CHAPTER SIX
2147 Words
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Only the sound of rain hitting the roof of the black SUV filled the darkness as it moved through the narrow road.
Elias sat in the back seat, his clothes still damp from the rain. His hands were trembling, though he kept them tightly clasped together to hide it.
Across from him, Adrian sat completely still.
His black shirt was torn slightly near the shoulder. There was a thin cut across his cheek, and a small amount of blood had dried beneath his jaw.
But Adrian didn't seem to notice.
His eyes remained fixed on Elias.
Not on his injuries.
Not on Luca, who was sitting in the front passenger seat with a hand pressed against his wounded shoulder.
On Elias.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Then Elias finally broke the silence.
“You knew.”
Adrian's expression didn't change.
“Knew what?”
“That my family was involved in all of this.”
Adrian looked away.
Elias felt something twist inside his chest.
“You knew who I was before tonight.”
Adrian remained silent.
“You knew my parents weren't killed in some random accident.”
Still nothing.
Elias's voice became sharper.
“You knew someone was hunting me.”
Adrian finally looked at him.
“Yes.”
The single word seemed to make the entire car colder.
Elias stared at him.
“How long?”
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
“How long have you known?”
“Since you were a child.”
Elias's mouth fell slightly open.
“You've known me since I was a child?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you ever come to me?”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Because coming to you would have put you in greater danger.”
“That doesn't make sense!”
“It does when you understand what your family was.”
“My family?” Elias laughed bitterly. “I barely knew anything about my family!”
“You weren't supposed to.”
“Because you decided that for me?”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“Because your father decided it.”
Elias froze.
“My father?”
Adrian nodded.
“Luciano knew what was coming.”
The rain continued beating against the windows.
Elias swallowed.
“What was coming?”
Adrian leaned back against the seat.
“The war.”
“What war?”
“The war over the Moretti throne.”
Elias shook his head.
“I don't understand.”
“You don't need to understand everything tonight.”
“Yes, I do!”
Elias's voice echoed through the vehicle.
“My uncle is dead. Someone tried to kill me. Your mansion was attacked. There's a man who says my father stole a throne, and apparently I've been watched since I was a child.”
He leaned forward.
“So stop protecting me from the truth.”
Adrian stared at him for a long moment.
Then he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.
He pulled out the black envelope.
The silver crown-and-snake symbol caught the faint light from the window.
Elias stared at it.
“The envelope,” Adrian said quietly.
“I thought you already knew what was inside.”
“I know what it contains.”
“Then tell me.”
Adrian placed it between them.
“Your father left it for you.”
Elias slowly picked it up.
His fingers brushed the silver symbol.
“Why didn't you give it to me before?”
“Because it wasn't time.”
“And now it is?”
Adrian looked directly into his eyes.
“Now they know you're alive.”
Elias's stomach dropped.
“Who?”
“Everyone who matters.”
Before Elias could respond, the SUV suddenly slowed.
Luca turned around.
“We're almost at the secondary house.”
Adrian nodded.
“Good.”
Elias looked through the window.
The road ahead was surrounded by thick trees.
“There are two safe houses?”
“Four.”
Elias stared at him.
“You really are a mafia boss.”
For the first time that night, something almost resembling amusement appeared in Adrian's eyes.
“Only now you're believing it?”
Elias almost smiled.
Almost.
But the expression disappeared when he remembered his uncle.
His face fell.
“Marco…”
Adrian noticed.
“He loved you.”
Elias looked at him.
“You knew him too?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of person was he?”
Adrian's expression became distant.
“Brave.”
Elias lowered his gaze.
“He raised me.”
“I know.”
“He was all I had.”
Adrian didn't respond.
Elias looked at him again.
“You could have saved him.”
The words came out quietly.
Adrian's eyes darkened.
“I tried.”
“But he died.”
“I know.”
“And you're still alive.”
Adrian's gaze remained steady.
“Yes.”
Elias looked away.
He wasn't sure whether he hated Adrian or needed him.
Maybe both.
---
The secondary house was smaller than Adrian's mansion.
It stood alone behind tall iron gates, surrounded by trees and security cameras.
The moment the SUV entered the compound, armed men appeared.
Adrian stepped out first.
“Lock everything down.”
“Yes, boss.”
He turned toward Elias.
“Come.”
Elias didn't move.
Adrian stopped.
“Elias.”
“I can walk.”
“I didn't say you couldn't.”
Elias stepped out of the car.
Luca followed, holding his injured shoulder.
“You should get that treated,” Elias said.
Luca smiled faintly.
“I've had worse.”
Adrian glanced at him.
“That's not an excuse.”
Luca sighed.
“Yes, boss.”
Inside the house, everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Elias followed Adrian through a long hallway.
They entered a room filled with bookshelves.
Adrian closed the door behind them.
Elias looked around.
“What is this?”
“My father's study.”
Elias frowned.
“Your father's?”
Adrian nodded.
“My father knew Luciano.”
Elias's eyes widened.
“Your father knew mine?”
“They were partners once.”
Elias walked slowly toward the desk.
There were old photographs scattered across it.
He picked one up.
Two young men stood beside a black car.
One of them was unmistakably Luciano.
The other was Adrian's father.
Elias stared at the photograph.
“My father looked happy.”
Adrian stood behind him.
“He was.”
“What happened?”
“Power happened.”
Elias turned.
Adrian continued.
“Your father inherited the Moretti organization. My father controlled the De Luca side. Together, they built an alliance.”
“And Damian Vieri?”
Adrian's face hardened.
“Damian Vieri wanted what your father had.”
“So my father stole something from him?”
“No.”
Adrian walked toward the desk.
“That's the lie Damian has been telling for twenty-five years.”
Elias frowned.
“Then what's the truth?”
Adrian opened one of the desk drawers.
He removed an old leather folder.
Inside were several documents.
He placed them on the desk.
Elias looked down.
His eyes widened.
It was a family tree.
At the top was the name Moretti.
Below it were several names.
Then one name had been circled in red.
Luciano Moretti.
Underneath it:
Heir apparent.
Elias stared.
“What does this mean?”
Adrian pointed to another name.
Damian Vieri.
Beside it was a note.
Rejected claimant.
Elias looked up.
“He was never the heir?”
“No.”
“Then why does he keep saying my father stole his throne?”
“Because he believes blood should have made him king.”
Elias swallowed.
“And me?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Elias's eyes moved down the page.
There was another line.
Legitimate successor: Elias Moretti.
His heart stopped.
He looked at Adrian.
“That…”
Adrian nodded.
“That's why they want you dead.”
Elias stared at the words.
“No.”
“Elias—”
“No.”
He pushed the folder away.
“I don't want this.”
“You don't have a choice.”
“I didn't ask for any of this!”
“I know.”
“I don't want a throne. I don't want a family empire. I don't want people killing each other because of my name!”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Then survive.”
Elias looked at him.
“What?”
“You don't have to become the man your father was.”
Adrian's voice softened slightly.
“But you have to survive long enough to decide what you want to become.”
Elias's anger slowly faded.
For a moment, there was only silence between them.
Then Elias noticed something.
A small scar crossed Adrian's palm.
He looked at it.
“Did you get that tonight?”
Adrian glanced down.
“No.”
“How?”
“A long time ago.”
“From my family?”
Adrian's eyes met his.
“Yes.”
Elias hesitated.
“What happened?”
Adrian looked away.
“Your father saved my life.”
Elias blinked.
“My father?”
“During the first attack.”
Adrian's voice became quieter.
“He took a bullet meant for me.”
Elias stared at him.
“Why didn't you ever tell me?”
“Because I didn't want you to grow up believing you owed me something.”
Elias didn't know what to say.
Adrian looked toward the window.
“Your father made me promise something that night.”
“What?”
Adrian was silent.
Then he turned back.
“He made me promise that if anything happened to him, I would protect you.”
Elias's breath caught.
“And you've been doing that all these years?”
“Yes.”
“Even when I didn't know you existed?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adrian's expression softened.
“Because I gave him my word.”
Elias looked down.
For the first time since the nightmare began, he didn't see Adrian as simply a dangerous mafia boss.
He saw a man who had carried a promise for years.
A promise made to a dead friend.
Before Elias could speak, a loud gunshot echoed outside.
BANG!
Both men froze.
Another shot followed.
BANG!
Adrian immediately moved.
He grabbed Elias's arm and pulled him behind the desk.
“Stay here.”
“What happened?”
“Someone found us.”
The lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Outside, men shouted.
Gunfire erupted across the compound.
Adrian pulled a weapon from his jacket.
Elias's heart began pounding.
“Adrian…”
“Stay behind me.”
A shadow moved across the window.
Adrian raised his gun.
The glass shattered.
Elias ducked.
Adrian fired.
A body fell outside.
Then silence.
For three seconds.
Four.
Five.
A phone began ringing.
Not Adrian's.
Elias reached into his pocket.
His hands trembled as he pulled it out.
Unknown number.
Adrian immediately said:
“Don't answer.”
But the call stopped.
A message appeared.
Elias stared at the screen.
YOU FOUND THE TRUTH.
Another message appeared.
NOW FIND THE PLACE WHERE YOUR FATHER DIED.
Then a final message.
BEFORE ADRIAN FINDS YOU THERE.
Elias slowly looked up.
Adrian was watching him.
His face had changed.
For the first time, Elias saw something he had never seen in Adrian before.
Fear.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for Elias.
Elias whispered,
“What place?”
Adrian said nothing.
“Adrian.”
Silence.
Elias stood.
“You know what they're talking about.”
Adrian's eyes lowered.
“The old Moretti estate.”
Elias's heart began racing.
“Where my parents died?”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
“And you've been there?”
A long silence followed.
Then Adrian said the words that changed everything.
“I was there the night your parents died.”
Elias froze.
“You…”
Adrian's expression was unreadable.
“I saw what happened.”
Elias's breathing became uneven.
“And you never told me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Adrian stepped toward him.
“Because if I told you the truth, you would have gone looking for the man who killed them.”
Elias stared at him.
“And now?”
Adrian looked toward the broken window.
“Now he's looking for you.”
Outside, another gunshot echoed through the night.
Adrian grabbed Elias's hand.
“Get down.”
But before they could move, every light in the house suddenly came back on.
The television across the room turned on by itself.
A video appeared.
An old man with a scar across his face stared directly into the camera.
Damian Vieri.
His voice was calm.
Almost amused.
“Elias Moretti…”
He smiled.
“Welcome home.”
The screen went black.
And underneath it, white letters appeared:
THE OLD ESTATE IS WAITING.
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