Chapter 6 - The Man Who Never Died
"Luca... your father never died."
The words echoed through the mansion.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
For six years, Luca Moretti had carried the weight of losing his father.
He had buried him.
He had stood beside the grave.
He had watched the family empire change because of that loss.
And now someone was telling him everything he believed was a lie.
The woman standing beside Naomi stepped closer to the camera.
The security monitor showed only her face.
Older.
Tired.
But familiar.
Luca stared at the screen.
Then he looked at Elena.
His mother looked away.
That was all the confirmation he needed.
"You knew."
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
"Luca..."
"You knew he was alive."
The room became silent.
Victor looked uncomfortable for the first time.
Even Naomi lowered her head.
Luca turned toward all of them.
Every person he trusted was standing there.
And every single one had a secret.
"Open the gate."
Victor stepped forward.
"No."
Luca looked at him.
The coldness in his voice stopped everyone.
"You don't give orders anymore."
Victor said nothing.
Because he knew.
The balance of power had changed.
Luca walked toward the entrance.
His security team followed.
But before he reached the door, Elena grabbed his arm.
"Please."
He stopped.
His mother's voice cracked.
"If you see him, you need to understand something."
Luca looked back.
"What?"
"He didn't leave because he wanted to."
A pause.
"He left because he believed someone inside this family was trying to kill you."
Luca stared at her.
"And you let me believe he was dead?"
Elena closed her eyes.
"I thought I could fix it."
Luca pulled his arm away.
"You thought."
Those two words hurt her more than anger.
Because they were true.
The front gates opened.
Naomi stood outside.
Beside her was the woman from the camera.
And behind them was a black vehicle.
The kind used by people who didn't want to be noticed.
Luca walked outside.
Naomi looked at him.
For the first time since they met, she didn't pretend.
No tears.
No excuses.
Just exhaustion.
"Luca."
He stopped several feet away.
"You lied to me."
Naomi looked down.
"Yes."
"You used me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
She looked toward the woman beside her.
"Because I was trying to stop something bigger."
Luca laughed once.
A cold laugh.
"Everyone says that."
The older woman stepped forward.
"My name is Sofia Vale."
Luca froze.
The name meant something.
Vale.
Adrian Vale.
His father's closest friend.
His eyes moved between them.
"You are related to Adrian."
Sofia nodded.
"He was my brother."
Luca looked toward the mansion.
Then back at her.
"Where is he?"
Sofia's expression changed.
"He is not who you think he is."
Before Luca could answer, Naomi spoke.
"Luca, listen to me."
He looked at her.
"I know you hate me right now."
"I don't hate you."
That surprised her.
"I don't know you anymore."
The words were worse.
Naomi accepted them.
"I deserve that."
She reached into her bag.
Slowly.
The guards immediately raised their weapons.
Luca stopped them.
Naomi pulled out a small drive.
The same black drive he had seen earlier.
She handed it to him.
"This is why I came into your life."
Luca stared at it.
"Evidence?"
"No."
Her voice became quiet.
"A warning."
Inside the mansion, Luca connected the drive to his father's old computer.
Everyone gathered around.
Even Elena.
Even Victor.
The screen remained black for several seconds.
Then a folder appeared.
Three words.
THE FINAL TRUTH
Luca opened it.
Inside were dozens of files.
Medical records.
Bank transfers.
Private conversations.
And one video.
Created six years ago.
The date was the night his father supposedly died.
Luca clicked it.
The screen showed his father.
Alive.
Sitting in a dark room.
Older than the man Luca remembered.
Tired.
But alive.
"Luca."
His father's voice filled the room.
"If you are watching this, then I failed."
Luca stood frozen.
His hands tightened.
His father continued.
"I wanted to come back to you."
A pause.
"But I couldn't."
The video showed his father looking directly into the camera.
"There is a person inside our family who has been controlling everything."
Luca looked around.
Everyone was watching.
"Someone who has access to our money."
A pause.
"Someone who knows our secrets."
The video stopped suddenly.
A message appeared.
FILE CORRUPTED.
Luca hit the desk.
"No."
Naomi stepped forward.
"There is more."
Luca looked at her.
"Where?"
She pointed toward the computer.
"The file was damaged intentionally."
"By who?"
Naomi hesitated.
Then she looked at Victor.
Nobody spoke.
Victor's face changed.
Only slightly.
But Luca saw it.
"You."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
Luca walked toward him.
"Then why are you afraid?"
Victor stepped back.
For the first time, Luca saw something he had never seen before.
Fear.
Real fear.
Victor wasn't angry.
He wasn't defensive.
He was scared.
"Because you don't understand what your father discovered."
Luca stared.
"Then explain."
Victor looked toward Elena.
"She knows."
Luca turned.
His mother looked broken.
"Mom."
Elena whispered:
"Your father discovered the truth about your birth."
The room went silent.
Luca stared.
"What?"
Elena couldn't look at him.
"Your father wasn't only investigating money."
She swallowed.
"He was investigating who you really were."
Luca stepped back.
"No."
"Luca..."
"No."
His voice became louder.
"Don't do this."
Elena cried.
"I wanted to protect you."
"From what?"
She looked at him.
And the answer destroyed the room.
"From the people who would use you if they knew the truth."
Nobody spoke.
Luca felt like the ground beneath him disappeared.
His entire identity.
His family.
His history.
Everything.
A lie.
Then his phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
Again.
He opened the message.
Only one sentence.
"If you want the truth about your father, come alone to the place where he died."
Below the message was an address.
Luca recognized it immediately.
The old Moretti warehouse.
The place where his father was found dead.
He looked up.
Naomi saw his expression.
"Don't go."
Luca stared at her.
"Why?"
Her face turned pale.
"Because that's where they wanted you to go six years ago."
A pause.
"And whoever sent that message..."
She looked toward the window.
"...is the same person who has been waiting for you to come back."
Luca grabbed his coat.
Before anyone could stop him, he walked toward the garage.
The warehouse address was already loaded into the car's navigation.
But as he opened the driver's door, he noticed something lying on the seat.
An old photograph.
His father.
Standing beside him.
May you like
And written on the back in his father's handwriting were four words:
"I never left alone."
