Chapter 10 - The Betrayal Inside Moretti's House
Clara pointed the gun at Elaine.
"I'm sorry."
Penny stepped forward.
"Don't."
Clara's hand trembled.
"I don't have a choice."
"That's what people say when they don't want responsibility for their choices."
Clara looked at her.
The sentence landed.
Gabriel had Clara's son.
She had been feeding him information.
Lorenzo slowly lowered his weapon.
"Where?"
Clara cried.
"Old courthouse."
Gabriel wanted Elaine.
In exchange, he promised Clara her son.
Penny knew promises from men like Gabriel.
"They don't keep bargains."
Clara knew it too.
Her gun lowered.
Then a shot exploded through the window.
Clara fell.
Chaos followed.
Gabriel's men attacked the house.
Lorenzo's security returned fire.
Penny crawled toward Clara.
She was alive.
Barely.
Clara grabbed Penny's sleeve.
"Courthouse."
"We know."
"No."
Blood touched her lips.
"Under it."
A tunnel.
Gabriel wasn't at the courthouse.
He was beneath it.
The attack ended quickly.
Two men were arrested.
Others fled.
Clara survived surgery.
They found the underground chambers that night.
But Gabriel was gone.
Clara's son was alive.
So was Derek.
They found him chained in a room.
Penny stood in the doorway.
Derek looked up.
For one terrible second he smiled as if rescue meant reconciliation.
"Penny."
She felt nothing.
That frightened her less than she expected.
"We're getting you out."
"I knew you'd come."
"Not for you."
His smile disappeared.
She handed the task to police.
Derek called after her.
"Penny!"
She kept walking.
"I love you!"
She stopped.
Not because the words mattered.
Because they once had.
She turned.
"No. You loved having access to me."
Derek stared.
"You don't get to rename what you did."
She walked away.
Outside, Lorenzo waited.
He didn't congratulate her.
Didn't tell her she was strong.
He simply opened the car door.
Penny almost smiled.
"You know I can open doors myself."
"I know."
"Then why?"
"Politeness."
"Work on it."
His smile appeared.
Then vanished when his phone rang.
Gabriel.
Lorenzo answered.
"Brother."
Gabriel laughed.
"You've become sentimental."
"What do you want?"
"Penny."
"No."
Penny held out her hand.
Lorenzo hesitated.
Then gave her the phone.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
Gabriel became silent.
Then:
"The same thing I've wanted since you were born."
"What?"
"Your mother never told you who your father was."
Penny looked at Elaine.
Elaine's face went white.
Gabriel laughed softly.
"Ask her."
Penny lowered the phone.
"Mom?"
Elaine couldn't speak.
Lorenzo stared at her.
"No."
Elaine's eyes filled.
Penny whispered:
"Who was my father?"
Before Elaine could answer, Noah stepped forward.
May you like
He was holding the old photograph from Pier Nine.
And on its back, beneath years of faded ink, was a name none of them had noticed.
