Chapter 12 - BLOODLINES
Caterina stood between the two families.
“I was pregnant when Vittorio forced the annulment.”
Lorenzo stared at Marco.
His oldest friend.
His enemy.
His cousin.
Marco laughed bitterly.
“Now you understand the joke.”
Lorenzo said nothing.
“My father raised me to remember what your father did.”
“What did he do?”
Salvatore stepped closer.
“Vittorio took Caterina.”
“He destroyed our marriage.”
“He took my business.”
“He tried to kill me.”
Caterina's face hardened.
“You leave out the part where you blackmailed judges and threatened children.”
Salvatore looked at her.
“You weren't complaining when the money bought you dresses.”
She slapped him.
The warehouse went silent.
“You have spent twenty-five years rewriting your sins into someone else's crimes.”
Marco's grip on Emma loosened slightly.
Caterina looked at him.
“You were never abandoned.”
“I tried to take you.”
“Your father hid you from me.”
Marco's face changed.
Salvatore snapped.
“Don't listen.”
Caterina continued.
“I wrote every birthday.”
“I sent money.”
“I sent lawyers.”
“Every letter came back.”
Marco looked at Salvatore.
“You said she chose them.”
“She did.”
“No.”
Caterina's voice broke.
“I chose you.”
Emma started crying.
Marco looked down.
For the first time, uncertainty entered his eyes.
Lorenzo took one slow step.
“Marco.”
“Don't.”
“Give me Emma.”
Marco shook his head.
“You don't get to forgive me.”
“I didn't offer.”
Another step.
“But she has nothing to do with us.”
Marco's jaw clenched.
Behind him, the pier railing was only a few feet away.
Fog rolled from the river.
Lorenzo kept moving.
“Remember when we were seventeen?”
Marco's eyes flickered.
“You broke your arm jumping from my father's boathouse.”
“This isn't the time.”
“You couldn't swim with the cast.”
“So I jumped after you.”
Marco's gun lowered another inch.
“I hated you for that.”
“No.”
“You hated that I told everyone you cried.”
A tiny smile almost appeared.
Then Salvatore shouted.
“Marco!”
He raised his weapon.
Not at Lorenzo.
At Emma.
Everything happened at once.
Marco turned.
Caterina screamed.
Lorenzo lunged.
A shot fired.
Marco twisted and took the bullet through his shoulder.
Emma fell from his grasp.
Lorenzo caught her before she hit the concrete.
Antonio's men fired.
Salvatore stumbled backward.
His gun clattered away.
Caterina ran toward Marco.
Marco collapsed against the railing.
Blood darkened his coat.
Lorenzo handed Emma to Sophia.
Then he approached Salvatore.
The older man was on his knees.
Still smiling.
“You think this ends with me?”
Lorenzo stared down at him.
“Yes.”
Salvatore laughed.
“Matteo Conti built three copies of that ledger.”
Lorenzo's expression changed.
“One disappeared before he died.”
“Who has it?”
Salvatore looked toward Isabella.
“Ask her mother.”
Isabella froze.
Lorenzo turned.
“Your mother is dead.”
Isabella's face went pale.
May you like
Salvatore smiled wider.
“Are you certain?”
