Chapter 12 - THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT ME INTO THE HOUSE
I ran.
I didn't wait for Dante.
Didn't wait for security.
Sophia was inside.
That was all I understood.
The estate halls blurred around me.
I reached the staff room.
Empty.
“Sophia!”
No answer.
My heart stopped.
Then I heard a giggle from the kitchen.
I burst through the doors.
Sophia sat at the table eating strawberries.
Patricia stood beside her.
Holding a knife.
Not threateningly.
Just cutting fruit.
But my body went cold anyway.
“Mommy!”
Sophia smiled.
I crossed the room and lifted her immediately.
Patricia frowned.
“Rosa?”
I stepped backward.
“Stay away from us.”
Her face changed.
“What happened?”
Dante entered behind me with security.
Patricia looked toward him.
Then toward the guards.
Slowly, she put down the knife.
“Sir?”
Dante's voice was quiet.
“Victor says you directed the household schedules connected to Carmela's ambush.”
Patricia went pale.
“That’s insane.”
Then my mother was wheeled into the kitchen with medical staff nearby.
She looked at Patricia.
And began crying.
“Her.”
Patricia's expression changed.
Mom pointed.
“She… knew.”
The room went silent.
Dante looked toward Patricia.
“What did you know?”
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she laughed softly.
Not the nervous laugh of an innocent employee.
Something colder.
“You all needed someone to blame.”
My stomach tightened.
“Patricia.”
She looked at me.
“I hired you, Rosa.”
“I know.”
“Why do you think?”
My throat tightened.
“You knew who Sophia was.”
“Yes.”
I held my daughter tighter.
“Why bring us here?”
“Because Victor lost track of Luca's evidence.”
Her smile vanished.
“We believed Luca left something with you.”
The music box.
She continued.
“Carmela discovered we were watching you.”
My stomach turned.
“So you killed her?”
Patricia shook her head.
“Victor handled the ambush.”
Dante's jaw tightened.
“And you?”
“I handled the house.”
The words were almost proud.
She'd controlled staff movements.
Access.
Medication records.
Security schedules.
She made sure nobody questioned why Victor knew where everyone would be.
Then Dante asked:
“Why?”
Patricia looked toward him.
“Because your father destroyed my family.”
Silence.
Her father had owned a small transport company.
Years earlier, Dante's father absorbed it during a violent business dispute.
Patricia's brother later died working for the Falcone organization.
She spent decades planning revenge.
But somewhere along the way, revenge became greed.
She used Victor to steal from foundations.
Manipulate accounts.
And prepare to seize assets if Dante died.
Then Patricia looked toward Sophia.
“Luca ruined everything when he fell in love with Rosa.”
My blood went cold.
“He started asking questions. Carmela followed.”
Her smile disappeared.
“They should've stayed quiet.”
Dante stepped forward.
“No.”
His voice was softer than I'd ever heard it.
“You should have stopped hurting innocent people.”
Then Patricia laughed.
“Innocent?”
She pointed toward him.
“There are no innocent Falcones.”
Dante didn't argue.
That surprised everyone.
“You may be right about me,” he said.
Then he looked toward Sophia.
“But not her.”
For the first time, Patricia's expression faltered.
Security escorted her out after investigators were contacted.
No shouting.
No secret punishment.
No disappearing body.
Dante wanted everything documented.
Then Sophia touched my cheek.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Can we go home?”
I hugged her.
“Yes.”
May you like
That night, we left the Falcone estate.
And Dante did not stop us.
