Chapter 4 - The Secret Inside the Name Marsh
For three days, Vivienne lived inside Alessio Marchetti's world.
And she hated how quickly she adapted.
The private security.
The endless meetings.
The coded phone calls.
The way people stopped talking when Alessio entered a room.
But the strangest part wasn't the danger.
It was him.
The man everyone feared was different when nobody was watching.
He drank coffee in silence every morning.
He read every report himself.
He remembered the names of every employee at the club.
He wasn't kind.
But he wasn't careless.
One evening, Vivienne found him alone in the office.
A stack of old documents covered the desk.
"You haven't slept."
Alessio didn't look up.
"Neither have you."
"I asked first."
A small smile appeared.
"You're becoming difficult."
"I was always difficult."
"I noticed."
She walked closer.
"What are you looking for?"
"The reason your father trusted me."
Vivienne stopped.
"My father trusted you?"
"Not me."
He handed her a document.
"My father."
She read the first line.
Her eyes widened.
"Your father knew mine?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Years ago."
She looked confused.
"Then why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because your father wanted you away from this world."
Vivienne laughed quietly.
"Funny. He failed."
Alessio watched her.
"You still defend him."
"Because he was my father."
"And if he betrayed you?"
Her eyes lifted.
"Did he?"
The question stopped him.
After a moment, he answered:
"No."
That was the first time she believed him completely.
A sound interrupted them.
A file notification appeared on Alessio's computer.
Nico had sent new information.
Alessio opened it.
Then froze.
Vivienne noticed.
"What?"
He turned the screen.
A bank record.
A transfer.
Her name.
Her father's name.
And one word:
Marchetti Foundation.
"What is that?"
Alessio's expression became unreadable.
"Your father wasn't running from debt."
"Then what was he doing?"
"He was protecting you."
"From what?"
Alessio looked at her.
"From me."
The answer made her step back.
"What?"
"Six years ago, your father discovered my family was being betrayed from inside."
"By who?"
"My uncle."
Silence.
"He tried to expose him."
Vivienne whispered:
"And?"
"He failed."
"What happened?"
"My father died."
Her breath caught.
"And my father disappeared."
Alessio nodded.
"Because he knew the same people who killed my father would come after him."
Vivienne stared.
"My father sacrificed everything?"
"Yes."
"For you?"
"Yes."
She looked away, overwhelmed.
Then Alessio said something she never expected.
"I'm sorry."
Two words.
From a man who never apologized.
Vivienne looked at him.
"For what?"
"For letting your family pay for my family's sins."
The room became quiet.
And for the first time, she saw the weight Alessio carried.
Not power.
Not money.
May you like
Guilt.
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