Chapter 6: The Man With Two Faces
The room became a battlefield without a single weapon being fired.
Everyone looked at Thomas.
Then at the screen.
Then back at Thomas.
Nobody knew what to believe.
The man on the video had his face.
His voice.
His memories.
Everything.
But the real Thomas Bellini stood ten feet away, looking just as shocked as everyone else.
For the first time in twenty years, Vincent Moretti had no immediate answer.
And that terrified him.
Because Vincent had built his entire life around certainty.
He knew who his enemies were.
He knew who his allies were.
He knew who deserved mercy and who deserved punishment.
But now he was staring at a man who should not exist.
Thomas stepped toward the screen.
“That’s impossible.””
The man in the video smiled.
“Is it?””
Thomas went pale.
Vincent noticed.
“You know him.””
Thomas didn’t answer.
Vincent’s voice became colder.
“Thomas.””
The older man looked at him.
“I thought he was dead.””
The room went silent.
Marco frowned.
“Who?””
Thomas stared at the screen.
“My brother.””
Vincent’s expression changed.
“You never told me you had a brother.””
Thomas looked exhausted.
“Because I thought he died before you ever met me.””
On the screen, the other Thomas laughed.
A sound filled with bitterness.
“Still lying for him?””
The real Thomas stepped closer.
“Andrew.””
The man on the screen smiled.
“There it is.””
He leaned toward the camera.
“Twenty years, and you still say my name like you’re sorry.””
Vincent looked between them.
“Start explaining.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
Then opened them.
“His name is Andrew Bellini.””
“Your brother?””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
Thomas looked at the screen.
“He was supposed to die.””
The words sounded impossible.
But nobody interrupted.
Thomas continued.
“Twenty-two years ago, Andrew worked with the people who controlled the city before you built your empire.””
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“The Order.””
Thomas nodded.
“He wasn’t just working for them.””
He looked at Luna.
“He was one of them.””
The little girl held Vincent’s hand tighter.
Andrew smiled from the screen.
“Careful, brother. Tell them everything.””
Thomas ignored him.
“Andrew believed power belonged only to people willing to take it.””
Vincent stared at the screen.
“And you?””
“I believed people could change.””
A bitter smile appeared on Andrew’s face.
“That’s why you were always weak.””
Vincent stepped closer to the screen.
“Where is Elena?””
Andrew looked amused.
“Still pretending she’s the only thing you care about?””
Vincent’s expression didn’t change.
But everyone in the room felt the danger rising.
“I asked you a question.””
Andrew leaned back.
“She’s alive.””
A breath escaped Luna.
“Mom…”
Vincent’s eyes never left the screen.
“If you hurt her—”
Andrew interrupted.
“You’ll do what?””
Silence.
Because both men knew the answer.
Vincent had destroyed people for less.
Andrew smiled.
“There’s the old Vincent.””
Then his expression turned serious.
“The one everyone feared.””
Vincent said nothing.
Andrew continued.
“You want Elena back.””
“Yes.””
“Then bring me the key.””
Vincent looked at Luna.
“No.””
Andrew smiled.
“Exactly.””
The answer seemed to please him.
“That’s why she chose you.””
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“Explain.””
Andrew looked at Luna.
“Everyone else sees the key.””
He paused.
“But Elena knew you would see the girl.””
The words affected Vincent more than he wanted to admit.
Because that was the difference.
The key.
The secret.
The power.
Everyone wanted those things.
But Vincent only saw his daughter.
Andrew noticed.
“Twenty years ago, Elena found information that could destroy the Order.””
“What information?””
“The names.””
Vincent frowned.
“Names?””
“Every person who built their wealth through blood. Every politician who accepted their money. Every businessman who made deals in the dark.””
Andrew smiled.
“The key opens a place where all those secrets are stored.””
Vincent looked at Luna’s necklace.
“And Elena hid it?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Andrew laughed.
“If I knew that, do you think I would need the girl?””
Luna stepped forward.
“My mother never told me anything.””
Andrew looked at her.
“That’s because she was smarter than everyone.””
His voice softened strangely.
“She knew children remember what adults forget.””
Vincent watched him carefully.
“What does that mean?””
Andrew didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at Thomas.
“Ask your friend what happened the night Luna was born.””
Thomas looked away.
Vincent immediately noticed.
“What happened?””
Thomas remained silent.
Vincent turned.
“Thomas.””
The older man looked broken.
“There’s more.””
“Of course there is.””
Vincent’s voice carried no anger anymore.
Only disappointment.
“Everyone seems to know my life better than me.””
Thomas lowered his head.
“The night Luna was born…”
He stopped.
Then continued.
“Adrian Vale wasn’t the only doctor there.””
Vincent froze.
“What?””
“There was another person in the room.””
“Who?””
Thomas looked at Luna.
“Your mother.””
Vincent stared.
“That makes no sense.””
Thomas nodded.
“I know.””
“Luna was born. Elena was there.””
“Yes.””
“And then?””
Thomas swallowed.
“Then the hospital was attacked.””
The room went quiet.
“By who?””
“The Order.””
Vincent’s face hardened.
Thomas continued.
“Adrian Vale helped them fake Luna’s death.””
Vincent’s hands tightened.
“But Elena escaped.””
“Yes.””
“With Luna.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you tell me she was dead?””
Thomas looked like he hated himself.
“Because when I arrived…”
His voice broke.
“I found Elena badly injured. She gave me Luna.””
Vincent stopped.
“She gave you my daughter?””
Thomas nodded.
“She told me to take her somewhere safe.””
“And Elena?””
Thomas looked down.
“She stayed behind.””
A painful silence.
Vincent looked at the screen.
At Andrew.
At the man who had stolen twenty years.
“You knew.””
Andrew smiled.
“Yes.””
“You knew she was alive.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Luna was alive.””
“Yes.””
Vincent’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“And you let me suffer.””
Andrew shrugged.
“It was necessary.””
The simplicity of the answer made something inside Vincent snap.
“Necessary?””
Andrew leaned closer.
“Vincent, do you know why you survived this long?””
No answer.
“Because everyone thought you were broken.””
The words landed.
“You were easier to control when you were angry.””
Vincent stared.
Andrew continued.
“The Order didn’t want you dead.””
“Then what did they want?””
Andrew smiled.
“They wanted you exactly where you were.””
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“A weapon.””
“Yes.””
A pause.
“Your pain made you powerful.””
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone understood.
Vincent had spent twenty years hunting enemies.
Building an empire.
Becoming feared.
And maybe someone had wanted that.
Maybe someone had created the monster they needed.
Andrew looked at Luna.
“But Elena ruined the plan.””
“How?””
“She taught you something they never expected.””
Vincent waited.
Andrew smiled.
“She taught you how to love.””
The screen suddenly flickered.
A warning appeared.
Thirty seconds.
Andrew looked back at Vincent.
“The key is not just a key.””
Vincent stepped closer.
“What is it?””
Andrew smiled.
“It’s a promise.””
The screen started losing connection.
“Wait.””
Andrew continued.
“The promise your daughter’s mother made before she disappeared.””
Vincent’s heart stopped.
“What promise?””
Andrew looked at Luna.
Then the camera went dark.
The room fell silent.
Nobody moved.
Then Luna spoke.
“My mother made another key.””
Vincent turned.
“What?””
She looked frightened.
“I forgot.””
“You forgot what?””
She touched her necklace.
“When I was little…”
Her voice shook.
“Mom gave me something else.””
Vincent crouched.
“What?””
“A box.””
Marco stepped closer.
“Where is it?””
Luna looked toward the window.
“In the place where she told me to hide if someone found us.””
Vincent stood.
“Where?””
The girl pointed toward the city.
“A house.””
“What house?””
Luna looked at him.
“The one where we lived before we ran.””
Vincent felt his chest tighten.
“Your childhood home?””
She nodded.
Then whispered:
“But we can’t go there.””
“Why?””
Her face turned pale.
“Because my mother said the house was the first place they would look.””
A long silence followed.
Then every light in the mansion went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A second later, the emergency system activated.
One message appeared on every screen.
Not from Elena.
Not from Andrew.
Not from the Order.
From someone else.
Someone inside the mansion.
May you like
The message was only five words.
*Luna has already been found.*
