Chapter 7 - THE LEAK
Only seven people knew the brownstone location.
Luca.
Rachel.
Marco.
Two security officers.
Dr. Bennett’s emergency medical liaison.
And Luca’s attorney, Elias Conti.
The security officers passed polygraphs voluntarily.
Nothing.
The medical liaison had received the address only after Luca arrived.
Rachel obviously was not the leak.
That left Marco.
Elias.
Or Luca.
Marco placed his phone on the table.
“Take it.”
Luca looked at him.
“Every device.”
Marco added his keys.
“Accounts.”
A folded paper.
“Passwords.”
Luca said nothing.
“If I’m the leak, find it.”
“You don’t have to prove yourself to me.”
“Yes.”
Marco looked at Emma sleeping on the couch.
“I do.”
Elias Conti reacted differently.
“I’m an attorney, Luca.”
“You’re also one of the few people who knew.”
“And you think privilege becomes optional because you’re frightened?”
“I think my daughter’s location was exposed.”
Elias stopped.
Then surrendered his devices for independent review under negotiated protections.
The answer came from neither man.
The leak was the building itself.
A dormant security camera.
Installed years earlier.
Connected to Bellini Protective Services.
The camera automatically pinged an old monitoring server the moment movement entered the brownstone.
Someone still had access.
Credentials:
ADMIN-SB01.
Salvatore Bellini.
Marco stared.
“That’s enough for me.”
“Not for me.”
Luca wanted proof Salvatore actually used it.
They found it.
Login.
Same evening.
Twelve minutes before the black sedan arrived.
Luca called Salvatore.
No answer.
Then Matteo called.
“Do not go to my father’s house.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s gone.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
“Matteo.”
“I swear.”
Then Matteo said:
“He left me something.”
“What?”
“A letter.”
“Read it.”
Silence.
“Matteo.”
His cousin’s voice broke.
“He says he did everything for the family.”
Luca closed his eyes.
“What exactly did he admit?”
“Nothing directly.”
Then:
“But he wrote that your father was too weak to finish what had to be done.”
Luca’s eyes opened.
“What had to be done?”
Matteo swallowed.
“Preserve the succession.”
Luca looked toward Emma.
The child who, by existing, changed everything.
Then Matteo whispered:
“There’s another line.”
“What?”
Alessandro tried to destroy what our father built. I stopped him once. I will not let his son finish it.
Luca went still.
Stopped him once.
His father had died before completing the exit.
The words could mean business.
Or something far worse.
Then Marco rushed in.
“We have Sokolov.”
Luca turned.
“What?”
“He wants a meeting.”
“Why?”
“He says Salvatore is trying to start a war between you.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“And why should I believe Viktor Sokolov?”
May you like
Marco answered:
“Because he says he has proof Salvatore ordered the Mulberry Street shooting.”
