Chapter 8: The Lie Buried In My Own Blood
For several seconds, I did not understand the words.
Not because they were complicated.
Because they were impossible.
The man standing in front of me was telling me that I was the reason my daughter had been in danger.
Alessandro Vieri smiled as if he had finally delivered the one sentence that could break me.
“Say it again.””
My voice was calm.
Too calm.
Alessandro tilted his head.
“You heard me.””
I stepped closer.
“You are saying I wanted my own daughter gone?””
Marcus looked at him.
“Don’t listen to him.””
But Alessandro did not even glance at Marcus.
“He does not know the truth.””
I tightened my grip on my weapon.
“Then explain.””
Alessandro walked around the room slowly.
“You built your entire life believing you were protecting Ruby.””
He stopped.
“But you never asked the most important question.””
“What question?””
“Who was Ruby’s father?””
The silence was immediate.
Marcus looked confused.
Even Adrian, standing behind me, seemed frozen.
I stared at Alessandro.
“I am her father.””
He smiled.
“That is what everyone told you.””
Something inside me went cold.
Because for the first time, nobody immediately denied it.
Not Marcus.
Not Adrian.
Not even the silence of the room.
“What are you saying?””
Alessandro reached into his coat and removed a small folder.
He placed it on the dusty table.
“Open it.””
I did not move.
“I said open it.””
I walked forward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Inside were medical records.
The same kind of documents Adrian had shown me.
But these were different.
Older.
From the night Ruby was born.
My eyes moved across the pages.
Then stopped.
A name.
A test.
A result.
My hands became still.
“No.””
Alessandro watched me.
“Yes.””
I looked up.
“This is fake.””
“Is it?””
I turned toward Adrian.
The doctor looked away.
That was the moment I knew.
Not because Alessandro had spoken.
Because Adrian could not meet my eyes.
“Adrian.””
He remained silent.
“Tell me.””
His face tightened.
“I did not want you to find out this way.””
My heart felt like it had dropped.
“Find out what?””
Adrian swallowed.
“The records are real.””
The room went silent.
I looked back at the papers.
“No.””
My voice cracked slightly.
“No.””
Marcus struggled against the ropes.
“Domenico, listen to me.””
I turned.
“Did you know?””
Marcus hesitated.
That hesitation destroyed something.
“Did you know?””
“Yes.””
The answer came quietly.
I stared at him.
“For three years?””
Marcus looked ashamed.
“Yes.””
I laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“My own family.””
Nobody spoke.
The man who controlled an empire.
The man feared by thousands.
Standing in a ruined building, realizing everyone closest to him had hidden the biggest truth of his life.
Alessandro stepped closer.
“Isabella knew.””
My eyes moved to him.
“What?””
“She knew before Ruby was born.””
“Stop.””
“She knew the child was not yours.””
My jaw tightened.
“Stop talking.””
“She still chose you.””
I looked at the papers again.
The truth felt impossible.
Too heavy.
Too cruel.
But then I remembered Isabella.
The fear in her eyes.
The warning.
Protect Ruby from the person who says they love her most.
Was she warning me about someone else?
Or about myself?
No.
Impossible.
I could not accept it.
I looked at Adrian.
“Tell me the truth.””
He took a breath.
“Domenico…”
“Tell me.””
His voice became quiet.
“Isabella discovered she was pregnant before you married her.””
I stared.
“She never told me.””
“No.””
“Why?””
Adrian looked down.
“Because she was afraid.””
“Of me?””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“Of what would happen if the wrong people found out.””
I looked at Alessandro.
“Who was Ruby’s father?””
Nobody answered.
And somehow that was worse.
Then Alessandro spoke.
“Me.””
The world stopped.
I heard nothing.
Not the wind outside.
Not Marcus.
Not even my own breathing.
“You’re lying.””
Alessandro’s expression did not change.
“Am I?””
He looked at the documents.
“Isabella and I were together before she met you.””
My hands tightened.
“She loved me.””
I looked at him.
“Do not say her name like you knew her.””
A flash of anger crossed his face.
“She chose you because you could protect her.””
“No.””
“She chose you because she knew I would destroy everything to get what belonged to me.””
I stepped forward.
“You are not talking about Isabella.””
His eyes narrowed.
“You still think you were the hero.””
I said nothing.
“Domenico, you were the shield.””
The words cut deeper.
“She loved you.””
A pause.
“But Ruby was never yours by blood.””
I looked away.
Because there was one thing that mattered.
One thing that did not change.
Blood or not.
I had held Ruby when she cried.
I had stayed awake when she was sick.
I had taught her to walk.
I had heard her say Daddy.
No document could erase that.
No test.
No secret.
But before I could speak, Marcus interrupted.
“Alessandro is lying about one thing.””
Everyone looked at him.
He continued.
“Ruby’s blood does not matter.””
Alessandro turned.
Marcus stared at him.
“Not to Isabella.””
“Careful.””
“No.””
Marcus’s voice grew stronger.
“You wanted the record because you thought Ruby was valuable.””
He looked at me.
“But Isabella knew what mattered.””
“What?””
Marcus swallowed.
“She knew you would love Ruby even if she wasn’t your daughter.””
The room became silent.
Alessandro’s expression changed slightly.
Just for a moment.
But I saw it.
Anger.
Because Marcus had touched the one truth Alessandro could not control.
I turned toward him.
“Why did you hide this from me?””
Marcus looked down.
“Because Isabella asked me.””
The answer hurt.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
He looked at me.
“She knew you would leave.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She knew your pride.””
My face hardened.
“My pride?””
“She knew you would think love was not enough.””
That angered me.
Because maybe it was true.
Maybe three years ago, if someone had told me Ruby was not my blood, I would have broken.
Maybe I would have let my pain hurt everyone around me.
Marcus continued.
“But she was wrong about one thing.””
“What?””
“She thought you needed protection from the truth.””
He looked toward the floor.
“You needed the chance to choose Ruby.””
The words stayed with me.
Because that was what had been stolen.
Not my bloodline.
Not my name.
My choice.
A loud crash suddenly came from outside.
Everyone turned.
Gunfire.
Not close.
But coming closer.
Alessandro looked toward the windows.
His expression changed.
“They found us.””
I looked at him.
“Your people?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“Then whose?””
For the first time that night, Alessandro looked afraid.
“Your people.””
I frowned.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“Someone inside your organization has been moving against Ruby from the beginning.””
Marcus’s face changed.
“Impossible.””
Alessandro laughed.
“You still believe the family is loyal.””
More shots.
Closer.
Adrian moved toward the door.
“We need to leave.””
I looked at Alessandro.
“You expect me to trust you?””
“No.””
He looked toward the entrance.
“But you need to survive long enough to find the person who betrayed all of us.””
The door exploded open.
Men entered.
Not Alessandro’s men.
Not mine.
They wore Falcone security badges.
My own people.
My own guards.
Marcus whispered:
“No.””
One of them stepped forward.
“Boss.””
I recognized him.
My head of internal security.
A man who had worked beside me for years.
“Explain.””
He raised his weapon.
“I’m sorry.””
The betrayal was almost impossible to believe.
“Who ordered this?””
He did not answer.
Then another voice came from behind him.
A voice I knew.
A voice that made every person in the room freeze.
“Me.””
I turned.
And standing in the doorway was the last person I expected to see.
Valentina.
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
But she was holding a gun.
And pointing it directly at Alessandro.
“Domenico…”
Her voice shook.
“I tried to protect you.””
I stared at her.
“Then why are you here?””
She looked past me.
At Alessandro.
Then at Marcus.
Then back at me.
“Because you still don’t know the final secret.””
The gun trembled in her hand.
“The truth about Ruby’s birth was never the biggest lie.””
A pause.
Her eyes filled.
“The biggest lie…”
May you like
She looked directly at me.
“Was who tried to kill her that night.””
