2025-05-30 18:01:30
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Chapter 35: Mother's Light
Santino woke up in a hospital bed with White walls. White sheets and the smell of antiseptic. His head felt like someone had hit it with a hammer."You're awake." A woman's voice that was familiar sounded beside him. He turned his head as Zara sat in a chair beside the bed. Bandages on her arms with a cut on her forehead."How long?" he asked."Six hours. The doctors said you had a concussion." Santino tried to sit up as pain shot through his ribs."Don't move. You've got three broken ribs and a punctured lung.""The building?""Gone. Just like your penthouse.""Casualties?" Zara's face darkened. "My grandmother was visiting her sister. But the family downstairs..." She trailed off.Santino closed his eyes. More innocent blood on his hands."I'm sorry.""It's not your fault.""Isn't it?"A nurse came in to check his vitals and adjusted his IV drip."The police want to talk to you," she said. "I told them you weren't ready."After she left, Zara leaned closer. "We need to leave. Ton
Chapter 34: Warning Note
The penthouse was gone as Santino stood across the street. Fire trucks. Police cars. Ambulances. Red and blue lights painted the building.The home he got recently reduced to rubble and smoke."How bad?" he asked. Zara stood beside him. Her laptop bag over her shoulder. Always ready to run."Top two floors. Completely destroyed.""Anyone hurt?""The doorman. Pierre. He's in surgery."Santino's jaw tightened. Pierre had worked there for years. Had grandchildren. "Professional job," Zara continued. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing." A paramedic walked past. Blood on his uniform. "Did they find anything?" Santino asked."That's why I called you."Zara pulled out her phone. “Look at this,” she said, showing Santino a photo. “It was taken inside the building. Before the explosion.”In the photo, a white envelope. His name is written in elegant script. Santino narrowed his eyes. “Where was it?”“Your mailbox. Delivered this morning.”He took a closer look. The handwriting… it f
Chapter 33: Shattered Trust
The restaurant was quiet now. Santino sat alone at the table. The ring box was gone. Mia was gone. Only the smell of her perfume remained.He pulled Ben's key from his pocket. The metal was warm from his grip. He'd been holding it for an hour.Not like he's my real father anyway.Mia's words echoed in his head. What did she mean? El Amore wasn't her father? Then who was?Santino turned the key over in his palm. It was old. Brass. The kind used for safety deposit boxes. Ben had hidden it in their apartment. But why?He thought about the photo. Elena and Antonio had shown him the picture in Barcelona. His father is in Buenos Aires. Or was it?Something felt wrong about that photo. The man's face seemed too clear. Too perfect. Like it had been placed there."Sir?" The waiter appeared. "Will you be ordering dessert?""No. Just the check."The waiter nodded and disappeared, leaving Santiano alone again.Elena was supposed to be his father's ally. She gave him informations, She had given h
Chapter 32: The Truth About Mia
The restaurant was empty except for them. Mia had reserved the entire place. Twenty tables. Fifty chairs. All for a conversation between two people.Santino arrived exactly at eight. Mia was already there. She wore a red dress that hugged her body. Her hair was down in natural waves She looked beautiful but dangerous, "You're late," she said."I'm exactly on time.""In our world, on time is late."Santino sat across from her. The table was set for two. Crystal glasses. Silver cutlery. A single red rose in a crystal vase."Nice touch.""I thought you'd appreciate it."The recording device was in his shirt pocket. So small he'd forgotten it was there. But now it felt heavy as a lead. "You said we had things to discuss."Mia smiled. "We do. But first, dinner."A waiter appeared from nowhere. Poured an expensive red wine. "To new beginnings," Mia said, raising her glass."What kind of new beginnings?""The permanent kind."They drank, and the wine tasted perfect. "Is it drugged?" Santin
Chapter 31: The Confrontation
The footsteps stopped outside Zara's door as Santino pressed himself against the wall. Zara held her gun with both hands. Pointed at the door.Three soft knocks. Then Salvatore's voice: "It's me. Open up."Zara looked at Santino. He shook his head."I know you're in there," Salvatore said. "I saw you come in." "Go away," Zara called out."I can't do that. We need to talk.""About what? Your FBI badge?"Silence. Long and heavy.Then: "So you know.""We know everything," Santino said. The door handle turned but it was Locked."Open the door, Santino. Please.""So you can arrest me?""So I can help you." Zara kept her gun trained on the door. "Don't listen to him.""I'm not here as a federal agent," Salvatore said. "I'm here as your friend.""Friends don't lie for years.""Friends do what they have to do to survive." Santino looked at Zara. She was scared. More scared than he'd ever seen her."What do you want?" he called out."To show you something. Something about El Amore. Something t
Chapter 30: The Warning
The Barcelona penthouse felt different when Santino returned. The same marble floors. The same expensive furniture. But everything looked smaller now. Like a cage.He poured himself a whiskey. His hands were clean but he could still see the blood. Still smell the copper.Judge Manuel Cortez. Father of two. Dead because of him.The whiskey burned but it didn't burn away the memory."You look like hell." Santino turned as Salvatore stood in the doorway. He wore an expensive suit but his face looked tired. Older."How did you get in?""Same way I always get in. You gave me a key, remember?"Salvatore walked to the bar as he poured himself a drink and Sat down across from Santino."Where have you been? I've been calling for two days.""Business trip.""What kind of business?"Santino looked at his friend. His childhood friend. The one who'd brought him into this world."The kind you don't ask about."Salvatore studied his face. "Something happened.""Nothing happened.""Don't lie to me.
