Chapter 10 - the threshold of truth
The morning sun rose bright and golden, flooding the east wing with fresh light.
By eight in the morning, the estate grounds were entirely secure. Vincent had been removed in silence, his network of conspirators dismantled within hours by Dante’s loyal lieutenants. The threat that had hung over the Moretti family for months was finally broken.
In the grand bedroom, the atmosphere had transformed. The heavy air of tragedy was gone, replaced by the soft chatter of life returning to normal.
Elina stood near the window, a gentle, relieved smile on her face as she watched Mia playing on the rug with a small set of wooden cars. Nina was finishing a routine check on the monitors, her professional posture relaxed for the first time in weeks.
Dante stood right beside Matteo's bed, watching his brother's face intently.
Suddenly, a soft, raspy sigh echoed from the pillows.
The heart monitor’s rhythm altered slightly, spiking into a healthy, conscious pattern. Matteo’s long eyelashes fluttered once, twice, before his dark brown eyes slowly opened, squinting against the bright sunlight.
Matteo turned his head weakly toward his brother.
"You... look terrible, Dante," Matteo croaked out, his voice rough from months of disuse, a faint, familiar smirk touching the corner of his lips.
Dante let out a low, breathy laugh—a sound no one in the estate had heard in years. He reached out and squeezed his brother’s shoulder firmly. "Welcome back, brother."
Matteo’s gaze drifted past Dante, settling on the little girl sitting on the floor. Mia was staring up at him with big, curious eyes, her pink sneakers tucked beneath her dress.
"Who's... the boss over there?" Matteo asked weakly, pointing a trembling finger toward the toddler.
Mia stood up, dusted off her pale-blue dress, and walked right up to the edge of the bed. She pointed at Matteo with complete authority.
"I told him you looked at me," Mia said proudly.
Matteo smiled, a genuine spark of life returning to his eyes. "Thank you, little one."
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Dante looked down at the child, then back at his brother. The family was safe, the traitor was gone, and the long nightmare had finally ended.
Yet as Dante picked up a forgotten ledger found in Vincent’s desk later that morning, his eyes fell upon an encrypted page that had not been touched in years—a page listing a second name, written in a hand that belonged to someone much higher in power than a simple administrator...
