Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN AT THE GATE
Elina refused to move for almost a full minute.
Nobody forced her.
That surprised her.
Luca stood several feet away.
Gabriel rested against her shoulder.
Teresa remained by the fireplace.
Gianni looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him.
Finally, Elina said:
“I saw my mother’s body.”
Her voice sounded far away.
“I signed the papers.”
No one answered.
“I chose the funeral home.”
Luca’s expression softened.
“Elina.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“No, this is stupid.”
She laughed once.
It sounded wrong.
“People don’t come back from strokes five years later.”
The security chief said carefully:
“She may not be your mother.”
“Then don’t call her that.”
Luca nodded.
“Bring her to the west sitting room.”
Elina turned.
“You’re not bringing her in here.”
“It’s raining.”
“I don’t care.”
Luca looked at her for a moment.
“Fine.”
He adjusted.
“Covered courtyard.”
Elina hated that he listened.
It made it harder to dismiss him as a monster.
She handed Gabriel to Teresa.
The baby protested.
“I’ll be back.”
He did not understand the words.
But he stopped crying after Elina touched his cheek.
Luca watched.
Then walked with her toward the courtyard.
“No guns near me,” Elina said.
He looked at his men.
“Visible weapons away.”
They obeyed.
“That easy?”
“No.”
“What?”
“They still have guns.”
She almost laughed.
The courtyard was enclosed by glass on three sides.
Rain tapped against the roof.
A woman sat in a chair between two security men.
Elina stopped in the doorway.
Not Maria.
Definitely not.
But close enough that pain struck anyway.
Same cheekbones.
Same hands.
Same way of holding her shoulders.
The woman stood.
“Elina.”
Her eyes filled instantly.
Elina’s did not.
“Who are you?”
The woman swallowed.
“My name is Rosa.”
Gianni had followed them.
He whispered:
“Rosalia DeSantis.”
Rosa looked at him.
“You got old.”
Gianni almost laughed from shock.
“So did you.”
Elina crossed her arms.
“You told the gate you were my mother.”
“I told them I was Maria Valdez because I knew that would get me inside.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Rosa flinched.
“You’re right.”
“Who are you to me?”
Rosa looked at her.
“I’m Marina’s younger sister.”
Elina closed her eyes.
“Another one.”
Rosa almost smiled.
Then thought better of it.
“My mother had three daughters.”
“Marina, you, and?”
“Lucia.”
Luca stiffened.
Not his Lucia.
Different family.
Rosa continued:
“Marina was oldest. I was the youngest.”
“And Sofia?”
Rosa’s face changed.
“Marina’s first child.”
Elina inhaled.
“And me?”
“Her second.”
“So you’re my aunt.”
“Yes.”
Elina stared.
“You knew I existed.”
“Yes.”
“Where were you for twenty-six years?”
Rosa looked down.
“Hiding.”
“That’s convenient.”
“No.”
She lifted her eyes.
“It was cowardly.”
That stopped Elina.
Rosa did not defend herself.
Luca stood silent.
Elina asked:
“Why did my mother change her name?”
Rosa took a breath.
“Because our father was a violent man.”
“Antonio DeSantis?”
Luca looked at her.
“You know the name?”
“Everybody did back then.”
Rosa nodded.
“He controlled his daughters the way he controlled business. Marina got pregnant at sixteen.”
“With Sofia.”
“Yes.”
“Who was the father?”
Rosa hesitated.
Elina noticed.
“Who?”
“Not important anymore.”
“That means very important.”
Rosa looked at Luca.
He said:
“Answer her.”
Elina snapped:
“I don’t need him ordering people to answer me.”
Luca almost smiled.
Rosa did not.
“Sofia’s father was a Romano.”
Luca’s expression went cold.
“What Romano?”
Rosa whispered:
“Your uncle Matteo.”
Silence.
Luca stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“It isn’t.”
“My uncle died before Sofia was born.”
“Yes.”
Luca looked at Gianni.
The old man lowered his eyes.
He knew.
Luca’s jaw clenched.
“That made Sofia and me…”
“Not blood relatives.”
Rosa shook her head.
“Your father and Matteo were half brothers by marriage, not blood. The families still treated the relationship like betrayal.”
Elina rubbed her forehead.
She needed a whiteboard.
“This is insane.”
Rosa continued:
“When Sofia was born, my father refused to let Marina raise her. He said an unmarried sixteen-year-old with a Romano’s child would humiliate the family.”
“So he raised Sofia as Marina’s sister.”
“Yes.”
“And my mother left?”
“Not immediately.”
Rosa’s voice softened.
“Marina loved Sofia.”
Elina looked away.
“She watched her grow up calling someone else Mama.”
Rosa nodded.
“At twenty-seven, Marina became pregnant again.”
“With me.”
“Yes.”
“Who was my father?”
Silence.
Elina stared.
“Don’t.”
Rosa looked frightened.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t tell me another mafia king.”
Rosa almost smiled sadly.
“No.”
“Then?”
“Your father was a cook.”
Elina blinked.
“What?”
“Dominican. Daniel Valdez.”
Her chest tightened.
“My last name.”
“Yes.”
“He worked here?”
“At Orelio.”
Elina looked at Gianni.
He nodded.
“Daniel was my sous-chef.”
“Where is he?”
Rosa’s expression answered.
“Dead?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before you were born.”
“How?”
Rosa looked toward the rain.
“Your grandfather had him killed.”
The words hit harder than Elina expected.
She had never known Daniel.
Never had stories about him.
Nothing to grieve.
And yet something inside her cracked.
“Because he got Marina pregnant?”
“Because Marina planned to leave with him.”
Elina stared at the floor.
Rosa continued:
“After Daniel died, Marina ran.”
“With me.”
“Yes.”
“She became Maria Valdez.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t she take Sofia?”
Rosa’s face broke.
“She tried.”
Elina looked up.
“She went to the house the night she escaped. Sofia was eleven.”
Eleven.
Old enough to remember.
“Antonio had already moved Sofia.”
“Where?”
“Boarding school in Connecticut.”
Elina swallowed.
“Did Sofia know she had a mother?”
“Eventually.”
“How?”
“I told her.”
Luca turned sharply.
“When?”
“When she was eighteen.”
His face hardened.
“You knew Sofia?”
Rosa nodded.
“For years.”
Luca looked like someone had struck him.
“She never told me.”
“She was afraid.”
“Of me?”
“No. Of what knowing would make you do.”
The answer hurt him.
Elina saw it.
Rosa continued:
“She contacted Marina secretly.”
Elina’s heart stopped.
“My mother knew Sofia as an adult?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Almost ten years.”
Elina laughed in disbelief.
“Ten years.”
She walked away two steps.
“My mother had another daughter for ten years and never told me.”
“She wanted to.”
“Then why didn’t she?”
“Because Sofia asked her not to.”
Luca looked at Rosa.
“Why?”
Rosa’s eyes moved to him.
“Because Sofia married you.”
Luca’s expression changed.
“She knew marrying a Romano would bring the DeSantis family back into her life.”
“She thought if Elina stayed completely separate, nobody would connect them.”
Elina stared.
“So I was protected by being lied to.”
Rosa’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“I hate that sentence.”
“You should.”
Elina looked at her.
“Then five years ago my mother died.”
Rosa hesitated.
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
Elina’s throat tightened.
“Then who came here nine months ago pretending to be her?”
Rosa looked ashamed.
“Me.”
Teresa had now joined them.
She whispered:
“You?”
Rosa nodded.
“I needed to see Gabriel.”
“Why lie?”
“Because Sofia had died.”
Her voice broke.
“And I needed to know whether the child was safe.”
Luca’s eyes hardened.
“You broke into my life under a dead woman’s name to inspect my son?”
“I didn’t trust you.”
He almost laughed.
“Apparently nobody did.”
Rosa flinched.
Elina asked:
“Why come now?”
Rosa looked at her.
“Because the attack tonight means they found you.”
“Who is they?”
“The remaining DeSantis faction.”
Luca frowned.
“I thought Antonio’s organization collapsed years ago.”
“It did.”
“Then who?”
Rosa whispered:
“My brother.”
Elina stared.
“You had a brother too?”
“Half brother.”
“What’s his name?”
“Sebastian.”
Luca’s face became very still.
“You’re lying.”
Rosa shook her head.
“No.”
“I’ve met Sebastian DeSantis.”
“I know.”
“He runs legitimate import companies.”
“He runs whatever keeps him close to power.”
Luca stepped forward.
“Why would he care about Elina?”
Rosa looked at Elina.
“Because Sofia inherited something Antonio never meant to leave to a daughter.”
“What?”
“A controlling share in DeSantis Maritime.”
Luca understood first.
His eyes narrowed.
“Sofia’s estate.”
Rosa nodded.
“When Sofia died, that share passed under an old family trust.”
“To Gabriel?”
“No.”
Everyone went still.
Rosa looked at Elina.
“To the oldest surviving biological daughter of Marina DeSantis.”
Elina stared.
“That’s me.”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
“No.”
Luca said nothing.
Rosa continued:
“The stake is worth hundreds of millions.”
Elina looked down at her waitress shoes.
One sole was worn nearly smooth.
Rent overdue.
Forty-three dollars in the bank.
Hundreds of millions.
“This is stupid.”
“It’s real.”
“I don’t want it.”
Rosa’s face tightened.
“Sebastian does.”
“Then give it to him.”
“You can’t simply give away control without executing legal transfer documents.”
“So I’ll sign them.”
Luca’s voice cut in.
“No.”
Elina spun.
“Excuse me?”
“If Sebastian tried to kill you before asking you to sign, this isn’t only about ownership.”
“You don’t get a vote.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“But I know men like him.”
She stared.
“So do I now, apparently.”
Rosa stepped closer.
“There’s another problem.”
Elina laughed bitterly.
“Sure.”
Rosa swallowed.
“Sebastian doesn’t know whether Sofia told you anything before she died.”
“She didn’t even know me.”
“Exactly.”
“But he may not believe that.”
Luca asked:
“Anything about what?”
Rosa looked toward Gabriel.
“About the night Sofia died.”
Luca stopped.
The air changed.
“What about it?”
Rosa looked terrified.
“Sofia’s car accident wasn’t an accident.”
Luca’s voice became almost inaudible.
“Say that again.”
Rosa’s eyes filled.
“She was trying to meet Marina’s attorney.”
“Why?”
“To remove Sebastian from the company.”
Luca stared.
“Who caused the crash?”
Rosa said nothing.
Elina knew.
Luca did too.
“Sebastian.”
Rosa nodded.
Luca turned away.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he walked to the glass wall and placed one hand against it.
Elina watched his shoulders.
The feared mafia boss.
The man who frightened an entire restaurant.
Standing absolutely still because someone had just given his grief a murderer.
Gabriel cried from inside the house.
Luca turned instantly.
So did Elina.
That was when Rosa whispered:
“If Sebastian knows Gabriel recognized Elina tonight…”
Elina looked back.
“What?”
“He’ll understand something none of us understood before.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Rosa stared at Elina.
“Sofia found her before she died.”
Elina’s blood went cold.
“No.”
“You may not remember.”
“I would remember meeting my own sister.”
“Not if you didn’t know who she was.”
Elina’s heart started pounding.
Rosa reached into her bag.
Security moved.
She stopped.
“Photograph.”
Luca nodded.
Rosa pulled it out slowly.
She handed it to Elina.
A coffee shop.
Queens.
Two women at adjacent tables.
One was Elina.
Twenty-three years old.
Waitress uniform from the diner where she had worked before Orelio.
The other was Sofia.
Watching her.
On the back was a date.
Three years earlier.
Elina stared.
“I remember this woman.”
Luca looked at her.
“What?”
“She came in four days in a row.”
Rosa whispered:
“Sofia.”
Elina’s hands began to shake.
“She asked me weird questions.”
“What questions?”
“Whether my mother was alive.”
Luca went still.
“What else?”
Elina looked at the photograph.
“She asked if I had family in Brooklyn.”
Rosa closed her eyes.
Sofia had found her.
Then Elina remembered one more thing.
Her stomach dropped.
“She gave me something.”
Everyone froze.
Luca stepped closer.
“What?”
May you like
Elina looked at him.
“A key.”
