Chapter 5 - HELENA’S FIRST LIE
The photograph lay on the desk between them.
Nobody touched it.
Nobody spoke.
Carmine stared at the second crib in the corner of the image.
He zoomed in again.
There it was.
A tiny bundle beneath a white blanket.
Another baby.
Another child.
His voice was low.
“How many children were in that room?”
Helena didn't answer.
Carmine looked at her.
“How many?”
She closed her eyes.
“Two.”
Leo stood beside Carmine.
He looked confused.
“Two babies?”
Helena nodded.
Carmine's jaw tightened.
“Who was the second child?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I never knew who the child belonged to.”
“Then why was he in the same room as Leo?”
Helena looked at the photograph.
“Because the hospital kept them together.”
“Why?”
“Because they were both born that night.”
Carmine stared at her.
“Born to whom?”
Helena hesitated.
“That is what I never found out.”
Carmine slammed the photograph onto the desk.
“You're lying.”
“I am not.”
“You lied about Elena.”
“I was protecting Leo.”
“You lied about his mother.”
“I was protecting him.”
“You lied about the hospital.”
“I was trying to keep him alive.”
Carmine stepped closer.
“And now you're telling me there was another baby?”
Helena's voice broke.
“Yes.”
Carmine looked toward Leo.
The boy was pale.
He had understood enough to know something terrible was happening.
Carmine crouched beside him.
“Leo.”
The boy looked up.
“Do you remember another baby?”
Leo thought.
Then slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
Carmine froze.
“You do?”
Leo nodded.
“There was a baby.”
“Where?”
“In Mommy's room.”
“What did the baby look like?”
Leo's eyes became distant.
“Small.”
Carmine almost smiled despite himself.
“Of course he was small.”
Leo shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“He was smaller than me.”
Carmine stared.
“You remember that?”
“I remember Mommy holding him.”
Helena looked sharply at Leo.
Carmine noticed.
“What?”
Leo continued.
“Mommy said his name.”
Carmine's heart began pounding.
“What name?”
Leo frowned.
“I don't remember.”
“Try.”
Leo closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then—
“Matteo.”
Helena's face went white.
Carmine immediately noticed.
“You know that name.”
“No.”
“You reacted.”
“I didn't.”
“Helena.”
She looked away.
Carmine stepped toward her.
“Who is Matteo?”
Helena whispered:
“I don't know.”
Carmine laughed bitterly.
“That's your answer for everything.”
He grabbed his phone.
“Get me the hospital records from eight years ago.”
His head of security answered immediately.
“Already working on it.”
“Get me the complete maternity ward records.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And find Daniel.”
“We're tracking him.”
“Bring him in alive.”
A pause.
“Yes, sir.”
Carmine hung up.
Helena watched him.
“You're making a mistake.”
“Maybe.”
“You don't know what Daniel is capable of.”
“Neither do you.”
“I know enough.”
Carmine stepped closer.
“You knew everything.”
Helena's eyes filled with tears.
“Not everything.”
“Then tell me the part you do know.”
She looked at Leo.
“He wasn't supposed to survive.”
Carmine froze.
“Who?”
“Leo.”
The room went silent.
Carmine's voice dropped.
“Explain.”
“Raines wanted him gone.”
“Why?”
“Because Elena had evidence against him.”
“What evidence?”
“Financial records.”
Carmine frowned.
“That's it?”
“No.”
Helena swallowed.
“She discovered that Raines had been moving money through your company.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“How much?”
“Enough to destroy you.”
“And Leo knew?”
“No.”
“Then why target a child?”
“Because Elena refused to give him the records.”
Carmine understood.
“Leo was leverage.”
“Yes.”
“And you took him.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“First, to a safe house.”
“Then?”
“I brought him here.”
“Why?”
Helena looked at Leo.
“Because this was the last place Raines would expect.”
Carmine stared.
“Under my roof.”
“Yes.”
“You could have told me.”
Helena's voice broke.
“You were surrounded by people you trusted.”
Carmine thought of Daniel.
His financial officer.
His friend.
His right hand.
Someone who had been inside his company for twelve years.
“Maybe you were right about that.”
Helena shook her head.
“I wish I wasn't.”
Carmine turned toward the window.
Outside, dawn was breaking.
The city looked peaceful.
But somewhere beyond those walls, a man was hunting his son.
And somewhere else, perhaps another child was waiting.
His phone rang.
His security chief.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We recovered part of the hospital archive.”
Carmine straightened.
“What did you find?”
“Two birth records.”
“Names?”
“One is Leo Moretti.”
“And the other?”
Silence.
“Sir, you're going to want to see this yourself.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“Send it.”
A document appeared on his phone.
He opened it.
His blood ran cold.
The second child's name was:
Matteo Raines.
Carmine stared.
Raines.
The child carried the same surname as the man hunting Leo.
He turned toward Helena.
“Why does the second baby have Raines's name?”
Helena couldn't answer.
Carmine's voice hardened.
“Why?”
“I told you.”
“You didn't know.”
“Yes.”
“Then how did you know his name?”
Helena looked down.
Carmine stepped closer.
“You knew.”
She whispered:
“Yes.”
“You knew the second child was Matteo Raines.”
“Yes.”
“And you hid that from me.”
“Yes.”
Carmine's face hardened.
“Why?”
Helena's tears finally fell.
“Because Matteo wasn't Raines's son.”
Carmine stopped.
“What?”
Helena looked directly at him.
“The birth certificate was forged.”
Carmine's eyes widened.
“Then whose child was he?”
Helena whispered:
“I don't know.”
A knock came at the door.
The bodyguard entered.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We found Daniel.”
Carmine turned.
“Where?”
“Heading toward the old church.”
Carmine grabbed his coat.
“Let's go.”
Helena stepped forward.
“I have to come.”
“No.”
“You need me.”
“I don't need anyone who lies to me.”
Helena looked at Leo.
“You'll need me when you meet Elena.”
Carmine froze.
“What did you say?”
Helena stared at him.
“Elena is at the church.”
Carmine's expression changed.
“You knew?”
Helena nodded.
“She contacted me yesterday.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because she said you weren't ready.”
Carmine's eyes hardened.
“Ready for what?”
Helena whispered:
“To learn what happened the night Leo was born.”
The convoy left the estate.
Three black SUVs.
Carmine's vehicle in the center.
Leo beside him.
Two guards in front.
Two behind.
Helena sat across from them.
Nobody spoke.
Leo looked out the window.
Carmine watched him.
“You okay?”
Leo nodded.
“Are you scared?”
“A little.”
“Me too.”
Leo looked surprised.
“Daddy gets scared?”
Carmine smiled faintly.
“Sometimes.”
“When?”
“When I think something might happen to you.”
Leo stared at him.
Then slowly reached across the seat.
He took Carmine's hand.
Carmine held it.
For the first time, the gesture felt natural.
Then the convoy suddenly stopped.
The driver shouted.
“Sir!”
Carmine looked forward.
A truck had blocked the road.
“Reverse.”
The driver tried.
A second vehicle appeared behind them.
They were trapped.
Gunfire erupted.
The guards drew their weapons.
Carmine pulled Leo down.
“Stay low!”
Helena covered her head.
Windows shattered.
The road filled with smoke.
Carmine looked toward his security chief.
“Get us out!”
“We're pinned!”
Another bullet struck the vehicle.
Leo cried out.
Carmine pulled him into his arms.
“Don't look.”
Then Helena suddenly shouted:
“Carmine!”
He turned.
She pointed toward the side road.
“There's an old service tunnel!”
“Where?”
“Behind the warehouse!”
Carmine looked.
She was right.
“Go!”
The driver accelerated.
The SUV crashed through a barrier.
They disappeared into the tunnel.
Gunfire faded behind them.
Everyone breathed again.
Carmine looked at Helena.
“You knew that tunnel.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
She looked away.
“I used it eight years ago.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“To move Leo?”
Helena nodded.
“And someone else.”
Carmine's blood went cold.
“Who?”
Helena looked at him.
“Matteo.”
Carmine stared.
The mystery had just become deeper.
The second baby had been there.
Helena had moved him.
And somehow, eight years later, someone was using that same child to lure Carmine into a trap.
Carmine looked at Leo.
Then at Helena.
“Tell me everything.”
Helena whispered:
“I will.”
But before she could continue, Carmine's phone received a photograph.
He opened it.
The image showed Elena.
Alive.
Standing in the old church.
And beside her—
was a teenage boy.
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The message underneath contained only four words:
YOU KNOW HIM, CARMINE.
