Chapter 7 - THE NAME IN THE FILE
The mansion went completely dark.
Carmine stood in the courtyard with his weapon raised, staring at Daniel.
“Say that again.”
Daniel's breathing was uneven.
“Your father is alive.”
Carmine's face hardened.
“My father died eight years ago.”
“That is what they wanted you to believe.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked toward the mansion.
“Everyone who benefited from his disappearance.”
A gunshot cracked through the night.
Daniel dropped.
Carmine lunged forward.
“Daniel!”
Blood spread across Daniel's shirt.
The guards immediately surrounded Carmine.
“Get him inside!”
They dragged Daniel behind a stone pillar.
Carmine looked toward the darkness beyond the gates.
Nothing.
No shooter.
No vehicle.
Only the distant sound of tires disappearing into the night.
Carmine crouched beside Daniel.
“Who shot you?”
Daniel struggled to breathe.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
Daniel grabbed Carmine's sleeve.
“I came here to warn you.”
“About my father?”
Daniel nodded.
“He never died.”
“Where is he?”
Daniel looked terrified.
“He's been watching you.”
Carmine's blood ran cold.
“Watching me from where?”
Daniel whispered:
“From inside your company.”
Then his eyes rolled back.
“Daniel!”
The bodyguard checked his pulse.
“He's alive.”
“Get him to the hospital.”
“Sir, moving him could—”
“Do it.”
The guards carried Daniel away.
Carmine remained in the courtyard.
Helena approached.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“You believe him?”
Carmine looked at her.
“I believe you're still hiding something.”
Helena didn't deny it.
“I am.”
“What?”
“My father knew yours.”
Carmine stared.
“Explain.”
“Your father and mine were partners.”
“I knew that.”
“No.”
Helena shook her head.
“You knew about their business. You didn't know what they were really building.”
“What?”
“A private trust.”
Carmine's expression tightened.
“The trust Elena mentioned?”
“Yes.”
“What's inside it?”
Helena hesitated.
“Control.”
“Of what?”
“Your entire empire.”
Carmine stared.
“My father already left me the company.”
“On paper.”
“And in reality?”
“The trust controls the voting rights.”
Carmine understood.
“That's impossible.”
“Not if the conditions haven't been fulfilled.”
“What conditions?”
Helena looked toward the mansion.
“The children.”
Carmine's eyes hardened.
“Leo and Matteo.”
“Yes.”
“Why would my father tie my company to two children?”
“I don't know.”
“You know more than you're saying.”
Helena lowered her eyes.
“I know your father was afraid of something.”
“What?”
“He believed someone would eventually come after Leo.”
“And Matteo?”
“He believed Matteo was the key.”
Carmine shook his head.
“Key to what?”
Helena didn't answer.
A bodyguard approached.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We found a hidden server beneath the west wing.”
Carmine turned.
“A server?”
“Yes.”
“Who installed it?”
“We don't know.”
“Show me.”
The hidden room was behind a false wall.
Carmine entered.
Rows of hard drives lined the walls.
Screens covered one side.
The bodyguard activated the system.
Thousands of files appeared.
Names.
Dates.
Bank accounts.
Photographs.
Medical records.
Carmine stared.
“This is surveillance.”
Helena whispered:
“They were watching everyone.”
“Who?”
“Your father.”
Carmine stepped toward the screen.
A folder appeared.
PROJECT ORION.
He opened it.
Inside were dozens of files.
One was labeled:
LEO MORETTI — SUBJECT 01.
Another:
MATTEO RAINES — SUBJECT 02.
Carmine clicked the first file.
A photograph appeared.
Leo as an infant.
Then another.
Leo at two years old.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Carmine stared in horror.
Someone had documented his son's entire childhood.
Every birthday.
Every injury.
Every medical visit.
Every place he'd lived.
Carmine's fists clenched.
“They watched him.”
Helena nodded.
“Every year.”
Carmine opened the second file.
Matteo.
But the photographs were different.
There were only three.
The first showed a newborn.
The second showed a boy around eight.
The third showed the teenage boy from the photograph.
Carmine stared.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“What?”
“If he was born the same night as Leo…”
He pointed to the files.
“Why does he age differently?”
Helena went silent.
Carmine looked at her.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You knew something was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Helena whispered:
“Matteo wasn't born that night.”
Carmine froze.
“What?”
“He was transferred into the hospital after Leo was born.”
“From where?”
“We don't know.”
Carmine looked at the file again.
Then he saw a line of text.
GENETIC MATCH: 99.98%.
His eyes widened.
“Genetic match to whom?”
The screen displayed one word.
CARMINE.
Silence.
Carmine stared.
“That's impossible.”
Helena whispered:
“That's why Raines wants him.”
Carmine slowly turned.
“If Matteo is genetically related to me…”
“He's your son.”
Carmine couldn't speak.
Leo was his son.
And now Matteo might be his son too.
Two boys.
Two identities.
One impossible secret.
Then another file opened automatically.
A DNA report.
Carmine's name appeared.
Elena's name appeared.
And beneath them—
MATCH: TWINS.
Carmine stepped back.
“No.”
Helena's eyes filled with tears.
“Leo and Matteo are identical twins.”
Carmine stared at the screen.
His mind refused to accept it.
Leo had been raised believing he was alone.
But somewhere in the world, his twin brother had grown up.
And someone had deliberately separated them.
Carmine whispered:
“Why?”
The computer suddenly displayed a new message.
PROJECT ORION — PHASE TWO ACTIVATED.
Then the screen changed.
A live video appeared.
A dark room.
A chair.
A boy sitting in it.
Matteo.
His face was bruised.
His wrists were tied.
Carmine stepped toward the screen.
“Matteo.”
The boy lifted his head.
He looked directly into the camera.
Then he spoke.
“Dad?”
Carmine stopped breathing.
The screen went black.
Hours later, the hospital called.
Daniel had regained consciousness.
Carmine entered the room alone.
Daniel looked at him.
“You found the files.”
“Yes.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I knew you would.”
“Tell me about Project Orion.”
Daniel swallowed.
“It was your father's project.”
“Why did he create it?”
“To protect the family.”
“From Raines?”
“No.”
Daniel looked at him.
“From himself.”
Carmine frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“Your father knew he was dying.”
“He wasn't.”
Daniel's expression was grim.
“He was.”
Carmine stared.
“What?”
“Your father was dying of cancer.”
Carmine shook his head.
“He never told me.”
“He didn't want you to know.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed you would destroy everything trying to save him.”
Carmine looked away.
Daniel continued.
“Your father created Project Orion as an emergency succession plan.”
“And the children?”
“The children were part of it.”
“Why?”
“Because they were the only heirs he trusted.”
Carmine's eyes narrowed.
“Why not me?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Because your father believed you were being manipulated.”
“By whom?”
Daniel looked at the door.
Then whispered:
“Helena.”
Carmine froze.
Daniel continued.
“She wasn't the villain.”
“What?”
“She was assigned to protect the children.”
Carmine stared.
“By my father?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she lie?”
“Because your father ordered her to.”
Carmine felt the room spin.
“My father ordered her to hide my son?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked directly at him.
“Because someone had already tried to kill you.”
Carmine's face changed.
“Who?”
Daniel's voice became faint.
“Your brother.”
Carmine froze.
“I don't have a brother.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You did.”
Carmine stared.
“What happened to him?”
Daniel looked terrified.
“He became Victor Raines.”
Silence.
Carmine slowly sat down.
Raines.
His enemy.
His father's former partner.
The man hunting his children.
His own brother.
Then Daniel whispered:
“Your father changed his name to hide him.”
Carmine's hands trembled.
“Why?”
“Because Raines wasn't born evil.”
“What happened?”
Daniel looked away.
“He believed your father stole everything from him.”
“And the children?”
“He believes they were his rightful heirs.”
Carmine stood.
“So he wants the trust.”
“Yes.”
“And he needs Leo and Matteo alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why attack the estate?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Because he knows the trust is about to unlock.”
Carmine's face hardened.
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
Carmine returned to the estate before dawn.
Leo was awake.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
“Daddy?”
Carmine walked toward him.
“I need to tell you something.”
Leo looked frightened.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes.”
“Bad?”
Carmine sat beside him.
“You have a brother.”
Leo stared.
“A brother?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Carmine swallowed.
“Someone took him.”
Leo's eyes filled with tears.
“Is he okay?”
Carmine didn't lie.
“No.”
Leo looked down.
“Then we have to save him.”
Carmine pulled him close.
“Yes.”
Leo whispered:
“Will he know me?”
Carmine smiled sadly.
“He will.”
“How?”
“Because you're twins.”
Leo looked up.
“Twins?”
“Yes.”
A tiny smile appeared.
“I always wanted someone.”
Carmine's heart broke.
“You have someone now.”
Leo looked at him.
“I have Daddy too.”
Carmine hugged him.
“Yes.”
Then the bedroom door opened.
Helena stood there.
Her face was pale.
“Carmine.”
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
She held up her phone.
A photograph had arrived.
It showed Matteo.
But this time he wasn't tied to a chair.
He was standing beside a man.
Carmine's father.
Alive.
Older.
Gray-haired.
And smiling.
Underneath the photograph were six words:
COME MEET YOUR FATHER, SON.
Carmine stared.
The world seemed to stop.
May you like
His father was alive.
And he had Matteo.
