Poisoned by his love

Chapter Eight — The Father in the Shadows

Sophia stopped breathing.

"He's already here."

Her mother's words echoed inside her head.

"My father is here?"

Isabella grabbed her arm.

"Don't make a sound."

"But you just said—"

"Listen to me."

Isabella's voice was urgent.

"Your father isn't the man you remember."

Sophia pulled her arm away.

"He's still my father."

"That's exactly what makes him dangerous."

A sound came from the hallway.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Measured.

Approaching.

Everyone in the conservatory turned toward the door.

Alessandro raised his weapon.

"Get behind me."

Sophia didn't move.

She couldn't.

She was staring at the doorway.

A shadow appeared beneath it.

One step.

Then another.

The door slowly opened.

A man walked into the room.

Sophia's heart stopped.

He was older than she remembered.

His hair was almost completely gray. A deep scar ran from his left eyebrow down toward his cheek.

But his eyes were the same.

Those warm brown eyes she remembered from childhood.

"Dad?"

Daniel Williams looked at his daughter.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

Then his face broke.

"Sophia."

She ran to him.

Daniel caught her in his arms.

He held her tightly.

"I'm sorry."

Sophia began to cry.

"I thought you were dead."

"I know."

"You left me."

"I know."

"You let me grow up believing you abandoned me."

Daniel closed his eyes.

"I know."

Sophia pulled away and slapped him.

The sound echoed through the conservatory.

Daniel didn't defend himself.

She slapped him again.

"You let me hate you!"

"I deserved that."

"You let me think my mother was dead!"

"I had to."

Sophia's eyes burned with tears.

"Everyone keeps saying they *had to*."

She turned toward Alessandro.

"My father says he had to. My mother says she had to. Everyone has an excuse."

Her voice broke.

"But I was the one who suffered."

Silence.

Daniel lowered his head.

"I know."

Sophia wiped her tears.

"Tell me the truth."

Daniel looked at Isabella.

Then at Alessandro.

Finally, he looked back at his daughter.

"The truth will destroy everything you believe."

"I don't care."

Daniel nodded slowly.

"Then you deserve to hear it."

He walked toward the desk.

"Fifteen years ago, I didn't discover the Moretti syndicate."

Sophia frowned.

"I discovered the Black Circle."

Alessandro's eyes narrowed.

"And they were controlling your father's family?"

Daniel looked at him.

"No."

"They were controlling the entire city."

He placed both hands on the desk.

"The Morettis were only one branch."

Marco's voice suddenly came from somewhere outside.

"Daniel!"

Everyone froze.

Daniel looked toward the door.

"He's found us."

Gunfire erupted in the hallway.

The armed men returned fire.

"Take Sophia and go!" Daniel shouted.

"No!" Sophia cried.

Daniel grabbed her shoulders.

"You need to listen to me."

"What?"

"The second key isn't Alessandro's blood."

Sophia stared at him.

"Then what is it?"

Daniel looked at Alessandro.

"It's his memory."

Alessandro's expression changed.

"What?"

Daniel stepped closer.

"When you were eighteen, your father took you into the underground vault beneath the Moretti estate."

Alessandro's face went pale.

"I don't remember that."

"You were drugged."

Daniel nodded.

"Your father wanted you to see something."

"What?"

Daniel looked toward Sophia.

"Your mother."

Alessandro stared at Isabella.

"Why?"

"Because she was being held there."

Sophia's eyes widened.

"You were imprisoned by the Morettis?"

Isabella shook her head.

"Not exactly."

Daniel interrupted.

"Your mother wasn't a prisoner."

He looked at Alessandro.

"She was negotiating."

"For what?"

"For your life."

Alessandro's jaw tightened.

"My father wanted me to inherit the empire."

Daniel nodded.

"But Isabella wanted to take you away from it."

"And she failed."

"Yes."

A loud explosion shook the building.

The floor trembled beneath their feet.

Marco's men were getting closer.

Daniel reached into his jacket.

He pulled out a small black key.

Sophia stared at it.

"The second key?"

Daniel shook his head.

"No."

He placed it in Alessandro's hand.

"This is the key to the place where the second key is hidden."

Alessandro looked down.

"Where?"

Daniel's expression became grim.

"Under your father's grave."

Alessandro's eyes hardened.

"My father doesn't have a grave."

"Exactly."

Before anyone could speak, the conservatory doors exploded inward.

Men stormed into the room.

Bullets flew.

Daniel pushed Sophia to the ground.

Alessandro fired back.

Isabella moved like a ghost, dropping two attackers before they could raise their weapons.

Then—

Marco entered.

He stood at the end of the hallway, smiling.

"Family reunion."

Daniel slowly stood.

Marco's smile disappeared.

"You."

Daniel raised his weapon.

"Marco."

"You were supposed to be dead."

"So were you."

Marco laughed.

"Looks like we're both disappointments."

His gaze moved to Sophia.

"Come here, sweetheart."

Sophia stepped backward.

"Stay away from her."

Alessandro stood between them.

Marco shook his head.

"You still don't understand, do you?"

He pointed his gun at Alessandro.

"Your father didn't choose you because he loved you."

Alessandro's face hardened.

"He chose you because you were useful."

Marco smiled.

"And Daniel knows exactly why."

Everyone looked at Daniel.

Sophia's heart began racing.

"Dad?"

Daniel didn't answer.

"Why did his father choose him?"

Daniel closed his eyes.

"Because Alessandro is the last living descendant of the original Moretti bloodline."

Sophia looked at Alessandro.

Marco laughed.

"And that means he can open the vault."

Daniel nodded.

"The vault contains evidence that could destroy the Black Circle."

Sophia whispered,

"Then why hasn't anyone opened it?"

Daniel looked at Alessandro.

"Because the vault requires two things."

"The key," Alessandro said.

"And my blood."

Daniel nodded.

"But there's one more problem."

"What?"

Daniel looked at Sophia.

"The vault wasn't built to protect the ledger."

Sophia frowned.

"Then what is it protecting?"

Daniel's face became pale.

"A list."

"What list?"

"The names of everyone who ordered the m******e fifteen years ago."

Sophia's heart stopped.

"My family?"

"Yes."

"Who ordered it?"

Daniel stared directly into her eyes.

"The man who gave the order wasn't Alessandro's father."

Sophia felt the room spin.

"Then who?"

Daniel slowly turned toward Isabella.

Isabella's eyes filled with tears.

Daniel whispered,

"Your mother."

Sophia stared at Isabella.

"No."

Isabella didn't deny it.

Sophia shook her head.

"No. That's not possible."

Her mother lowered her weapon.

"I was trying to save you."

"You ordered the fire?"

"I ordered a warning."

"People died!"

"I didn't know they would."

Sophia stepped backward.

"My mother..."

Her voice broke.

"You killed my father."

Isabella's tears finally fell.

"No."

She looked at Daniel.

"I saved him."

A sudden shot rang out.

Daniel jerked backward.

Blood spread across his chest.

"DAD!"

Sophia screamed.

Alessandro grabbed her as she tried to run toward him.

Daniel fell against the desk.

Marco lowered his smoking gun.

"Enough family secrets."

He smiled.

"Now we finish this."

But before Marco could fire again, Daniel reached beneath the desk and pressed a hidden button.

The floor opened.

A dark staircase appeared beneath them.

Daniel looked at Sophia.

"Go."

Sophia stared at the opening.

"Where?"

"To the vault."

Alessandro grabbed her hand.

"We're going."

Marco raised his weapon.

"Stop them!"

Sophia, Alessandro, and Isabella rushed down the hidden staircase.

Behind them, Daniel remained alone in the ruined conservatory.

Marco approached him.

"You really think they'll survive?"

Daniel smiled despite the blood on his shirt.

"No."

He looked toward the staircase.

"I think they'll finally learn the truth."

Marco's smile faded.

"What truth?"

Daniel's eyes hardened.

"The truth about who really started the war."

Then the hidden door slammed shut.

And deep beneath the estate, Sophia heard something that made her blood run cold.

A child's voice.

Whispering from somewhere in the darkness.

"Don't let them wake her."