Chapter 6: The Uncle Who Held the Last Secret
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and old memories.
I had always thought hospitals were places where people went to recover.
That night, I realized they were also places where people went to reveal things they had spent a lifetime hiding.
Vincent walked through the emergency hallway without saying a word.
Doctors moved out of his way.
Nurses lowered their voices.
Security guards followed several steps behind him.
The entire building seemed to know who he was.
But I was no longer looking at Vincent Moretti, the man everyone feared.
I was looking at Vincent Moretti, the son who had just learned his mother might still be alive.
And somehow, I was walking beside him because our families were connected by a secret neither of us understood.
My hands were still holding my father’s letter.
I had read the same lines over and over until the words felt burned into my mind.
*Do not hate Vincent. He lost more than anyone.*
I didn’t know if I trusted Vincent.
But for the first time, I knew I couldn’t simply fear him.
As we reached the intensive care unit, two of Vincent’s men stood outside the door.
One of them nodded.
“Boss.””
“Status?””
“He’s stable.””
“Awake?””
“Not yet.””
Vincent looked through the glass.
Inside the room, an old man lay connected to machines.
Gabriel Bellandi.
My uncle.
The man who supposedly started a war.
The man who supposedly knew where my father was.
The man who had been a ghost in my family history until a few hours ago.
Vincent turned to the doctor.
“When can we talk to him?””
The doctor looked uncomfortable.
“Mr. Moretti, he suffered severe trauma.””
“I asked when.””
The doctor swallowed.
“If he wakes up, maybe a few minutes.””
“Then we wait.””
The doctor walked away.
I watched Vincent.
“You believe him.””
Vincent looked at me.
“Who?””
“Gabriel.””
His expression hardened.
“I believe everyone has something to hide.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
A long silence followed.
Finally, he said:
“I believe he knows something.””
I looked at the hospital room.
“About my father?””
“And my mother.””
The words were quiet.
But they carried years of pain.
Before I could respond, Antonio appeared beside us.
He had been silent since we arrived.
That bothered me.
A man like Antonio Moretti was never silent without a reason.
“You shouldn’t have brought him here,” Antonio said.
Vincent turned.
“Why?””
Antonio looked at Gabriel through the glass.
“Because if Gabriel wakes up, everything changes.””
I frowned.
“Everything already changed.””
Antonio looked at me.
“You still don’t understand.””
I stepped closer.
“Then explain.””
His eyes moved between me and Vincent.
“Twenty-five years ago, there were three people who knew the truth.””
“Who?””
“Your father.””
He looked at Vincent.
“Elena.””
Then at himself.
“And me.””
A pause.
“But there was one person who knew more than all of us.””
I already knew the answer.
“Gabriel.””
Antonio nodded.
“Yes.””
Vincent crossed his arms.
“Why did he stay hidden all these years?””
Antonio’s face darkened.
“Because he wasn’t hiding.””
“Then what was he doing?””
“Waiting.””
The answer made no sense.
“Waiting for what?””
Antonio looked at me.
“For you.””
The hallway went silent.
I felt anger rising again.
“I’m tired of hearing that.””
Antonio didn’t react.
“You should be.””
“I don’t understand why everyone keeps acting like I’m part of some plan.””
“Because you are.””
I stared at him.
“What plan?””
Before he could answer, a nurse rushed toward the room.
“Doctor!””
Everyone turned.
Inside, Gabriel’s heart monitor changed.
The alarm started.
Doctors rushed in.
We watched through the glass as they worked.
Seconds became minutes.
Vincent stood completely still.
I noticed something.
His hands were shaking.
Only slightly.
Most people would never see it.
But I did.
Because I knew what it looked like when someone was trying to stay strong while everything inside them was breaking.
After several minutes, the doctor stepped out.
“He’s awake.””
Vincent immediately moved.
The doctor held up a hand.
“Only one person.””
Vincent looked at me.
Then Antonio.
Then back at the doctor.
“I’m going.””
The doctor nodded.
Vincent entered the room.
I watched through the window.
Gabriel slowly opened his eyes.
The old man looked weak.
Nothing like the villain I had imagined.
Just a tired man carrying too many years.
Vincent leaned closer.
“Gabriel.””
The old man’s eyes moved.
Recognition appeared.
Then fear.
“You…”
His voice was barely audible.
Vincent’s expression changed.
“You know me.””
Gabriel looked past him.
Toward the window.
Toward me.
My body went cold.
Because even through the glass, I knew.
He recognized me.
Vincent noticed.
He turned slightly.
“What is it?””
Gabriel tried to speak.
The machine beside him beeped faster.
Vincent leaned closer.
“Where is my mother?””
The old man’s eyes moved back to him.
For a moment, he looked guilty.
Then he whispered something.
Vincent bent down.
“What?””
Gabriel tried again.
This time, louder.
“Not… your mother.””
Vincent froze.
“What?””
Gabriel swallowed.
“Her son.””
The room went still.
Vincent stared.
“My brother?””
Gabriel closed his eyes.
A tear moved down the side of his face.
“No.””
The answer confused me.
Vincent leaned closer.
“What are you saying?””
Gabriel opened his eyes.
And looked directly at me.
“His son.””
Nobody moved.
Vincent turned.
Slowly.
Toward me.
The hallway disappeared.
I couldn’t hear anything except my own heartbeat.
“What did he say?”” I whispered.
Antonio looked pale.
Vincent stepped out of the room.
“What did you mean?””
Gabriel forced himself to speak.
“Luca…”
The sound of my name from his mouth made my skin crawl.
“How does he know my name?””
Nobody answered.
Gabriel looked at me again.
Then he said something impossible.
“Because I saw you the day you were born.””
My breath stopped.
I shook my head.
“No.””
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“Your father was trying to save you.””
I stepped closer to the glass.
“Save me from what?””
The old man looked at Vincent.
Then at me.
“From the Moretti family.””
Vincent’s face changed.
“I thought you said Matteo and Elena were protecting each other.””
“They were.””
“Then why would Matteo hide his son from us?””
Gabriel’s breathing became weaker.
“Because he learned the truth.””
“What truth?””
The old man gripped the blanket.
“About the child.””
My heart raced.
“What child?””
Gabriel looked at me.
“You.””
The machine beeped faster.
A doctor rushed in.
Everyone moved back.
But before they pushed us away, Gabriel said one final sentence.
A sentence that made Vincent and me look at each other.
“Luca was never just Rosa’s grandson.””
The doctor closed the door.
We stood outside.
Frozen.
Antonio looked like he had seen a ghost.
Vincent looked at me.
“Who are you?””
The question hurt more than I expected.
Because I didn’t know anymore.
I looked down at the letter from my father.
At the name.
At the secrets.
At the impossible connections.
“I’m Luca Bellandi.””
Vincent shook his head slowly.
“No.””
His eyes moved to the hospital room.
Then back to me.
“Your father’s letter wasn’t protecting you from my family.””
A chill ran through me.
“Then what was it protecting me from?””
Vincent looked toward Antonio.
The older man whispered the answer.
“The truth about your blood.””
My phone suddenly vibrated.
Everyone turned.
Another unknown number.
I stared at the screen.
This time, I didn’t want to answer.
But I knew I had to.
I pressed the button.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then a woman spoke.
An old woman.
A voice I knew better than anyone.
“Luca.””
My knees almost gave out.
“Grandma?””
She was crying.
“Listen to me.””
“Where are you?””
“I don’t have much time.””
“Tell me what’s happening.””
Her breathing shook.
“Your father never died.””
I closed my eyes.
“I know.””
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“No, Luca.””
Her voice broke.
“You don’t understand.””
A pause.
“He didn’t die.””
“He was taken.””
I looked at Vincent.
Then Antonio.
Then the hospital room where Gabriel lay.
My grandmother continued.
“And the man who took him…”
Her voice became barely audible.
“…was the person you have been standing beside all night.””
My blood ran cold.
I looked at Vincent.
May you like
And for the first time since meeting him, I wondered if the man trying to help me…
was actually the man my grandmother warned me about.
