Chương 5 - MY FATHER’S VERSION
Gabriel Vega arrived at the Public Garden café twelve minutes early.
That annoyed me.
I had wanted to arrive first.
Dante’s distant security consisted of a woman named Nia reading a book on a bench across the path.
I would never have guessed she was security.
That made me like her.
Gabriel stood when I approached.
No dragon visible today.
High collar.
Gray coat.
He looked almost ordinary.
I hated that too.
Ordinary made dangerous history harder to categorize.
“Alina.”
“Good.”
He nodded.
“No Lena.”
“Not from you.”
“Understood.”
We sat.
He had ordered nothing.
I ordered coffee because making a waiter stand beside us while my father stared at me felt cruel.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Gabriel said, “You look like your mother.”
“I’ve heard.”
“And me.”
“I’ve heard less happily.”
A faint smile.
Gone.
“Fair.”
I folded my hands.
“One conversation.”
“Yes.”
“You answer what I ask.”
“If I can.”
“No.”
His brows lifted.
“If you won’t answer, say you won’t. Do not tell me you can’t if you mean you don’t want to.”
He looked impressed.
I resented that.
“Fine.”
“What happened the night you came back after I was born?”
His face changed immediately.
“Marisol told you.”
“Part.”
He looked toward the pond.
“I killed a man.”
“Who?”
“Rafael Costa.”
“Who was he?”
“Vittorio’s enforcer.”
“Why?”
“He found your mother.”
My stomach tightened.
“After we escaped?”
“Yes.”
“He was going to kill her?”
“And you.”
Cold moved through me.
“So you killed him.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No detail.
Good.
“Was there another way?”
Gabriel took too long.
“I don’t know.”
“That means maybe.”
“Yes.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
His eyes snapped to mine.
“No.”
“Did it change you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I stopped believing I could leave clean.”
That sounded honest.
I hated honest answers from men I wanted to simplify.
“Why didn’t you stay with us?”
“Your mother would not let me.”
“You could have fought.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because she was right.”
I stared.
He continued.
“I had already chosen retaliation.”
“Against who?”
“Vittorio.”
“Dante’s father.”
“Yes.”
“For ordering us killed?”
“For that. For other things.”
“And Mom knew.”
“She knew enough.”
“You decided revenge mattered more.”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
Good.
I wanted that.
Not a tragic misunderstanding.
A choice.
A bad one.
“Then why say you didn’t know where we were?”
“After that night, Marisol disappeared properly.”
He almost smiled.
“She was better at it than any of us.”
That I believed.
“What did you do for twenty-one years?”
“Built leverage.”
“That sounds disgusting.”
“Sometimes it was.”
“What does it mean?”
“Businesses. records. people who owed me.”
“You became the dragon.”
His eyes lowered.
“Yes.”
“And five years ago?”
“The warehouse fire.”
“Yes.”
“I used it to disappear from Matteo and Dante.”
“Why?”
“Because someone was trying to unite old Rosselli accounts under a new structure.”
“Who?”
“I thought Matteo.”
“But?”
“Vittorio.”
I frowned.
“He was still alive?”
“Until three years ago.”
I knew Dante’s father had died three years earlier.
Publicly, stroke.
Maybe even actually.
In these families, I no longer assumed.
“What was Vittorio doing?”
“Preparing Sebastian Rusk.”
“Who is that?”
Gabriel looked at me.
“Your mother’s brother.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“Half brother.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My mother never mentioned a brother.”
“She did not know until Sofia found the records.”
Of course.
Another sibling.
“Where is he?”
“Boston.”
“What does he do?”
“Runs the Rosselli Foundation.”
I laughed.
“Of course he does.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“Vittorio had a second family before he married Dante’s mother.”
“Isabella’s father?”
“No.”
“Then how is Sebastian Mom’s brother?”
“Same mother.”
My head hurt.
“Explain this like normal people reproduce.”
Gabriel almost laughed.
“Your grandmother Elena Conti had Isabella when she was young. Later she married Thomas Rusk and had Sebastian.”
“So Mom had a younger half brother.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t they grow up together?”
“Elena died. Isabella went to relatives. Sebastian stayed with his father.”
“And somehow ended up with the Rossellis.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Vittorio.”
There it was.
Again.
“He brought him in?”
“Years later.”
“Why?”
Gabriel’s face darkened.
“Because Sebastian was useful.”
“That is not a human description.”
“No.”
“What does this have to do with Leo?”
“Everything.”
My coffee arrived.
I waited until the waiter left.
Gabriel continued.
“Sebastian built the foundation’s medical network.”
My skin prickled.
“Sofia’s safe apartment?”
“Connected.”
“My mother delivered Leo there.”
“Yes.”
“Did Sebastian know?”
“I believe he arranged it.”
I stared.
“Why would he?”
“To identify the child.”
“What do you mean identify?”
Gabriel looked around.
Then leaned closer.
“Vittorio’s trust.”
I almost laughed.
“Please do not tell me there is another trust.”
“There is always another trust.”
That was the most mafia-family sentence I had ever heard.
“What trust?”
“Control of Rosselli Maritime passes differently if Matteo has a living grandchild.”
I closed my eyes.
“Leo.”
“Yes.”
“Dante is guardian.”
“For now.”
“Does Sofia being alive matter?”
“Yes.”
“She is Matteo’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Then why does Leo matter?”
“Because Matteo’s shares bypass Sofia under the old family trust and go directly to a male grandchild.”
I stared.
“That is archaic.”
“Vittorio wrote it.”
“That tracks.”
“So Sebastian wants Leo’s shares.”
“He wants control.”
“Through what?”
“Guardian appointment.”
Again.
Family courts.
Trusts.
Children treated like voting blocks.
I thought of Dante holding Leo.
Warm milk.
Tiny black vest.
He had been protecting more than a baby and maybe did not know it.
“Does Dante know?”
“Not all of it.”
“You seem to enjoy knowing things he doesn’t.”
Gabriel’s face tightened.
“For years, yes.”
“At least you admit it.”
He looked toward Nia on the bench.
“She’s good.”
I ignored that.
“Why take Mom and Sofia?”
“I didn’t.”
I laughed.
“They were at your warehouse.”
“They came.”
“Mom called like a hostage.”
“Because she wanted Dante there without his men.”
I stared.
“What?”
Gabriel looked tired.
“Your mother and I arranged the meeting.”
Anger shot through me.
“She let me think she was in danger.”
“Yes.”
“She let me think Sofia was.”
“Yes.”
I stood.
“Conversation over.”
“Alina.”
“No.”
I grabbed my bag.
He did not touch me.
Good.
“My entire life has been people deciding fear is the fastest way to move me.”
His face changed.
“I did not know she would call you.”
“She did.”
“I wanted Dante.”
“You got me.”
He stood too.
“I’m sorry.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That word is very popular in my family.”
“It should be.”
“Why did Mom agree?”
“Because she needed you to see me.”
“What?”
“She thought if she asked, you would refuse.”
“She was right.”
“So she manipulated me.”
“Yes.”
“You’re making this worse.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“I noticed.”
I turned.
Gabriel said, “Sebastian knows who you are.”
I stopped.
Of course there was one more hook.
I looked back.
“How?”
“He has watched Marisol longer than I have.”
“Why?”
“Because she can invalidate his claim to the trust.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“Isabella Conti was legally adopted by Vittorio’s older sister when she was sixteen.”
I stared.
“That makes no sense.”
“It made her legally part of the Rosselli family for inheritance purposes.”
“Why would anyone do that?”
“Money.”
Obviously.
Gabriel continued.
“The adoption was later sealed after Isabella disappeared.”
“Mom.”
“Yes.”
“If she is alive—”
“She may hold a contingent family share Sebastian has been controlling.”
I laughed.
“Everybody wants Mom alive for paperwork.”
“Yes.”
“Except maybe Mom.”
Gabriel looked sad.
“No one asked what she wanted.”
That line stayed with me.
I sat back down.
Not because he won.
Because I wanted the whole answer.
“Sebastian wants Leo.”
“Yes.”
“Mom.”
“Yes.”
“Me?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if Isabella is legally restored and dies, her contingent interest passes to her children.”
Me.
Sofia.
My stomach turned.
“So I’m an heir.”
“Potentially.”
“To crime.”
“To companies.”
“Same difference?”
“Sometimes.”
I stared at him.
“Why does my whole life keep becoming a balance sheet?”
Gabriel had no answer.
Good.
“Who is safer if we make all this public?”
He frowned.
“What?”
“Everybody keeps hiding people because secrecy supposedly protects them.”
“Yes.”
“It hasn’t.”
“No.”
“Then why not expose the trust, the records, the relationships?”
“Because exposure creates enemies.”
“Secrecy created them too.”
He studied me.
“You are not like your mother.”
“I am exactly like her.”
He looked surprised.
“She ran to keep me alive.”
I continued.
“But I don’t have a child to run with.”
A pause.
“Except Leo.”
That landed.
My nephew.
I sat back.
“What do you want?”
Gabriel looked at me.
“Out.”
“Out of what?”
“Everything.”
I laughed.
“You built leverage for twenty years and suddenly want retirement?”
“I met you.”
I stiffened.
“Do not do that.”
“Do what?”
“Make me your redemption.”
His face changed.
I continued.
“I am not proof you became good.”
“I didn’t say—”
“You were about to.”
He stopped.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
“Good.”
“What I mean is I am tired.”
“That I believe.”
“And Sofia’s child changed the stakes.”
“Why?”
“Because Julian is my godson.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Lorenzo asked me.”
My head hurt again.
“So Leo’s father is your godson.”
“Yes.”
“And my sister’s partner.”
“Yes.”
“And he infiltrated Dante’s company for you.”
“Yes.”
“You really do ruin family trees.”
A faint smile.
“Apparently.”
“Where is Julian?”
Gabriel’s expression darkened.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think he’s alive?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because someone accessed one of my dead accounts three weeks ago.”
“What does that mean?”
“An emergency account only he knew.”
“Where?”
“Boston.”
My pulse climbed.
Julian was here.
Possibly.
“Did you tell Sofia?”
“No.”
I stood again.
“Why?”
“I wanted confirmation.”
“Wrong.”
Gabriel watched me.
“She has a right to know.”
“Yes.”
“Now.”
He nodded.
“I’ll come.”
“No.”
His brows lifted.
“You stay.”
“Alina.”
“This is between Sofia and whoever she chooses to involve.”
“He is my godson.”
“And her child’s father.”
That ended it.
I left.
Nia fell into step twenty feet behind me.
I texted Dante.
Need to talk to Sofia. Now.
His reply came immediately.
House. Leo asleep. Come.
No questions.
I liked that.
Too much.
When I reached the townhouse, Dante opened the door himself.
No suit jacket.
Sleeves rolled.
Leo asleep against one shoulder.
I stopped.
The baby’s hand rested on Dante’s collar, fingers against the dragon tattoo.
Dante looked exhausted.
Domestic.
Dangerous.
Human.
“What happened?”
I looked at Leo.
Then at Dante.
“My father thinks Julian is alive.”
Dante became completely still.
May you like
From the hallway behind him, Sofia whispered:
“What?”
