Chapter 6 - THE MOTHER THE MAFIA BOSS BURIED
Roman had buried his mother fifteen years earlier.
A private funeral.
A closed casket.
No autopsy.
No questions.
His father told him Sophia died after a sudden illness.
Roman believed him.
Until now.
The photograph showed Sophia standing beside Margaret and Elena.
Older.
Alive.
Smiling.
And the date on the back was unmistakable.
Three years earlier.
The exact year I disappeared.
Roman stared at the image.
For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes.
“Mom?”
His voice broke.
I looked away.
I understood.
I'd spent years grieving Margaret.
Now both of us were discovering that the women we'd buried might still be alive.
Detective Bennett examined the photograph.
“We need to verify the date and identify the location.”
Roman nodded.
He didn't argue.
Didn't demand immediate answers.
He simply stared at his mother's face.
Then the forensic technician recovered files from the memory card.
The first contained photographs.
The second contained financial records.
The third was a video.
Margaret appeared on the screen.
My mother.
Older than I remembered.
Her hair was silver.
Her face tired.
But her eyes were bright.
“Nora,” she began.
I stopped breathing.
“If you're watching this, then the people who kept our family apart have finally found us.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
Margaret continued.
“I never wanted you involved in the Moretti family's history.”
She paused.
“But when Victor discovered Elena was alive, he began using both your identities to move money through private accounts.”
Roman's jaw hardened.
The video continued.
“Elena found proof that the accounts were connected to illegal operations. Sophia and I tried to protect her.”
I covered my mouth.
Then Margaret leaned closer to the camera.
“Victor wasn't working alone.”
My heart raced.
“He had help from someone Roman trusts completely.”
Roman looked toward Tommy.
Tommy stepped backward.
For a second, the room became painfully still.
Then Margaret spoke again.
“That man is named Thomas Bellini.”
Tommy.
His full name was Thomas Bellini.
Roman's security chief.
The man who had stood beside him when he entered Lombardi's.
The man who knew I worked there.
The man who had supposedly helped locate Elena.
Tommy's face drained of color.
Roman slowly stood.
“Tommy?”
Tommy raised both hands.
“Boss, listen.”
Detective Bennett immediately signaled for the officers outside.
But Tommy was already moving toward the door.
Then he stopped.
Turned.
And looked directly at me.
His expression was full of something I hadn't expected.
Regret.
“Nora,” he whispered, “I didn't betray you.”
Roman stared.
“Then explain.”
Tommy swallowed.
“I've been protecting you from Victor for three years.”
The room fell silent.
May you like
Then he added:
“And the reason Margaret and Sophia are still alive is because I helped them disappear.”
