Chapter 6 - The House by the Lake
Dominic reached the Lake Geneva house after midnight.
He came alone.
At least, that was what Vittorio believed.
Daniel and the federal team remained two miles away.
Sofia stayed under protection.
Alessandra had given her statement.
Carlo Bellini was in custody.
The empire Vittorio spent decades building was collapsing by the hour.
And none of it mattered to Dominic if Elena died.
The house looked smaller than he remembered.
He entered through the front door.
“Uncle.”
Vittorio’s voice came from upstairs.
“Library.”
Dominic followed it.
Elena sat in a chair.
Her wrists were bound.
She was bruised but conscious.
Dominic’s eyes met hers.
She shook her head slightly.
A warning.
Vittorio stood behind her holding a pistol.
“You came.”
“Let her go.”
“You always were impatient.”
“You lost.”
Vittorio smiled.
“Men like us don’t lose. We adapt.”
“You’re going to prison.”
“Perhaps.”
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation.
Dominic had imagined hearing it for twenty-seven years without knowing he was waiting.
Now it felt strangely quiet.
“Why?”
“He chose outsiders over family.”
“Valentina?”
“Her. Her daughters. Eventually you.”
Dominic stared.
“You killed Lucia too.”
Vittorio did not deny it.
Elena closed her eyes.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Dominic’s anger became almost unbearable.
“You murdered Sofia’s mother.”
“She possessed something that belonged to us.”
“She possessed evidence of what you were.”
Vittorio pressed the gun closer to Elena.
“And now she possesses it.”
“No.”
Dominic held up the flash drive.
“I do.”
Vittorio’s eyes narrowed.
“The original?”
“Yes.”
“Copies?”
“Destroyed.”
Elena stared at Dominic.
She knew he was lying.
Vittorio wanted to believe.
That was enough.
“Give it to me.”
“Release Elena.”
“Drive first.”
Dominic tossed it onto the floor.
Vittorio stepped forward.
Elena moved.
She slammed her shoulder backward.
Vittorio fired.
The bullet struck the wall.
Dominic lunged.
They hit the floor.
The pistol slid away.
Vittorio was older, but desperation gave him strength.
He struck Dominic.
Dominic hit him back.
Years of buried rage rose at once.
His father.
Lucia.
Elena.
Sofia.
Dominic wrapped his hands around Vittorio’s throat.
Vittorio smiled through blood.
“There he is.”
Dominic froze.
“The real Vale.”
Dominic looked at his hands.
One more second.
Perhaps two.
He could kill him.
Vittorio wanted him to.
Because then everything Vittorio had taught him would survive.
Elena whispered, “Dominic.”
He released him.
Vittorio laughed.
“Weak.”
“No.”
Dominic stood.
“Finished.”
Sirens approached.
Vittorio heard them.
His smile vanished.
Dominic untied Elena.
She stood shakily.
“You okay?”
“I will be.”
Vittorio crawled toward the pistol.
Elena saw him.
“Dominic!”
Dominic turned.
Vittorio grabbed the weapon.
A shot exploded.
Dominic felt Elena hit him.
They fell together.
For one terrible second, he thought she had been shot.
Then Vittorio screamed.
Daniel stood in the doorway.
His weapon was raised.
Vittorio’s gun lay beside him.
Blood spread from his shoulder.
Alive.
Defeated.
Federal agents rushed inside.
They handcuffed him.
Vittorio stared at Dominic.
“This family dies with you.”
Dominic helped Elena stand.
“No.”
He thought of Sofia.
“It starts over with me.”
Agents dragged Vittorio away.
Outside, dawn began touching the lake.
Elena sat on the front steps.
Dominic joined her.
Neither spoke for a while.
Then she said, “You lied about destroying the copies.”
“Yes.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Because I lied?”
“Because you finally learned to lie to the correct people.”
Dominic laughed.
A real laugh.
It surprised both of them.
Elena looked at him.
“What happens now?”
“Trials.”
“Probably.”
“Investigations.”
“Definitely.”
“I may lose everything.”
She nodded.
“Probably that too.”
Dominic looked toward the lake.
“Good.”
Elena frowned.
“Good?”
“I don’t want it.”
“The businesses?”
“The ones built with blood.”
He turned to her.
“I’m keeping the legitimate companies. Closing everything else. Cooperating.”
“You could go to prison.”
“I know.”
Elena looked away.
“You’re remarkably calm about that.”
“I’m tired of running an organization that requires me to look over my shoulder every time someone I care about disappears.”
Her eyes returned to him.
“Someone you care about?”
Dominic realized what he had said.
He did not correct it.
Elena looked down at her hands.
“Dominic, there’s something else.”
He sighed.
“Of course there is.”
“I found it on the drive.”
“What?”
“A final file.”
“From my father?”
“No.”
“Lucia?”
Elena nodded.
“She recorded it three days before she died.”
Dominic went still.
“What does it say?”
“She addressed it to Sofia.”
“Then Sofia should hear it.”
“There’s another part.”
“For who?”
Elena looked directly at him.
“For you.”
Dominic’s phone vibrated.
Daniel had sent the recovered file.
Two videos.
SOFIA.
DOMINIC.
Dominic pressed the second.
Lucia appeared on the screen.
She looked frightened.
“Dominic, if Elena ever gives you this, it means Vittorio found me.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Lucia continued.
“There is one thing nobody told you about the night your father died.”
Dominic stared at the screen.
Lucia leaned closer to the camera.
May you like
“Salvatore Vale did not die on that bridge.”
The video abruptly cut to black.
