Chapter 10 - The Betrayal Beside Dante
Mara did not tell Dante immediately.
She hated herself for the delay.
But Arya was exhausted.
Rosa and Gabriel were secured.
Federal investigators were already descending on the area after Sofia's evidence drop.
They had minutes before the cabin became chaos.
Mara found Dante sitting beside Arya.
The girl slept against his chest.
He looked at Mara.
"You found her."
"Yes."
"Safe?"
"Yes."
"What did she give you?"
Mara showed him the drive.
His eyes narrowed.
"What's wrong?"
She sat.
"Dante..."
"What?"
"The crash."
He became completely still.
"Sofia says Vivien wasn't the intended target."
A pause.
"Who was?"
Mara looked toward Arya.
Dante's face changed.
"No."
"Rosa's original plan—"
"No."
"Listen."
"No."
His voice cracked.
That shocked Mara more than shouting.
Dante hugged Arya closer.
"Why?"
"Because Vivien had hidden evidence inside Arya's belongings. Rosa believed Arya was carrying something that could expose the entire network."
Dante stared at his sleeping daughter.
"She tried to kill a four-year-old."
"According to Sofia, Gabriel changed the plan."
"What?"
"Gabriel warned Vivien."
Dante looked up.
"Gabriel?"
"He was part of the network, but apparently he didn't know Arya was targeted until that morning."
"And he warned her?"
"Yes."
"Then why did the crash happen?"
"Vivien put Arya in another car with Vincent."
Memory rearranged itself.
Dante remembered the day.
He had assumed Vincent collected Arya from preschool because Vivien was busy.
In truth, she had been protecting her.
"So Vivien drove alone."
"Yes."
Dante closed his eyes.
"She knew."
Mara nodded.
"She deliberately got into the car knowing someone might come after it."
Dante's face twisted.
Vivien had traded herself for their child.
"Why didn't she call me?"
"She did."
The words landed brutally.
Three calls.
Dante ignored the third.
Mara immediately regretted saying it.
But he already knew.
"She called me."
"Yes."
"And I didn't answer."
"Dante—"
"If I'd answered—"
"You don't know."
"I would have stopped her."
"Maybe."
"I would have—"
"You don't know!"
Arya stirred.
Dante went quiet.
Mara moved closer.
"Vivien made a decision."
He looked at her.
"Don't turn her choice into your punishment."
His eyes were wet.
"I left her alone."
"No. Someone targeted your child. Your wife protected her. Rosa caused this. Not you."
Dante looked away.
For years he had survived by assigning responsibility clearly.
Enemy.
Ally.
Debt.
Consequence.
But grief had always been exempt from logic.
Mara placed her hand over his.
Dante looked down.
He didn't pull away.
Neither did she.
At dawn federal agents arrived.
Dante expected handcuffs.
Instead they asked questions.
Sofia's evidence implicated dozens of officials, private contractors, former Romano associates, and several current executives.
Dante's own companies appeared repeatedly.
Even if he had not authorized the crimes, he had benefited from businesses built upon them.
His attorney advised silence.
Dante ignored him.
He gave investigators access.
Luca stared at him afterward.
"Do you understand what you're doing?"
"Yes."
"You could lose half the company."
"Then I lose half."
"You could be charged."
"Then we deal with it."
"Your father would—"
"My father is dead."
Dante looked toward the window where Arya and Mara folded stars together.
"And I'm done letting dead people decide what kind of man I become."
Luca nodded.
For the first time, there was something like relief in his expression.
Dante noticed.
"You knew more."
Luca's face tightened.
"What?"
"About my father."
"Some."
"How much?"
Luca looked toward the snow.
"My father drove for Salvatore."
Dante stared.
"He helped move people."
"Children?"
"At first, families."
"And later?"
Luca swallowed.
"I don't know."
"That's not true."
"Dante—"
"Don't."
Luca lowered his head.
"Later he suspected what was happening."
"Did he stop?"
"No."
Dante laughed bitterly.
"So everyone knew except me."
"You were a kid."
"I wasn't a kid forever."
"No. But your father trained everyone around you never to tell you anything that might make you turn against the family."
Dante stared at him.
"And you continued."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I thought protecting you meant protecting what you inherited."
Dante shook his head.
"You sound like Rosa."
Luca flinched.
"That's fair."
Dante expected excuses.
Instead Luca removed his weapon and placed it on the table.
Then his security credentials.
"If you want me gone, I'll go."
Dante stared at the items.
Fifteen years.
Brotherhood.
Lies.
"Did you ever hurt a child?"
"No."
"Did you ever knowingly help someone who did?"
A pause.
"Not knowingly."
Dante watched him.
Luca continued.
"But I stopped asking questions when I should have asked them."
Dante understood that crime too well.
"You're not leaving."
Luca looked up.
"You're going to help dismantle everything."
"Everything?"
"Everything that came from him."
"My father?"
"Mine."
Dante looked toward the security badge.
"We rebuild."
For the first time, Luca smiled.
"That's going to make a lot of people angry."
"Good."
Sofia moved into protective custody temporarily.
Rosa agreed to cooperate.
Gabriel did not.
He demanded an attorney and told Dante through the door:
"You think becoming honest will save you?"
Dante ignored him.
But Gabriel's words contained a problem.
The network had not died.
Sofia's files showed transfers continuing as recently as six months earlier.
Someone had inherited operations beyond Rosa and Gabriel.
Someone known only by another code.
ARCHITECT.
The same person had arranged the theft of the Calumet ledgers.
The same person had apparently ordered Gabriel killed at the hospital.
And according to one encrypted message recovered from the drive, Architect had issued one final instruction after Arya's kidnapping failed.
ELIMINATE MARA ELLISON BEFORE ROMANO LEARNS WHY SHE WAS CHOSEN.
Dante read the message twice.
Mara stood beside him.
"Why was I chosen?"
Sofia, sitting across the table, suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Mara noticed.
"You know."
Sofia remained silent.
"Sofia."
"I promised Emily."
"My sister is dead."
"I know."
"Vivien is dead."
Sofia's eyes filled.
"I know."
"Then stop protecting secrets that keep getting people killed."
Sofia looked toward Dante.
Then back at Mara.
"Emily didn't send you to Starlight Lake just because it was safe."
"Why?"
"She was preparing you."
"For what?"
"To take her place."
Mara stared.
"What place?"
Sofia reached into her bag and removed a tiny silver key.
"Emily wasn't only a social worker."
She placed the key on the table.
"She was running the underground network that rescued the children Salvatore's people tried to sell."
Dante looked at Mara.
Sofia continued.
"And after Emily died, Vivien took over."
Mara couldn't breathe.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Everything."
Sofia pushed the key toward her.
"Because Vivien named you as her successor."
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And somewhere in Chicago, Architect had just learned Mara was still alive.
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