Chapter 6 - The Confession
Domenico walked slowly toward Camilla, the heavy silence of the cellar broken only by her ragged breathing. He didn't look at Marco, bleeding out on the stone floor. His entire focus was on the woman who had lived under his roof for five years. "Who is she?" Domenico asked. His voice was no longer angry. It was hollow, cold, and infinitely more terrifying. Camilla clutched her bruised wrist, backing away until she hit the cold stone wall. "Domenico... please. You don't understand the pressure we were under. Your father demanded an heir—" "Who is the mother, Camilla?" Domenico interrupted, stepping into her personal space. The barrel of his gun was pointed squarely at the floor, but the threat radiated from every muscle in his body. Camilla squeezed her eyes shut, a tear cutting through her perfect makeup. "It was a girl from the lower east side. Nobody important. We paid her. We took the baby. She... she didn't survive the complications." Domenico grabbed Camilla by the throat, slamming her against the wall. The sudden violence made her gasp for air, her hands clawing frantically at his iron grip. "Do not lie to me!" Domenico roared, his composure finally breaking. "My father's crest was on that hit order for Alessandro! You and Marco set it up! You killed my brother, framed me, and bought a child to steal the inheritance!" Camilla choked, her face turning purple. "No... no..." she wheezed. "It wasn't us. It was... it was her." Domenico loosened his grip just enough for her to breathe. "Who?" "Sofia's real mother," Camilla gasped, coughing violently. "She wasn't a nobody. She was an undercover federal agent. Alessandro found out. He was going to turn state's evidence to protect her. Your father ordered the hit on him to stop it." Domenico stepped back, the world spinning. His father had murdered his own son to protect the cartel. "And Sofia?" Domenico whispered, the pieces finally falling into a horrifying puzzle. "She's the agent's daughter," Camilla whispered, sliding down the wall. "But she isn't Alessandro's child, Domenico." Camilla looked up, a twisted, desperate smile forming on her lips. "She's yours."
