Chapter 9: The Father Who Never Died
Dante couldn't breathe.
His father stood in the ballroom doorway.
Older.
Gray at the temples.
A scar ran across his cheek.
But there was no mistaking him.
Avery Reed.
The man Dante had watched disappear.
The man whose funeral had shaped the family.
The man whose signature appeared throughout the ledger.
Dante raised his gun.
His father looked at him.
“Put it down.””
Dante's hand shook.
“You're dead.””
Avery smiled faintly.
“So I've heard.””
Marcus stared at him.
“You let us bury you.””
Avery looked at his older son.
“I had to.””
Marcus's face twisted with anger.
“You let me believe you were gone.””
“You were supposed to.””
“Why?””
Avery's eyes moved toward Claudia.
“Because she was already inside the family.””
Claudia stood slowly.
“You always did enjoy dramatic entrances.””
Avery looked at her.
“You're finished.””
She laughed.
“You've been saying that for twenty years.””
Dante stepped forward.
“Enough.””
Everyone turned toward him.
He pointed his gun at his father.
“You have five seconds to explain.””
Avery nodded.
“Fair.””
He looked at Victoria.
“She was never supposed to marry you.””
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“Then what was she supposed to do?””
“Get close enough to find out whether you had the ledger.””
Victoria's face tightened.
Dante looked at her.
“Is that true?””
She whispered, “Yes.””
“You knew about me before we met.””
“Yes.””
“You were sent to me.””
“Yes.””
Dante's jaw clenched.
“Did you ever love me?””
Victoria's eyes filled.
“At first, no.””
The words struck harder than any gunshot.
“But then?””
She stepped closer.
“Then you became the only thing I couldn't lie about.””
Claudia laughed.
“Pathetic.””
Victoria turned toward her.
“You threatened Caleb.””
“And you still obeyed me.””
“No.””
Victoria's voice became steadier.
“I stopped.””
Claudia's smile faded.
Victoria pointed toward the soaked ledger.
“You thought I destroyed it.””
Dante looked at her.
“What?””
Victoria reached into the folds of her gown.
She pulled out a thin waterproof envelope.
The real ledger.
Dante stared.
“The champagne book was fake.””
Victoria nodded.
“I switched them before I walked toward Claudia.””
Marcus smiled for the first time.
“You fooled her.””
Victoria whispered, “I had to.””
Claudia raised her weapon.
Avery fired first.
Her gun flew from her hand.
Security rushed forward.
Claudia tried to run.
Dante blocked her path.
She looked up at him.
“You think this changes anything?””
Dante held the real ledger.
“It changes everything.””
She laughed.
“Open it.””
Dante did.
Page after page.
Names.
Payments.
Secret meetings.
Murder orders.
And finally, the last page.
One name.
Claudia Reed.
Underneath it:
*AUTHORIZED BY AVERY REED.*
Dante looked at his father.
“You authorized all of this?””
Avery's face hardened.
“Some of it.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“Some?””
Avery nodded.
“I built the organization. I made deals. I ordered violence when I believed it protected the family.””
Dante looked at the ledger.
“And Claudia?””
“She went too far.””
Claudia shouted from behind the guards.
“You made me!””
Avery looked at her.
“No.””
His voice was cold.
“I made the mistake of trusting you.””
Dante turned to him.
“And the order with my name?””
Avery's expression changed.
“That was real.””
Marcus inhaled sharply.
Dante stared.
“You tried to kill me.””
“No.””
Avery pointed toward the page.
“Look at the date.””
Dante did.
It was eight years earlier.
The night Marcus disappeared.
Avery continued.
“I ordered someone to watch you.””
“Not kill me?””
“No.””
“Then why does it say eliminate?””
“Because Claudia changed the meaning after the order left my office.””
Dante looked at Claudia.
She smiled.
“You really think your father was innocent?””
Dante said nothing.
Claudia continued.
“He wanted control. I gave him control.””
Avery shook his head.
“I wanted my sons alive.””
“Then why did you fake your death?””
Avery looked at Marcus.
“Because someone had already infiltrated the police.””
Then Dante understood.
“You couldn't trust anyone.””
Avery nodded.
“So I disappeared.””
Marcus's eyes filled with tears.
“And left us alone.””
“I thought distance would keep you alive.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“It nearly destroyed us.””
Avery lowered his head.
“I know.””
A sudden crash came from the far side of the ballroom.
Everyone turned.
One of Claudia's guards had escaped.
He grabbed Elena.
A gun pressed against her temple.
Dante raised his weapon.
“Let her go.””
The man backed toward the service door.
“No.””
Elena's breathing became frantic.
Victoria stepped forward.
“Take me instead.””
Dante looked at her.
“Victoria, don't.””
The guard smiled.
“Drop your weapons.””
Dante slowly lowered his gun.
Marcus followed.
Avery did the same.
Elena's eyes met Dante's.
She whispered, “I'm sorry.””
Dante shook his head.
“Don't.””
The guard pulled Elena toward the door.
Then a small sound came from beneath the engagement table.
A metallic click.
The guard looked down.
Elena had grabbed one of the broken champagne flutes.
She drove the blunt stem into his wrist.
He screamed.
Dante moved instantly.
The guard dropped his weapon.
Dante tackled him.
Security rushed in.
Within seconds, Elena was free.
Dante stood and looked at her.
“You okay?””
Elena nodded, breathing hard.
“I think so.””
Victoria ran toward her.
“I’m sorry.””
Elena stared at her.
“For what?””
“For everything.””
Elena wiped blood from a tiny cut on her palm.
“Then prove it.””
Victoria nodded.
“I will.””
Avery walked toward Dante.
For a moment, father and son simply stared at each other.
Avery extended his hand.
Dante didn't take it.
“You have a lot to explain.””
“I know.””
“And I don't forgive you.””
Avery nodded.
“You don't have to.””
Dante looked at Marcus.
Then Victoria.
Then Elena.
For the first time that night, the room was quiet.
But a phone began ringing.
Not Dante's.
Not Marcus's.
Victoria reached into her purse.
Her face changed when she saw the screen.
“No.””
Dante walked toward her.
“Who is it?””
She slowly turned the phone around.
The caller ID showed one name.
*MOM.*
Dante stared.
“Your mother is dead.””
Victoria's lips trembled.
The phone kept ringing.
Then a text appeared beneath the call.
*VICTORIA, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO YOUR REAL FATHER IS, COME TO THE HOUSE ALONE.*
Victoria looked at Dante.
Behind them, Avery suddenly went pale.
Because he recognized the number.
May you like
And whispered:
“That's impossible.””
