THE MAN BEHIND THE WAR
1020 Words
The Mafia King’s Forbidden Wife
Chapter Thirteen: The Man Behind the War
The explosion shook the old De Luca estate.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The sound of alarms filled the halls.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Not because they were afraid.
Because they all understood what this meant.
Someone had found them.
And whoever it was…
They were not afraid of the De Luca name.
Adrian immediately stepped forward.
“Luciano, how did they find us?”
His brother looked at him.
“Because they were never far away.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the person hunting us has always known where you were.”
The words settled heavily in the room.
Elena looked between the brothers.
“So someone close to you has been giving them information.”
Luciano nodded.
“Yes.”
Adrian’s expression turned cold.
“Who?”
Luciano hesitated.
And that hesitation told Elena everything.
He knew.
---
“Say the name.”
Adrian’s voice carried a dangerous warning.
Luciano looked at his brother.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“I didn’t ask if I would like it.”
A long silence followed.
Then Luciano said:
“Victor Moretti.”
Elena frowned.
The name sounded familiar.
“Moretti?”
Adrian’s face changed.
“No.”
Luciano nodded.
“Yes.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
“Who is Victor Moretti?”
Adrian’s voice was low.
“My father’s closest friend.”
The same words Luciano had already said.
The man behind the war.
---
Years ago, Victor Moretti was considered family.
He wasn’t born a De Luca.
He wasn’t born into power.
But he was intelligent.
Dangerously intelligent.
He helped Adrian’s father build the De Luca empire.
He knew every secret.
Every weakness.
Every hidden account.
Every enemy.
And according to Luciano…
He used that knowledge to destroy them.
“Why would he do that?” Elena asked.
Luciano looked at the old photographs on the wall.
“Because he believed the De Lucas and Rossis had too much power.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does if you know Victor.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“He doesn’t want to destroy power.”
A pause.
“He wants to own it.”
---
Another explosion shook the building.
This time closer.
Adrian immediately moved.
“We leave now.”
Elena followed.
But before they reached the exit, Luciano stopped her.
“Elena.”
She turned.
“What?”
He looked at the necklace.
“Your mother knew this day would come.”
“What day?”
“The day when you would learn the truth.”
She stared at him.
“Why does everyone know my mother’s plans except me?”
Luciano’s expression softened.
“Because she wanted you to have a normal life.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“Normal?”
She looked around at the mansion, the weapons, the secrets.
“I don’t think I’ve had a normal life for a long time.”
---
They escaped through the underground tunnels.
For the first time, Elena saw Adrian and Luciano working together.
Despite everything that happened between them…
They moved like brothers.
Like two people who understood each other without words.
And that confused her.
Because Adrian always claimed he trusted nobody.
Yet with Luciano…
A part of him still trusted.
Outside the estate, they reached a waiting car.
As they drove away, Elena looked at Adrian.
“Did you know Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Did you trust him?”
Adrian was silent.
Then:
“Yes.”
The answer hurt.
Because she knew what that meant.
Another betrayal.
Another person who broke him.
---
Hours later, they arrived at a safe house.
It was smaller than the De Luca mansion.
Less luxurious.
But somehow, it felt more peaceful.
Elena sat across from Adrian.
“You should have told me.”
Adrian looked at her.
“About Victor?”
“About everything.”
He looked away.
“I was trying to protect you.”
She shook her head.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“No.”
Her voice softened.
“Sometimes protecting someone means trusting them enough to handle the truth.”
Adrian stared at her.
Nobody had ever spoken to him like that.
Not his enemies.
Not his allies.
Not even his family.
“You’re different from them.”
“From who?”
“Everyone.”
The honesty surprised them both.
---
That night, Elena couldn’t sleep.
She walked outside and found Luciano sitting alone.
“You knew my mother well.”
Luciano looked up.
“Yes.”
“Was she happy?”
The question caught him off guard.
After a moment, he smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
Elena sat beside him.
“Even with all this?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Luciano looked toward the sky.
“Because your mother believed people could still choose good, even in a dark world.”
Elena thought about Adrian.
The man everyone called a monster.
The man who protected her.
The man who was slowly letting her see the person beneath the armor.
“Did she believe Adrian was good?”
Luciano was quiet.
Then he answered:
“She believed Adrian was the most dangerous man in the world.”
Elena looked at him.
“But?”
Luciano smiled faintly.
“But she also believed he was the only man who would die protecting you.”
---
Before Elena could respond, her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Elena Rossi.”
Her blood ran cold.
“Who is this?”
A laugh.
“You want the truth about your mother?”
She froze.
“Who are you?”
The voice became darker.
“Someone who knew her better than your husband ever did.”
A pause.
Then the words:
“Ask Adrian why your mother’s final words were his name.”
The call ended.
Elena slowly lowered the phone.
Because if that was true…
Then everything she thought she knew about her mother’s death was about to change.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD