The room fell into a terrifying silence.
Elena stared at Isabella.
Isabella stood frozen at the top of the stairs, her face drained of color.
Damien slowly turned toward her.
“Say that again.”
Marco swallowed.
“Isabella sent the message.”
Damien’s eyes became dangerously cold.
“Look at me.”
Marco lifted his head.
“Isabella Moretti.”
Elena’s heart hammered against her chest.
“No…”
She looked at Isabella.
“This isn’t true.”
Isabella shook her head quickly.
“I didn’t send anything.”
Marco immediately spoke.
“She did.”
“I did not!”
Damien raised his hand.
Everyone fell silent.
He looked at Marco.
“You have ten seconds to explain yourself.”
Marco’s breathing became heavier.
“I received instructions from her.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
“Three weeks?”
Marco nodded.
“She told me someone would come into the family.
She told me that woman would destroy everything.”
His eyes moved toward Elena.
“She meant Elena.”
Elena felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her.
Damien’s expression remained unreadable.
“Why would Isabella want my wife dead?”
Marco hesitated.
“Because she believes Elena’s father caused the death of someone she loved.”
Isabella’s eyes filled with tears.
“Stop.”
Marco continued.
“She told me Antonio Rossi knew what happened.”
“That’s enough!” Isabella screamed.
Damien looked at her.
“Then tell me the truth.”
Isabella said nothing.
“Elisabella.”
His voice was quieter now.
“Tell me.”
She slowly walked down the stairs.
“I didn’t send anyone to kill Elena.”
“Then why did you send the message?”
“I didn’t.”
Marco shook his head.
“You did.”
Isabella looked at him with hatred.
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie?”
“Because you’re the traitor!”
Marco went silent.
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
“What did you just say?”
“Marco has been working with DeLuca.”
Elena’s breath caught.
Damien stepped closer.
“Proof.”
Isabella reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flash drive.
“I found this in his room.”
Luca immediately took it from her.
Damien stared at the device.
“Open it.”
Luca connected it to a nearby computer.
Several files appeared on the screen.
Photographs.
Bank transfers.
Messages.
Then one photograph appeared.
Carlo DeLuca.
Standing beside Marco.
Elena covered her mouth.
Damien’s jaw tightened.
Marco looked terrified.
“Boss, I can explain.”
“You’d better.”
Marco shook his head.
“I never betrayed you.”
Damien looked at the screen.
“Then why are you standing beside the man who betrayed my family?”
Marco’s voice cracked.
“Because I was investigating him.”
Damien stared at him.
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“Without telling me?”
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
Marco looked toward Elena.
“Because there was someone inside your organization feeding him information.”
Damien’s eyes hardened.
“Who?”
Marco hesitated.
Then he looked at Isabella.
“She knows.”
Isabella’s face went pale.
Elena looked between them.
“What is going on?”
Marco stepped forward.
“Your father wasn’t the traitor, Elena.”
Her heart stopped.
“What?”
“He was trying to expose DeLuca.”
Damien remained silent.
Marco continued.
“Six years ago, Antonio Rossi discovered that someone inside the Moretti organization was selling information.”
Elena’s eyes filled with tears.
“Who?”
Marco shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“Then why did my father die?”
Nobody answered.
Elena’s voice broke.
“Why did my father have to die?”
Damien finally stepped toward her.
“Elena…”
She backed away.
“Don’t.”
Damien stopped.
“I suspected.”
“You knew!”
Her voice echoed through the mansion.
“You knew my father wasn’t a traitor, and you never told me!”
Damien’s face tightened.
“I didn’t have enough proof.”
“You could have told me!”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Damien looked at her.
“From the same people who killed your father.”
Silence.
Elena wiped the tears from her eyes.
Then she noticed something on the computer screen.
A document.
Her father’s name was written across it.
She moved closer.
“What is that?”
Luca opened the file.
A recording appeared.
Antonio Rossi was sitting behind a desk.
Elena recognized him immediately.
Her father.
Alive.
Her breath caught.
“No…”
The video began to play.
Antonio looked directly into the camera.
“If you’re watching this, something has happened to me.”
Elena’s hands began to tremble.
“I need you to understand something.”
Her father’s voice continued.
“Damien Moretti is not your enemy.”
Elena looked at Damien.
Her father continued.
“Your greatest danger is already inside the Moretti family.”
The recording suddenly stopped.
The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
Then Elena whispered:
“Who was he talking about?”
Damien looked toward Isabella.
Isabella’s eyes were filled with tears.
“I don’t know.”
But before anyone could say another word—
BOOM!
The mansion shook.
A massive explosion came from the east wing.
Glass shattered.
The lights went out.
Everyone screamed.
Damien immediately grabbed Elena and pulled her against him.
“Get down!”
Smoke began pouring through the hallway.
Luca shouted orders to the guards.
Then, from somewhere inside the darkness, a man’s voice echoed through the mansion.
“You should have left the Rossi girl alone.”
Damien’s eyes turned cold.
He held Elena tighter.
“Everyone stay together.”
But Elena could barely breathe.
Because she recognized the voice.
It was the same voice she had heard six years ago— the night her father died.