Chapter 4 - The Man Behind the Lie
Dante moved between Elena and Carlo.
“Leave.”
Carlo ignored him.
“Did he tell you why he really spent six months looking for you?”
Elena looked at Dante.
“He told me about my mother.”
“Of course he did.”
Carlo smiled.
“Did he tell you Gabriel Valenti was planning to destroy the entire Vanel family?”
Dante's jaw tightened.
“Enough.”
Elena stepped around him.
“No. I want to hear it.”
Carlo nodded approvingly.
“Smart girl.”
“Don't call me that.”
His smile faded.
Elena continued.
“Did you kill my father?”
Carlo looked genuinely amused.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“Ask Dante's father.”
Silence.
Dante stared at his uncle.
“My father was in Sicily.”
“So you were told.”
Dante's voice lowered.
“Be very careful.”
Carlo stepped closer.
“Your father ordered Gabriel's death because Gabriel was working with federal investigators.”
Elena looked at Dante.
“Is that true?”
“I don't know.”
“Convenient.”
“I won't lie to you.”
Carlo chuckled.
“He'll kill fifty men but draws the line at lying.”
Dante turned.
“Marco.”
Marco moved toward Carlo.
Carlo raised a hand.
“I'm leaving.”
Before walking away, he looked at Elena.
“Check the final page of your mother's file.”
Dante went still.
Elena noticed.
“What final page?”
Carlo smiled.
“Ask him.”
Then he left.
Elena turned.
“Dante.”
He said nothing.
“You knew.”
“I knew there was another page.”
“And you didn't show me.”
“I was trying to verify it.”
“Show me.”
“Elena—”
“Now.”
Dante stared at her.
Then reached inside his coat.
A folded sheet of paper appeared.
Elena took it.
Sofia's handwriting.
Dante was there the night Gabriel disappeared.
Elena stopped breathing.
She looked up.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“How old were you?”
“Nineteen.”
“What happened?”
Dante glanced through the hospital window at Toby.
Then back at her.
“My father ordered me to drive.”
“Drive who?”
“Two men.”
“Where?”
“A warehouse in Brooklyn.”
Elena's eyes filled with anger.
“My father was there?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn't know his name then.”
“What happened?”
“I waited outside.”
“For what?”
Dante didn't answer.
Elena's voice broke.
“For them to kill him?”
“I didn't know what they intended.”
“But you knew your father.”
“Yes.”
“And you drove them anyway.”
Dante didn't defend himself.
That somehow made it worse.
“I was nineteen and desperate to prove I belonged in my family.”
Elena stepped back.
“When did you learn who Gabriel was?”
“After your mother saved me.”
“She knew?”
“Yes.”
“And she still saved you?”
Dante nodded.
“Why?”
“I asked her the same question.”
“What did she say?”
Dante looked at her.
“She said becoming like the men who killed Gabriel wouldn't bring him back.”
Elena turned away.
“I need you to leave.”
Dante's expression tightened.
“Elena.”
“Please.”
“Toby's security—”
“Your men can stay.”
She looked at him.
“But you leave.”
For perhaps the first time in years, Dante Vanel obeyed someone without argument.
He walked away.
Six hours later, Toby was taken into surgery.
Elena sat alone.
Then Greg appeared at the far end of the waiting room.
She stood.
“How did you get in here?”
“I came to apologize.”
“You need to leave.”
“Elena, listen.”
He approached.
“I didn't know what Carlo wanted.”
Her blood ran cold.
“You work for him.”
Greg stopped.
“I owed money.”
“So you watched me?”
“I gave him schedules. That's all.”
“You put my brother in danger.”
“I never told him about Toby.”
“You knew he existed.”
Greg looked ashamed.
“I screwed up.”
Elena reached for her phone.
Greg grabbed her wrist.
“Don't.”
A voice behind him said, “That's becoming a very unhealthy habit.”
Greg froze.
Dante stood at the end of the corridor.
No raised voice.
No dramatic movement.
Just Dante.
Greg released Elena.
“I thought she told you to leave.”
“She did.”
Dante walked closer.
“So I stood downstairs.”
Elena almost smiled despite herself.
Greg backed away.
Dante nodded toward Marco.
“Take him.”
Greg panicked.
“I can give you Carlo!”
Dante stopped.
“What?”
“I have recordings.”
Marco grabbed him.
Greg continued quickly.
“Carlo talks when he drinks. He admitted everything.”
“Everything?”
“Gabriel. Sofia. The accounts.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Where?”
“Safe-deposit box.”
Greg swallowed.
“I'll give it to you.”
Dante stared at him.
“In exchange for what?”
“Protection.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
Greg looked at her.
“Please.”
“You grabbed me every night because you thought I couldn't fight back.”
“I was wrong.”
“Yes.”
She stepped closer.
“You were.”
Dante looked at Elena.
“Your decision.”
Greg blinked.
“What?”
Dante repeated, “Her decision.”
Elena understood.
Dante was giving her control.
She looked at Greg.
“Give us the evidence.”
“And?”
“You don't get protection from Dante.”
Greg went pale.
“You get protection from the police.”
Dante's eyebrow lifted.
Elena looked at him.
“You have a problem with that?”
After a pause, Dante smiled faintly.
“No.”
Greg stared.
“You're sending me to the cops?”
Elena nodded.
“And you're going to tell them everything.”
The operating room doors opened.
The surgeon appeared.
Elena forgot Greg instantly.
She ran forward.
“How is Toby?”
The surgeon smiled.
“The procedure went beautifully.”
Elena covered her mouth.
“He's okay?”
“He's okay.”
Her knees nearly gave way.
Dante caught her.
For several seconds, Elena allowed herself to lean against him.
Then she whispered, “Thank you.”
Dante looked down at her.
“For what?”
May you like
“For keeping your promise.”
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