Chapter 13 - The Debt from Twelve Years Ago.
Nathan stumbled backward as though Richard had struck him.
"I don't have an older brother."
Richard looked almost amused.
"You did."
Nathan's older brother, Daniel, had died in a private plane crash thirteen years earlier.
Nathan had been told Daniel was only a distant cousin who worked overseas.
Richard had erased him from family photographs, company records, and conversation.
"Why?"
Nathan demanded.
"Because Daniel was weak."
Luca's stare became dangerous.
"He was the father of Sofia's child."
Richard nodded.
"And he intended to marry her."
Luca thought about his sister dying in the parking garage.
"You took their baby."
"I preserved my grandson."
Nathan's voice cracked.
"Where is he?"
Richard looked toward the frosted glass wall.
"Alive."
Luca moved around the table.
Police had not yet entered because Richard had activated electronic locks throughout the floor.
"You killed Sofia."
Richard's expression remained flat.
"The crash was not supposed to happen."
Luca stopped inches from him.
"That's not an answer."
"Your father moved her without telling me."
"You sent men after her."
"I sent men to recover the child."
Luca's fists tightened.
Richard seemed disappointed rather than afraid.
"Vittorio understood eventually."
"Understood what?"
"That bloodlines create wars."
Richard revealed that Vittorio had hidden documents proving Daniel's son was the rightful first grandchild of the Cole family.
Under an older version of the company charter, that boy had priority over every later descendant.
The trust involving Nathan's first child had been a backup plan.
Grace had activated the backup by being born before Nathan turned thirty-five.
"So why come after Grace if Sofia's son is alive?"
Richard looked at Luca.
"Because I lost control of the boy years ago."
For the first time, uncertainty entered his voice.
Vittorio had arranged for the child to disappear into a protected identity after Sofia's death.
Only the archive contained the final location.
Luca understood.
"You don't know where my nephew is."
Richard's eyes narrowed.
"Neither do you."
"Then all of this was to force me to open the archive."
"Yes."
Nathan stared at his father in disgust.
"You terrorized Emily and a newborn because you wanted an address."
Richard looked at him.
"You abandoned that newborn on command."
Nathan went silent.
The cruelty of the truth was worse than any accusation.
Luca opened the decoy case.
It was empty.
Richard's face changed.
"Where is it?"
"Safe."
"You think this ends because police are outside?"
Luca leaned forward.
"No."
"Then what do you think ends it?"
Luca looked toward the locked door.
"Evidence."
He tapped his lapel.
A tiny microphone was clipped beneath the fold of his suit.
Every word Richard had said was being transmitted to police downstairs.
Richard stood abruptly.
The lights went out.
Glass shattered somewhere behind Luca.
Nathan shouted.
When emergency lights came on, Richard was gone.
A hidden panel behind the conference room had opened.
On the table, he had left one final envelope.
Luca opened it.
Inside was a recent photograph of a young man with Sofia's eyes.
May you like
Written beneath it were two words.
FIND MATTEO.
