Chapter 6: The Name My Father Tried to Hide
We followed the blood trail for three blocks.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody needed to.
The message was clear.
Leon had been taken.
Or he had escaped.
With Leon Mercer, those were always the only two possibilities.
Victor moved faster than anyone.
His calm was gone.
Not replaced by panic.
By something colder.
Purpose.
“Dmitri,” he said.
“I’m here.””
“Find every camera within five miles.””
Dmitri nodded.
“And Clara?””
Victor looked at her.
She stood silently beside the warehouse.
For the first time, she looked afraid.
“Take her home.””
Clara stared at him.
“You still don’t trust me.””
“No.””
The honesty hurt her.
“But I don’t think you’re the enemy.””
That was enough to surprise all of us.
Especially Clara.
After she left, Victor turned to me.
“You knew Anthony Vale?””
I shook my head.
“My father mentioned him once.””
“What did he say?””
I remembered.
I was younger.
Maybe ten.
My father had been sitting at the kitchen table, reading old newspapers.
When he saw a picture of Anthony Vale, his face changed.
Not fear.
Regret.
He had whispered:
“Some monsters don’t look like monsters.””
Victor looked away.
“Your father was right.””
“You knew him.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Victor walked toward the car.
“Because Anthony Vale was the reason my family became powerful.””
The ride back was silent.
When we reached the estate, Victor brought me into his office.
He opened another file.
This one had Anthony Vale’s name.
“Twenty years ago, there were three families controlling everything.””
He pointed at the pages.
“The Romanos.””
“Your family.””
“Yes.””
“The Mercers.””
“Leon’s family.””
“And Vale?””
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“Vale was different.””
“How?””
“He didn’t want money.””
I frowned.
“What did he want?””
“Control.””
Victor placed another document on the desk.
“He created conflicts between families. He made people hate each other. Then he offered solutions.””
“Solutions?””
“Weapons. Protection. Information.””
I understood.
“He created the problems so he could sell the answers.””
Victor nodded.
“That’s how men like him become untouchable.””
I looked at the files.
“Then why did my father investigate him?””
“Because Daniel Hart realized the truth.””
“What truth?””
“That Anthony Vale wasn’t working alone.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who was helping him?””
Victor didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Because someone knocked.
A guard entered.
“Boss.””
“What?””
“We found Leon.””
Everyone moved.
“Where?””
The guard swallowed.
“At the old Romano warehouse.””
Victor grabbed his coat.
The warehouse had been abandoned for years.
It was where Victor’s father once stored shipments.
Where old enemies had met.
Where people disappeared.
Inside, we found Leon sitting in a chair.
Alive.
Barely.
His face was bruised.
His shirt stained with blood.
Victor approached him.
“Who did this?””
Leon laughed weakly.
“You still ask the wrong questions.””
Victor grabbed the chair.
“Who?””
Leon looked at me.
Then at Victor.
“Your father died because he discovered the truth.””
Victor’s voice became dangerous.
“Which was?””
Leon closed his eyes.
“That Anthony Vale wasn’t trying to destroy your family.””
Silence.
“He was trying to replace it.””
Victor stared.
“And who helped him?””
Leon looked toward the shadows.
Toward the empty warehouse.
Then whispered:
“Your mother.””
The world stopped.
Victor didn’t move.
“What did you say?””
Leon coughed.
“Your mother made the deal.””
“That’s impossible.””
“She wanted power.””
Victor’s face changed.
Not anger.
Pain.
“My mother died when I was fourteen.””
“Yes.””
“Then how?””
Leon looked at him.
“Because she wasn’t the only one who knew.””
A noise came from behind us.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Confident.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped out of the darkness.
Older.
Silver hair.
A scar across his cheek.
I had never seen him before.
But Victor had.
Because the color left his face.
“Anthony Vale.””
The man smiled.
“Hello, Victor.””
Then he looked at me.
“Daniel’s daughter.””
My blood ran cold.
Anthony walked closer.
“You have your father’s eyes.””
Victor stepped in front of me.
“You’re supposed to be dead.””
Anthony smiled.
“I was.””
A pause.
“Until someone needed me alive.””
Victor’s voice dropped.
“Who?””
Anthony looked at him.
Then answered:
“The person who has been protecting your family all these years.””
May you like
He smiled.
“Your fiancée.””
