Chapter 10 - THE BETRAYAL
Carmine stood motionless.
The DNA report trembled in his hand.
One child was his son.
The other was not.
He looked toward Elena.
She was crying.
“I didn't know.”
Carmine's voice was quiet.
“Which one?”
Elena shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“Then why did your father say one wasn't mine?”
“My father wasn't there.”
Carmine turned.
The old man stood at the doorway.
“Who ran the test?”
He didn't answer.
Carmine stepped closer.
“Who?”
“Daniel.”
“Daniel is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then when was this done?”
“Years ago.”
Carmine stared at the report.
The date was eight years old.
He read it again.
Then noticed something.
The DNA signatures had been recorded before Matteo's official birth certificate.
That was impossible.
“You forged this.”
His father said nothing.
Carmine looked at Elena.
“Did you ever give your DNA?”
“No.”
“Then this test is worthless.”
His father nodded.
“Yes.”
Carmine's expression changed.
“You wanted me to believe one of them wasn't mine.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect the other.”
“From whom?”
His father didn't answer.
Carmine grabbed his collar.
“Tell me!”
His father remained silent.
Elena stepped between them.
“Carmine.”
He released him.
The old man straightened.
“There are things you still don't understand.”
“Then explain them.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“Not without putting the children in danger.”
Carmine laughed bitterly.
“They're already in danger.”
Then—
the house alarm sounded.
Everyone froze.
A security officer rushed inside.
“Sir!”
“What?”
“The east wing has been breached.”
Carmine turned.
“Where are the boys?”
The officer's face changed.
“That's the problem.”
Carmine's heart stopped.
“Where are they?”
“We can't find them.”
Carmine ran.
The hallway seemed endless.
Leo's room was empty.
Matteo's room was empty.
The windows were locked.
The doors were intact.
There was no sign of forced entry.
Carmine's breathing became heavy.
“Search everything!”
Guards scattered.
Elena stood frozen.
“Carmine…”
He turned.
“They were here.”
“I know.”
“Someone took them.”
“No.”
Carmine looked at her.
“No?”
“They weren't taken.”
“How do you know?”
“Because the alarm didn't trigger when they left.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“You think they walked out?”
“No.”
She pointed toward the floor.
A small piece of paper lay beside the bed.
Carmine picked it up.
One sentence:
THE BOYS ARE SAFE. STOP LOOKING FOR THE WRONG ENEMY.
Carmine crushed the paper.
“Raines.”
Helena entered.
“No.”
Carmine looked at her.
“What?”
“It's not Raines.”
“You said he wanted them.”
“He does.”
“Then who took them?”
Helena stared at the paper.
“Someone who wants us to think he did.”
Carmine understood.
A second player.
Someone using Raines as cover.
He looked at his father.
“You know.”
The old man said nothing.
“You know who took them.”
Still silence.
Carmine stepped closer.
“You've known this entire time.”
His father finally spoke.
“The person who took them is the only one who can prove which child is the real heir.”
Carmine froze.
“Who?”
His father whispered:
“Sofia.”
They found the trail two hours later.
A hidden passage beneath the manor.
The tunnel led toward the old railway station.
Carmine and Elena followed with a security team.
Helena remained behind.
The old man refused to leave.
At the end of the tunnel, they found an abandoned train car.
The doors were open.
Inside was a single photograph.
Carmine picked it up.
It showed Sofia.
She looked almost identical to Elena.
Beside her stood Victor Raines.
And between them—
two newborn babies.
Carmine stared.
The date was written beneath the photograph.
Eight years ago.
Elena's hands shook.
“That was the night they disappeared.”
Carmine looked at the photograph.
“Look at the babies.”
Elena did.
Her face went white.
“The blanket.”
“What?”
“Leo had a blue blanket.”
Carmine looked closer.
The baby on the left was wrapped in blue.
The baby on the right in white.
Elena whispered:
“Matteo was supposed to have the white blanket.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“So they were switched.”
“Yes.”
“By Sofia.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Elena shook her head.
“I don't know.”
A voice came from behind them.
“You really should stop asking questions you don't want answered.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel stood in the doorway.
Alive.
Carmine raised his weapon.
“What the hell?”
Daniel smiled.
“I knew you'd find this place.”
Carmine's eyes hardened.
“You're supposed to be dead.”
“I was never dead.”
“Who did we bury?”
“A man who looked like me.”
Carmine stared.
“You staged your death.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To escape Raines.”
“Then why work for him?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I never worked for Raines.”
Carmine lowered the weapon slightly.
“Then who?”
Daniel looked toward the photograph.
“Your father.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Your father ordered me to alter the hospital records.”
Carmine stared.
“Why?”
“Because Sofia had already switched the babies.”
Elena looked horrified.
“Why would she do that?”
Daniel answered:
“Because she wanted the wrong child to inherit the trust.”
Carmine frowned.
“Which child?”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“That's the question.”
Carmine stepped forward.
“Where are my sons?”
Daniel's expression became serious.
“They're safe.”
“Where?”
“I can't tell you.”
Carmine grabbed him.
“Tell me.”
Daniel didn't resist.
“Your father knows.”
Carmine turned toward the old man.
His father had followed them.
He stood silently at the entrance.
Carmine walked toward him.
“Where are they?”
The old man looked exhausted.
“Somewhere Raines can't reach.”
“Where?”
“Under protection.”
“Whose?”
He hesitated.
Then:
“Sofia's.”
Elena froze.
“You're protecting her?”
“No.”
“Then why are my children with her?”
“Because she's the only person Raines fears.”
Carmine stared.
“Why?”
His father looked at Elena.
“Because Sofia knows the truth about Matteo.”
Elena's face changed.
“What truth?”
Her father whispered:
“Matteo isn't Raines's son.”
“We know.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You don't understand.”
He looked at Carmine.
“Matteo is yours.”
Carmine froze.
“What?”
“Matteo is your biological son.”
Carmine stared.
“But the DNA report…”
“Was forged.”
“Then Leo?”
His father looked away.
“Leo isn't yours.”
Elena collapsed into a chair.
“No…”
Carmine couldn't speak.
The world seemed to stop.
Leo.
The boy who had called him Daddy.
The boy he had promised to protect.
The boy whose hand he had held.
If the report was true, Leo wasn't his biological son.
But Matteo was.
Carmine felt torn apart.
“Why did you lie?”
His father answered:
“Because if Raines knew Matteo was yours, he would kill him.”
Carmine shook his head.
“You hid my son.”
“Yes.”
“And you gave me another child?”
“No.”
Carmine stared.
“What?”
“Leo was never supposed to be part of this.”
“Then whose son is he?”
His father looked at Elena.
Elena whispered:
“I don't know.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel took a breath.
“Leo is the son of the man who started all of this.”
Carmine's voice was barely audible.
“Who?”
Daniel looked directly at him.
“Victor Raines.”
Silence.
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“Sofia switched the babies because she knew Raines would never hurt his own child.”
Carmine stared.
“But he has been hunting Leo.”
Daniel's face became grim.
“Because Raines doesn't know Leo is his son.”
Carmine felt sick.
“Then why is he after him?”
“Because he believes Leo is the heir to your father's trust.”
Daniel looked at the photograph.
“He's been hunting his own son for eight years.”
A sound came from outside.
Car doors.
Footsteps.
Carmine turned toward the tunnel entrance.
Daniel's face changed.
“They found us.”
“Who?”
Daniel whispered:
“Raines.”
The doors of the railway station exploded inward.
Armed men entered.
Carmine pulled Elena behind him.
Daniel reached for a weapon.
His father stood frozen.
A voice echoed through the station.
“Carmine.”
Victor Raines walked into the light.
Older.
Calm.
Smiling.
“I think it's time we stop pretending.”
Carmine raised his weapon.
“Where are the boys?”
Raines smiled.
“Which boys?”
Carmine's jaw tightened.
“You know exactly who.”
Raines looked toward Elena.
Then at Carmine.
“I've spent eight years looking for one child.”
He paused.
“And now I discover I've been looking for the wrong one.”
Carmine's blood ran cold.
Raines continued:
“Thank your father for me.”
Carmine looked at the old man.
His father looked terrified.
Raines smiled.
“Because he knows what happens next.”
He raised his hand.
A gunshot echoed.
Carmine's father collapsed.
Elena screamed.
Carmine turned toward him.
“Dad!”
The old man fell to the ground.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Before Carmine could reach him, Raines disappeared into the darkness.
But his final words remained behind:
“Bring me Leo.”
Carmine looked at Elena.
Then at the blood beneath his father's body.
The hunt had changed.
Raines no longer wanted the heir.
He wanted his own son.
May you like
And Carmine now had to choose between protecting the boy who called him Daddy—
and finding the son whose blood ran through his veins.
