Chapter 4: The Man Behind the Door
Luca's hand remained on the key.
He didn't turn it.
Behind him, Victoria was breathing hard.
Elena stood frozen against the stone wall.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Luca slowly looked over his shoulder.
“What did you just say?””
Victoria's face was wet with tears.
“I said he isn't your father.””
Luca turned fully toward her.
“You told me my father was dead.””
“He is.””
“Then who is behind that door?””
Victoria shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Luca laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I don't know who he is.””
“You knew someone was down here.””
“Yes.””
“You had the key.””
“No.””
Luca lifted the silver key.
“Then why does this have your fingerprints all over it?””
Victoria stared at the key.
Her expression changed.
“I never touched it.””
Elena suddenly whispered, “She's lying.””
Victoria spun toward her.
“You don't know anything.””
“I know what I saw.””
“You saw nothing.””
“I saw you come downstairs.””
Victoria took a step toward Elena.
Luca stepped between them.
“Stay away from her.””
Victoria stopped.
The anger in her face slowly turned into something else.
Desperation.
“Luca, listen to me.””
“I'm listening.””
“You need to leave this house.””
“Why?””
“Because this isn't about Elena.””
“Then what is it about?””
Victoria looked toward the steel door.
Her voice dropped.
“Your family.””
Silence.
Luca stared at her.
“My family?””
“Your father wasn't the man you thought he was.””
A metallic scrape came from behind the door.
Everyone turned.
The sound was slow.
Like fingernails dragging across steel.
Elena covered her mouth.
Luca stepped toward the door.
“Who are you?””
No answer.
He pressed his palm against the cold metal.
“Tell me your name.””
A voice came through.
“Luca…”
He froze.
The voice sounded older now.
Weaker.
“Tell me who you are.””
A pause.
Then:
“Your mother knew.””
Luca's eyes widened.
His mother had died when he was ten.
He remembered almost nothing about her death.
Only fragments.
A hospital room.
White curtains.
His father's hand on his shoulder.
And his mother whispering something he had never understood.
Don't let him take you.
Luca had spent years believing she had been delirious.
Now his skin prickled.
“What did my mother know?””
The voice behind the door whispered:
“Everything.””
Victoria began sobbing.
Luca turned toward her.
“You knew about my mother.””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
“Then why are you crying?””
“I didn't want this.””
“What didn't you want?””
“This night.””
She wiped her face.
“I was supposed to marry you tonight.””
“You were supposed to marry me?””
“Yes.””
“And then what?””
Victoria looked away.
“Then I was supposed to get you out.””
Luca's expression hardened.
“Get me out of what?””
She said nothing.
He stepped toward her.
“Victoria.””
“I can't.””
“You can.””
“No.””
“Tell me.””
She stared at him.
Then Elena screamed.
“Behind you!””
Luca spun.
The steel door was moving.
Not opening.
Something was pushing against it.
The entire frame shook.
Once.
Twice.
Then the handle began turning.
Luca stepped backward.
Victoria grabbed his arm.
“Don't let him out.””
Luca ripped his arm away.
“You said you didn't know who he was.””
“I don't!””
“Then how do you know he's dangerous?””
Victoria stared at him.
Her lips trembled.
“Because I heard him before.””
“When?””
“Years ago.””
“Where?””
Victoria looked at the floor.
“In this room.””
Luca's jaw tightened.
“You've been here before.””
Victoria didn't answer.
“You've been in my father's private room.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before we met.””
“Why?””
She closed her eyes.
“My father sent me.””
Luca went completely still.
“Your father?””
Victoria nodded.
“He knew your father.””
“How?””
“They were partners.””
“In what?””
Victoria looked toward the door.
“I don't know.””
Luca grabbed her shoulders.
“Stop giving me half-answers.””
Victoria flinched.
“I swear, I don't know.””
“Then why did your father send you here?””
“To watch you.””
The words landed like a slap.
Elena whispered, “Luca…”
He released Victoria.
“To watch me?””
“Yes.””
“For how long?””
“Years.””
Luca stared at her.
Every dinner.
Every business meeting.
Every late-night conversation.
Every time Victoria had told him she loved him.
All of it suddenly felt rehearsed.
“You never loved me.””
Victoria's face crumpled.
“I did.””
“Then why spy on me?””
“Because I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
Victoria looked at the steel door.
“From the man who raised you.””
The handle stopped turning.
Silence returned.
Then the voice behind the door whispered:
“She's lying.””
Victoria screamed.
“Don't listen to him!””
Luca stared at the door.
The voice continued.
“Ask her what happened to your mother.””
Victoria backed away.
Luca turned slowly.
“What happened to my mother?””
Victoria's face went pale.
“I wasn't there.””
“That's not what I asked.””
“I wasn't there.””
“Victoria.””
She began shaking.
“Your mother found out.””
“Found out what?””
“That your father had another son.””
Luca stopped breathing.
The hallway seemed to disappear around him.
Another son.
Behind the door came a quiet laugh.
Then the voice said:
“And now he knows about you.””
The lights flickered.
Elena grabbed Luca's sleeve.
“Sir…”
Luca looked down.
She was staring at the floor.
A thin line of water was spreading beneath the steel door.
But it wasn't water.
It was dark red.
Luca stepped forward.
Victoria screamed, “Don't open it!””
He turned the key.
May you like
The lock clicked.
And from somewhere above them came the sound of dozens of footsteps running toward the basement.
