Chapter 7: The Brother in the Shadows
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The city noise disappeared.
The traffic.
The distant sirens.
The voices from nearby streets.
Everything faded beneath the weight of one impossible truth.
Enzo Marchetti’s missing brother was alive.
Adeline looked at Enzo.
She had spent days learning how to read him.
A raised eyebrow.
A tightened jaw.
A change in breathing.
Small things.
Because Enzo Marchetti never showed fear.
But now she saw it.
Not much.
Just enough.
And that terrified her.
The stranger smiled.
“Still staring at me like I’m a ghost?””
Enzo’s voice was low.
“You should be dead.””
The man laughed quietly.
“Funny. I was going to say the same thing about you.””
Daniel stepped closer to Adeline.
A protective instinct.
The stranger noticed.
His eyes moved to Daniel.
“Well.””
The smile disappeared.
“Daniel Croft.””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“Luca.””
Adeline looked between them.
Luca.
The missing brother.
The man who was supposed to be dead.
The man who somehow knew everything.
“You know each other.””
Neither denied it.
Enzo’s gaze never left Luca.
“How long?””
Luca tilted his head.
“How long what?””
“How long have you been alive?””
A pause.
Then Luca smiled.
“Long enough to watch you take everything that was supposed to be mine.””
The words hit the air like a slap.
Adeline looked at Enzo.
Everything that was supposed to be mine.
The family.
The empire.
The power.
The responsibility.
Maybe all of it.
Luca stepped closer.
“You always were the obedient one.””
Enzo didn’t react.
“You always were the selfish one.””
A dangerous silence followed.
Luca laughed.
“There he is.””
“What do you want?””
The question came from Enzo.
Simple.
Direct.
Luca looked around the alley.
Then at Adeline.
“Honestly?””
His smile faded.
“I wanted to see if the rumors were true.””
“What rumors?””
“That Daniel Croft’s daughter survived.””
Adeline felt a chill.
“Why do you care?””
Luca looked at her.
Not like a stranger.
Like someone studying a puzzle.
“Because your father ruined my life.””
Daniel’s face changed.
“I saved your life.””
“No.””
Luca’s voice turned cold.
“You saved Enzo’s.””
The words landed heavily.
Adeline looked at Daniel.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
And once again, she felt like she was standing in the middle of a war where everyone knew the rules except her.
Luca noticed.
“Poor Adeline.””
His tone was almost sympathetic.
“You really don’t know anything, do you?””
Enzo stepped forward.
“Stop.””
Luca smiled.
“Still protecting her?””
“She has nothing to do with this.””
Luca laughed.
“That’s where you’re wrong.””
His eyes returned to Adeline.
“She has everything to do with this.””
Daniel immediately moved.
“Don’t.””
Luca looked amused.
“Still afraid of the truth?””
Adeline’s heart pounded.
“What truth?””
Daniel looked at her.
“Adeline—”
“No.””
She stepped away from him.
“No more.””
Her voice shook.
“No more protecting me. No more secrets.””
She looked at every person standing there.
“You all keep saying I’m in danger because I don’t know the truth.””
A tear formed in her eyes.
“So tell me.””
Nobody spoke.
She looked at Luca.
“You seem eager.””
Luca smiled.
“I am.””
Enzo’s voice was sharp.
“Luca.””
But his brother ignored him.
“Your father discovered something eleven years ago.””
“What?””
“He discovered that the accident wasn’t meant for him.””
Adeline froze.
“What?””
Daniel looked away.
Luca continued.
“It was meant for someone else.””
She looked at Enzo.
No.
Not him.
Not possible.
“The shipment,” Luca said.
“The missing documents.””
His eyes narrowed.
“They weren’t just evidence against criminals.””
A pause.
“They were evidence against my father.””
Enzo’s expression changed.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
Adeline stared.
“Your father was involved?””
Luca laughed.
“Everyone was involved.””
The alley suddenly felt colder.
“My father built this empire by making deals with people who should never have been trusted.””
He looked at Enzo.
“And when things went wrong, he sacrificed whoever he needed.””
Enzo’s voice was quiet.
“You’re lying.””
“Am I?””
Luca looked at Daniel.
“Tell him.””
Daniel remained silent.
That silence was an answer.
Enzo’s eyes darkened.
“You knew.””
Daniel swallowed.
“I knew enough.””
“You knew my father was responsible?””
“I knew someone in your family was.””
Enzo stepped closer.
“And you said nothing?””
Daniel looked at him.
“Because I was trying to find proof.””
“And while you searched, my brother disappeared.””
Luca smiled bitterly.
“Finally.””
He looked at Enzo.
“You understand.””
For the first time, Adeline saw the pain between the brothers.
Not hatred.
Something worse.
Betrayal.
They moved from the alley to a hidden safe house owned by Enzo.
Adeline didn’t ask how many secret locations he had.
She no longer wanted to know.
The world she understood had collapsed too many times.
Inside, the room was quiet.
Daniel sat at the table.
Enzo stood near the window.
Luca remained by the door.
Like he didn’t trust anyone.
Maybe he was right.
Adeline looked at him.
“You said my father ruined your life.””
Luca looked at her.
“He exposed the truth.””
“How is that ruining your life?””
“Because truth is expensive.””
She frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your father found out my father was planning to remove me.””
“Why?””
Luca smiled without humor.
“Because I knew too much.””
Adeline looked at Enzo.
“And Enzo?””
Luca’s expression changed.
“He was supposed to die with me.””
Silence.
“What?””
Luca looked at his brother.
“Our father arranged everything.””
Enzo’s face became unreadable.
“But Daniel interfered.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“He found out about the plan.””
Adeline felt sick.
“The accident…”
“Was designed to kill two people.””
Luca’s voice was quiet.
“Me and Enzo.””
She looked at the brothers.
“But only one of you disappeared.””
“Yes.””
Luca looked at Enzo.
“Because he chose you.””
The words hurt.
Even Adeline felt it.
Enzo looked away.
“You don’t know what happened.””
“I know exactly what happened.””
“No.””
Enzo’s voice sharpened.
“You know what you were told.””
Luca laughed.
“After eleven years, you still defend him?””
Adeline looked between them.
There was another missing piece.
Another secret.
“What happened that night?””
Nobody answered.
Then Daniel spoke.
“I was there.””
Every person looked at him.
“You?””
Daniel nodded.
“I saw the vehicle.””
Adeline whispered:
“You saw the accident?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you save them?””
Daniel’s expression broke.
“Because I tried.””
A long silence.
“And?””
Daniel looked at Enzo.
“I could only reach one person before the vehicle exploded.””
Adeline’s eyes widened.
“No.””
Daniel nodded.
“I pulled Enzo out.””
Luca’s face changed.
“And left me.””
The pain in those words was impossible to miss.
Daniel looked devastated.
“I went back.””
“But you weren’t fast enough.””
“No.””
Luca looked away.
“And everyone thought I was dead.””
Adeline understood.
The disappearance.
The anger.
The hatred.
The years of silence.
But one thing still didn’t make sense.
“If Luca survived…”
She looked at him.
“Why didn’t he come back?””
Nobody answered.
Luca did.
“Because someone found me first.””
His voice became colder.
“And they taught me something.””
“What?””
He looked directly at Enzo.
“That family means nothing when power is involved.””
A silence followed.
Then Luca reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small envelope.
Adeline recognized the handwriting immediately.
Her father’s.
“This is the last thing Daniel wrote before he disappeared.””
Daniel’s face went pale.
“Where did you get that?””
Luca smiled.
“From the person who found me.””
Enzo stepped forward.
“Who?””
Luca held the envelope out.
“Open it.””
Nobody moved.
“Why?””
“Because inside is the name you’ve been searching for.””
Enzo stared.
“The person who betrayed us.””
Luca looked at Adeline.
“And the person who has been watching her since she entered the Marchetti estate.””
Adeline’s blood went cold.
“What?””
Luca handed the envelope to Enzo.
Then whispered:
“You’ve been looking for an enemy outside your house.””
A pause.
“But the monster was invited inside years ago.””
Enzo opened the envelope.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
For the first time since Adeline met him—
Enzo Marchetti looked completely shattered.
“What is it?”” Adeline asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Enzo.””
Slowly, he lifted his eyes.
And spoke one name.
A name that made Daniel close his eyes.
A name that made Luca smile.
A name that made Adeline realize the entire foundation of the Marchetti family had been built on a lie.
“Your father’s most trusted advisor.””
A pause.
“My own uncle.””
Then the phone on the table rang.
Everyone froze.
Because the caller ID showed a name none of them expected.
*Helena Bellini.*
And when Enzo answered, the only sound on the other end was her terrified whisper.
“They know where Adeline is.””
A pause.
Then:
May you like
“Run.””
The line went dead.
