Chapter 5 - The House Where Carlo Died
The old Costa mansion had been empty for twelve years.
Vincent had stopped visiting after his mother moved to Italy.
Too many memories lived there.
Carlo’s study.
The dining room where business agreements had been made over Sunday pasta.
The staircase Vincent had once fallen down at seven while pretending to be a race car.
The library where Carlo taught him chess.
And the room where his father had died.
Now Sebastian wanted Mave brought there.
Mave stood before the mansion gates the following evening.
Rain fell lightly.
Vincent stood beside her.
“You’re not going in alone.”
“The message said alone.”
“I don’t care.”
“Anthony’s family might.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
They had spent the day preparing.
Leo had mapped every entrance.
Marco had placed cars three streets away.
Vincent had men positioned discreetly around the property.
Mave wore a small microphone beneath her dress.
No visible weapons.
No dramatic assault plan.
Vincent wanted information before confrontation.
Mave looked at him.
“If something goes wrong—”
“It won’t.”
“Vincent.”
He turned.
She had never used his first name so softly.
“If something goes wrong, don’t trade yourself for me.”
His expression hardened.
“That isn’t your decision.”
“It absolutely is.”
“No.”
She almost smiled.
“You’re impossible.”
“You learned from me.”
Vincent touched her cheek for the briefest second.
Then stopped himself.
“Mave.”
“Yes?”
For one suspended moment, she thought he might kiss her.
Instead he said, “Come back out.”
Her throat tightened.
“I will.”
Mave entered the mansion.
The front door stood open.
Inside, candles burned in the old foyer.
No electricity.
Only gold light and shadows.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice answered from the dining room.
“You have Eleanor’s courage.”
Mave followed the sound.
Sebastian Costa sat at the head of a long table.
Seventy now.
Silver hair.
Tailored dark suit.
His resemblance to Carlo was undeniable.
Adrian stood beside the fireplace.
Scar through his eyebrow.
The same man from the charity dinner.
He watched Mave differently now.
Not predatory.
Curious.
Almost sad.
Sebastian smiled.
“My niece.”
“Don’t call me that.”
His smile widened.
“Definitely Carlo’s daughter.”
Mave remained standing.
“Where is Anthony’s family?”
“Safe.”
“Show me.”
Sebastian nodded toward Adrian.
Adrian turned a laptop.
Video showed Anthony’s wife and adult daughter sitting in a comfortable room.
Unharmed.
Mave released a breath.
“Let them go.”
“When I have what belongs to me.”
“The ledger?”
“The empire.”
Mave stared.
“That empire belonged to my father.”
“It belonged to our father.”
Mave frowned.
Sebastian leaned back.
“Carlo and I built it together. History simply remembers him.”
“Maybe history remembers the brother who didn’t poison him.”
Sebastian’s expression changed.
Adrian looked away.
Interesting.
“You believe Anthony,” Sebastian said.
“I believe my mother.”
“Eleanor knew only half the story.”
“Then tell me the other half.”
Sebastian stood.
“Our father favored Carlo. Always. When we built the first shipping company, I created the routes. Carlo created relationships. We were equals.”
“And then?”
“Carlo became sentimental.”
“Meaning?”
“He wanted legitimacy.”
Sebastian walked toward the window.
“Hotels. Construction. Charities. Politicians. He wanted people to forget where we came from.”
“That sounds terrible.”
Sebastian smiled without humor.
“He cut me out.”
“So you killed him.”
“I punished betrayal.”
Mave stared at him.
“No. You murdered your brother because he chose his family over you.”
The room became silent.
Adrian watched her closely.
Sebastian’s eyes cooled.
“Where is the Black Ledger?”
“I don’t know.”
“You found Eleanor’s locker.”
Mave’s stomach dropped.
“You’ve been watching me.”
“For months.”
“Why wait until now?”
“Because you finally found the money trail.”
The thirty-thousand-dollar discrepancy.
Sebastian had created it intentionally.
A breadcrumb.
He had wanted Mave to investigate.
“Why?”
“To see whether you inherited Carlo’s mind.”
Mave felt disgusted.
“This was a test?”
“You passed.”
Adrian finally spoke.
“Father.”
One word.
A warning.
Sebastian looked at him.
Adrian continued, “She doesn’t know where the ledger is.”
“Then she will find it.”
Mave turned toward Adrian.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
His face remained unreadable.
Sebastian stepped closer.
“Your inheritance activates only when you sign the trust documents.”
“And then?”
“The ledger instructions become available.”
“So you need my signature.”
“Yes.”
“And if I refuse?”
Sebastian smiled.
“You won’t.”
He gestured.
Another video appeared.
This time Mave stopped breathing.
Vincent.
Outside the mansion.
A red targeting dot moved across his suit jacket.
Mave’s face went white.
Sebastian leaned closer.
“You care about him.”
Mave stared at the screen.
Vincent was speaking quietly into his phone, unaware.
“You misunderstand the situation,” she said.
“I rarely do.”
“You hurt him and you get nothing.”
“I don’t need to hurt him.”
Sebastian placed documents on the table.
“Sign.”
Mave looked down.
Transfer papers.
Trust activation.
Voting rights.
She read quickly.
There.
Clause fourteen.
Upon activation, confidential estate materials would be released to a secure attorney.
Not to Mave.
To an attorney.
Carlo had been smarter than everyone.
The ledger was not physically hidden where Sebastian could steal it.
It would be released only after Mave claimed the inheritance.
She picked up the pen.
Adrian’s expression changed.
“Don’t.”
Sebastian turned.
“What?”
Adrian stepped away from the fireplace.
“She signs, the ledger releases automatically.”
Sebastian stared.
Mave looked between them.
Sebastian clearly had not known.
“You told me you read the trust,” he said.
“I did.”
“You missed that?”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
Silence.
Sebastian understood.
“You knew.”
Adrian looked at Mave.
“Yes.”
Sebastian’s face became dangerous.
“You betrayed me.”
Adrian’s expression remained calm.
“I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
Adrian looked at Mave again.
“Because I spent six months watching her.”
Mave felt cold.
He continued.
“She works twelve-hour days. Sends flowers to employees’ mothers. Remembers birthdays. Pays for lunch when interns forget wallets. She isn’t Carlo.”
Mave almost laughed despite the situation.
“That was unexpectedly insulting.”
Adrian’s mouth twitched.
Sebastian did not smile.
“You became weak.”
“No,” Adrian said. “I realized you lied.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
Adrian pulled out his phone.
Then placed it on the table.
A recording played.
Sebastian’s voice.
Years younger.
Talking to Anthony.
Once Carlo is gone, Vincent follows. The girl too, if Eleanor fails to disappear. No heirs. No complications.
Mave’s blood ran cold.
Adrian had discovered the truth.
Sebastian had planned to kill everyone.
Including infant Mave.
Adrian looked at her.
“I came to the ballroom to warn you.”
“The photograph?”
“My attempt to make Vincent investigate without alerting my father.”
Sebastian stepped forward.
“You pathetic—”
A loud sound came from the hallway.
Vincent entered.
Leo behind him.
Sebastian froze.
Mave exhaled.
Vincent looked at her first.
Always her first.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Then he looked at Sebastian.
The room changed.
Sebastian smiled.
“Carlo’s adopted prince.”
Vincent answered calmly.
“You’ve aged badly.”
Leo muttered, “I was going to say that.”
Sebastian ignored him.
Vincent walked to Mave and stood beside her.
He offered his arm.
A deliberate echo of the ballroom.
Mave took it.
Sebastian laughed.
“Romantic.”
Vincent looked at him.
“You don’t know the meaning of the word.”
Adrian moved away from his father.
Sebastian stared at his son.
“You choose them?”
Adrian answered quietly.
“I choose not to become you.”
For the first time, Sebastian looked defeated.
But then he smiled.
And Mave knew immediately something was wrong.
Sebastian pressed a button on the table.
The lights inside the mansion suddenly came on.
Every television screen activated.
Dozens of files began uploading.
Vincent looked around.
“What did you do?”
Sebastian smiled.
“If I cannot have Carlo’s empire, no one will.”
Mave rushed toward the laptop.
A countdown appeared.
Five minutes.
Documents.
Names.
Politicians.
Businesses.
Accounts.
The Black Ledger?
No.
Something else.
Adrian’s face lost color.
“That isn’t Carlo’s ledger.”
Sebastian smiled.
“No.”
Vincent looked at him.
“What is it?”
Sebastian answered with quiet satisfaction.
“My ledger.”
And one folder was labeled:
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VINCENT COSTA — FEDERAL EVIDENCE.
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