Chapter 6 - Vittorio's Final Secret
"If you're hearing this, Leo, I failed."
Leo did not breathe.
Vittorio's recorded voice was older than Leo remembered.
Tired.
Human.
"If Ara Valenti is beside you, then Gabriel kept his promise."
Ara looked at Leo.
The message continued.
"Trust her."
Leo almost laughed at the strange certainty of it.
Vittorio explained everything.
Gabriel had discovered the conspiracy.
Sofia infiltrated it.
Marco Sr. protected them.
And the person orchestrating Vittorio's murder had been someone raised inside the Rossi organization.
Someone Vittorio loved like family.
Enzo's father was not Marco Sr.
Marco had adopted Enzo after his mother died.
His biological father was Anthony Serrano's older brother, Dominic.
Dominic had ordered Vittorio killed.
Years later, Enzo learned the truth.
He had secretly rebuilt his father's network.
Ara whispered, "Enzo."
Leo felt sick.
He had watched Enzo grow up.
Given him work.
Trusted him.
The recording ended with Vittorio saying:
"Do not inherit my hatred, son. End what I couldn't."
Leo stood motionless.
Ara touched his arm.
"You don't have to become him."
"Who?"
"Your father."
Leo looked at her.
"Maybe that's exactly what I need to do."
"No."
He surprised her.
"I mean the man he was trying to become."
Leo called federal contacts.
For the first time in his adult life, he voluntarily opened Rossi records to investigators.
Marco was stunned.
"You're giving them everything?"
"Everything criminal."
"We could lose half the organization."
"We're losing all of it."
Marco stared.
Leo continued.
"Shipping stays. Real estate stays. Restaurants stay. Anything illegal ends."
"People will revolt."
"Let them."
Ara watched him.
This was bigger than jealousy.
Bigger than romance.
Leo was dismantling the world that had created him.
They traced Enzo to an abandoned Rossi shipping terminal.
Gabriel was inside.
Leo wanted Ara to remain behind.
He didn't ask.
He knew better.
They entered together with Marco and federal agents positioned outside.
Enzo waited.
Gabriel sat nearby, restrained but unharmed.
"Brother," Marco said.
Enzo looked almost sad.
"You're not my brother."
Marco absorbed the blow.
"You are to me."
Enzo raised his weapon.
Leo stepped forward.
"This ends tonight."
"You sound like Vittorio."
"Good."
"He was weak."
"He was trying to change."
"Exactly."
Enzo wanted the empire.
The old empire.
Fear.
Control.
Money.
Leo looked around the warehouse.
For years, he had believed those things made him powerful.
Then he looked at Ara.
Power suddenly meant something else.
Having the ability to destroy and choosing not to.
"I don't want it anymore," Leo said.
Enzo laughed.
"What?"
"The criminal network. Take it."
Everyone stared.
Leo continued.
"Except there won't be anything left to take."
Police lights appeared through the windows.
Enzo realized.
"You betrayed your own family."
"No."
Leo looked at Marco.
Then Ara.
"I'm finally protecting it."
Enzo grabbed Gabriel.
Gun pressed against his neck.
Ara stepped forward.
"Dad."
Gabriel remained calm.
Enzo backed toward a side door.
"Nobody moves."
Marco lowered his weapon.
"Enzo."
"Shut up."
"I remember when Mom brought you home."
Enzo's face twitched.
"You were six. You wouldn't sleep unless the hallway light stayed on."
"Stop."
"You were my brother then."
"Stop!"
The gun shifted away from Gabriel.
Leo moved.
Fast.
He struck Enzo's wrist.
The weapon fell.
Marco tackled him.
Federal agents rushed inside.
It ended in seconds.
Enzo was arrested.
Gabriel was freed.
Ara hugged her father.
For the first time since his return, she allowed him to hold her.
Leo turned away.
He felt suddenly unnecessary.
Then Ara reached backward.
She caught his hand.
Leo stopped.
She didn't say anything.
She didn't need to.
Hours later, outside the terminal, dawn appeared.
Ara stood beside Leo.
"You really ended it?"
"The illegal side?"
"Yes."
"I signed everything."
"What will you do now?"
"Apparently learn legitimate shipping."
"Terrifying."
"I'll need an assistant."
Ara looked at him.
"No."
His expression fell.
She almost smiled.
"I quit."
Leo stared.
"What?"
"I am not spending the rest of my life arranging meetings for a man who can't operate an espresso machine."
"Ara—"
"I'm serious."
He looked genuinely wounded.
Then she stepped closer.
"Also, dating your boss is an HR nightmare."
Leo stopped.
"Dating?"
Ara kissed him.
Briefly.
Softly.
Then stepped back.
Leo looked stunned.
She smiled.
"You really aren't good when you're surprised."
Before he could answer, Gabriel called her name.
He held a phone.
His face had gone pale.
"Ara."
She approached.
"What?"
Gabriel handed her the phone.
A new message had arrived from Sofia.
It contained a photograph.
Ara opened it.
Leo looked over her shoulder.
May you like
The image showed Vittorio Rossi alive.
The timestamp was from six months after his supposed death.
