Chapter 9 - THE ATTACK ON ROSSI MANSION
The explosion hit the west security gate.
Windows rattled.
Alarms screamed.
Marcus moved instantly.
“Safe room.”
Mom grabbed my hand.
I pulled away.
“I can walk.”
She nodded.
Fair.
Luca stood despite his reopened wound.
“No.”
I pointed at him.
“You’re going to the safe room.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Are you ordering me?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“This is not flirting.”
“Unfortunate.”
Even Mom stared.
“Is he always like this?”
“I’ve known him four days.”
Another explosion answered for us.
Security reported vehicles approaching the estate.
Not police.
Anthony’s men.
But something had changed.
Luca’s people weren’t caught unprepared.
Because Marina had warned Marcus earlier.
Federal agents were already moving toward the property.
“I contacted them before coming in,” Mom said.
Luca looked at her.
“You brought federal agents to my house.”
“You’re welcome.”
Gabriel Rossi—Luca’s head of legitimate operations—called from Manhattan.
Anthony had begun transferring corporate funds.
He expected Luca to die tonight.
That was the key.
Anthony wasn’t merely attacking.
He was attempting a takeover.
Luca’s phone rang.
Anthony.
He answered on speaker.
“Cousin.”
Anthony sounded cheerful.
“You should have stayed in bed.”
“You should have learned accounting.”
A pause.
Then Anthony laughed.
“You know?”
“I do now.”
“You always were slow to trust the obvious people.”
Luca’s expression hardened.
“What do you want?”
“The Bellini files.”
Mom went still.
Anthony knew.
Luca noticed.
“So this was never only about the company.”
“No.”
Anthony continued.
“Bellini has information worth more than Rossi Holdings.”
“What information?”
“Everyone who ever accepted money from your father.”
Judges.
Politicians.
Businessmen.
Criminal organizations.
Blackmail.
The medical archive wasn’t only tracking data.
It was evidence.
Then Anthony addressed me.
“Emily.”
My skin crawled.
“How do you know I’m here?”
“Your mother is predictable.”
Mom’s face tightened.
Anthony continued.
“You’ve been useful.”
I felt sick.
“Useful how?”
“You got Luca to lower security.”
“No, she didn’t,” Marcus said.
Anthony laughed.
“You got him emotionally distracted.”
Luca’s expression became frighteningly calm.
“You have ten seconds to stop talking about her.”
I touched his arm.
Not to restrain him.
To remind him.
He looked at me.
Breathed.
Anthony heard the silence.
“See?”
Then he dropped the real secret.
“Ask Marina why Emily’s medical records mattered so much.”
I looked at Mom.
Her face went white.
“Mom?”
Anthony continued.
“Bellini didn’t choose Emily randomly as a child.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why me?”
He laughed.
“Because she wasn’t Daniel Hale’s daughter.”
My entire body went cold.
Mom whispered:
“Anthony, stop.”
Too late.
He said:
“Tell her, Marina.”
May you like
Then:
“Tell Emily who her father really was.”
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