are.”
“But not the way I thought.”
Elena shook her head.
“You and Clara share a mother.”
Dominic stared.
Then he looked at me.
My heart stopped.
“So we are…”
“Half-siblings,” Elena said.
The words hit the room like a gunshot.
Dominic stepped away from me.
I couldn’t breathe.
Everything that had happened between us suddenly became terrifying.
The marriage.
The moments of attraction.
The way he had held my hand.
The way I had wanted him near me.
“No.”
Dominic shook his head.
“No.”
Maria spoke quietly.
“Evelyn knew.”
“Then why did she let me marry Clara?”
Dominic’s voice cracked.
“She didn't.”
I turned.
“What?”
Maria looked at me.
“She tried to stop it.”
“How?”
“She contacted Ethan.”
My brother.
I remembered his messages.
His lies.
His manipulation.
Maria continued.
“Ethan was supposed to tell Dominic the truth before the wedding.”
I stared at the empty space in front of me.
“He never did.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Maria’s expression hardened.
“Because Ethan had already made a deal with someone else.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Victor.”
“No.”
Maria shook her head.
“Someone much closer.”
A sound came from behind us.
Ethan.
He stood at the basement entrance.
His face was pale.
Dominic turned slowly.
“You.”
Ethan looked at me.
“Clara, listen.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Dominic was my half-brother.”
“Yes.”
My chest hurt.
“And you still let us marry.”
“I tried to stop it.”
“You just said you did.”
“I did.”
“Then why didn't you?”
Ethan looked toward Maria.
“Because someone threatened you.”
“Who?”
Ethan swallowed.
“The same person who killed Dad.”
I froze.
“Dad died of a heart attack.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
The room went silent.
“He was murdered.”
My mother’s recording suddenly restarted.
Her voice came through the speakers.
“Clara, if Ethan ever tells you your father died naturally, don't believe him.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
Mom continued:
“Your father discovered the truth about Michael Rossi.”
I looked at Ethan.
“Which father?”
He whispered:
“Thomas.”
My heart broke.
“Dad knew?”
“Yes.”
“What did he discover?”
“That you were Vincent Moretti’s daughter.”
I stared.
“And Dominic?”
Ethan nodded.
“He discovered Dominic was Michael Rossi’s son.”
Dominic looked sick.
“So Dad knew everything.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I made the debt because I needed Dominic to find you before they did.”
“Who is they?”
Ethan looked toward Maria.
She shook her head.
“Tell her.”
Ethan’s eyes filled with tears.
“The people who have been hunting the twins since you were born.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“Who?”
Ethan whispered:
“The original Rossi council.”
Arthur's voice suddenly came through the radio.
“Boss.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“The security system just came back online.”
“And?”
Arthur's voice became tense.
“It identified someone entering the building.”
“Who?”
Silence.
Then:
“Your father.”
Dominic froze.
“Michael Rossi is dead.”
“I know.”
Arthur's voice dropped.
“But the system says his biometric credentials were used.”
Maria suddenly looked terrified.
“That isn't possible.”
Dominic stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because Michael wasn't the man who died.”
The basement went silent.
“What did you say?”
Maria looked directly at me.
“The man buried twelve years ago wasn't Michael Rossi.”
Then every light in the basement went out.
A phone began ringing somewhere in the darkness.
May you like
And this time, the caller ID displayed one name:
MICHAEL ROSSI.
