THE DON’S FORBIDDEN MARRIAGE
The Don’s Forbidden Marriage – Chapter 7
©Joy Cindy
The Man Who Came Back from the Dead
The name remained in the air.
Vittorio.
Elena looked from Alessandro to Leo.
Neither man spoke.
“What does that name mean?”
Alessandro folded the photograph.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
Elena stared at him.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Tell me something isn’t important when you look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
His expression hardened.
“Vittorio is dead.”
Leo shook his head.
“That’s what we believed.”
Alessandro looked at him.
“You saw the body.”
Leo’s face became pale.
“I saw someone who looked like him.”
“You said it was him.”
“I was nineteen.”
“And you were wrong.”
Elena stepped between them.
“Who was Vittorio?”
Alessandro’s silence lasted too long.
Finally, he answered.
“My father’s closest friend.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid of him.”
“Then why did you say he was supposed to be dead?”
Alessandro looked at her.
“Because he betrayed my father.”
Elena waited.
“And?”
“And my father trusted him.”
Alessandro’s voice became colder.
“That was his mistake.”
“What did Vittorio do?”
Alessandro turned toward the window.
“He sold information about my family.”
Elena’s heart tightened.
“To my father?”
“Among others.”
Leo stepped forward.
“He was the reason our families became enemies.”
Alessandro nodded.
“Vittorio created the war.”
Elena looked at the photograph.
“Then why was he standing with my parents?”
“Because he was already inside our lives.”
A chill passed through her.
“How long?”
“Years.”
Elena looked at the photograph again.
“Why was he there the night I was born?”
Alessandro didn’t answer.
She turned toward him.
“Alessandro.”
He finally looked at her.
“Because your father asked him to be there.”
Elena froze.
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
“Then find out.”
Alessandro’s eyes narrowed.
“You think it’s that simple?”
“No. I think I’ve spent my entire life being lied to, and I’m tired of waiting for other people to decide when I deserve the truth.”
For a moment, the Don said nothing.
Then a guard entered the room.
“Don Romano.”
Alessandro turned.
“What?”
“We found something at the east gate.”
The guard held out a small black box.
Alessandro took it.
Elena noticed his expression change.
“What is it?”
He opened the box.
Inside was a single silver key.
And a note.
Alessandro read it.
Then slowly looked at Elena.
“What?”
He handed her the note.
There were only five words written on it:
THE TRUTH IS UNDER YOUR HOUSE.
Elena looked up.
“What does that mean?”
Alessandro’s expression was dark.
“Your family home.”
“My father’s house?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
“No.”
Elena’s patience snapped.
“Of course not.”
Alessandro stepped closer.
“Your father may be waiting for you.”
“Good.”
“Elena.”
“I want answers.”
“So do I.”
“Then why are you stopping me?”
“Because Vittorio wants you to go there.”
She stared at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because he left the message.”
“Maybe he wants me to find the truth.”
“Maybe he wants you to walk into a trap.”
Elena folded her arms.
“Then we’ll be careful.”
Alessandro stared at her.
“We?”
“Yes.”
His eyes darkened.
“You are not going.”
“Then I will go without you.”
For several seconds, they stared at each other.
Then Alessandro let out a quiet breath.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
A faint smile almost appeared on his face.
Then it disappeared.
“Prepare yourself.”
Elena blinked.
“You’re coming?”
“I said prepare yourself.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
Alessandro walked past her.
“You’re coming with me.”
Elena watched him leave.
Leo moved closer.
“You realize you’re becoming very good at arguing with the Don.”
Elena looked at him.
“Is that dangerous?”
Leo gave her a serious look.
“Very.”
A few hours later, they arrived at the Moretti estate.
The house looked exactly as Elena remembered it.
But now, everything seemed different.
The walls held secrets.
The rooms held lies.
And somewhere beneath the house was a truth someone had spent years trying to hide.
Alessandro walked beside her.
His guards surrounded the property.
Elena looked at him.
“How do we find the entrance?”
He held up the silver key.
“We look for the lock.”
They searched the study first.
Elena remembered the room from her childhood.
Her father’s desk.
The bookshelves.
The old paintings.
She walked toward the wall.
Then stopped.
“Wait.”
Alessandro looked at her.
“What?”
She pointed to an old painting.
“This was always here.”
He examined it.
“What about it?”
“It’s crooked.”
Alessandro looked at the painting.
Then removed it from the wall.
Behind it was a small metal lock.
Elena’s heart began to race.
Alessandro inserted the silver key.
The lock clicked.
A section of the wall moved.
A narrow passage opened behind it.
Elena stared into the darkness.
Alessandro immediately stepped in front of her.
“Stay behind me.”
She sighed.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“You’re very repetitive.”
“And you’re very reckless.”
He looked back at her.
“Stay close.”
This time, Elena didn’t argue.
They entered the passage.
The air was cold.
The walls were made of stone.
After several minutes, they reached a small underground room.
Inside was a table.
Several boxes.
And dozens of photographs.
Elena walked toward them.
She picked up the first photograph.
It showed her mother.
The second showed her father.
The third showed Alessandro’s father.
Then Elena saw one that made her blood run cold.
It showed her.
As a child.
She turned toward Alessandro.
“Why are there pictures of me?”
He took the photograph from her hand.
His expression became unreadable.
“Because someone was watching you.”
“Who?”
He looked at the wall.
More photographs were pinned there.
Elena as a child.
Elena at school.
Elena walking home.
Elena with her brother.
Someone had been watching her for years.
She felt sick.
“How long?”
Alessandro looked at the photographs.
“Since you were born.”
She turned toward him.
“Who was watching me?”
Before he could answer, a voice came from the darkness behind them.
“Your father.”
Elena froze.
Alessandro immediately turned.
A man stood at the entrance to the room.
Older.
Elegant.
Calm.
His eyes were fixed on Elena.
Alessandro moved in front of her.
The man’s lips curved into a smile.
“Still protecting her, Alessandro?”
Alessandro’s voice became ice.
“Vittorio.”
The man smiled.
“At last.”
Elena stared at him.
The man from the photograph.
The man who was supposed to be dead.
The man who had been watching her since she was born.
Vittorio took one step forward.
“Hello, Elena.”
She felt a chill.
“How do you know my name?”
Vittorio’s smile deepened.
“Because I knew you before you knew yourself.”
Alessandro’s voice was dangerous.
“Stay away from her.”
Vittorio laughed softly.
“Still making promises you can’t keep.”
Elena looked at Alessandro.
“What does he mean?”
Vittorio answered for him.
“Ask him why your mother never told you who your real father was.”
The room went silent.
Elena slowly turned toward Alessandro.
“What?”
Alessandro’s face became completely still.
Vittorio smiled.
“Ask him.”
Elena’s heart began to pound.
“Alessandro?”
He said nothing.
She took a step toward him.
“Who is my real father?”
The Don looked at her.
And for the first time since Elena had met him…
He had no answer.
