Chapter 6 - THE GRANDMOTHER'S SECRET
Eleanor’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. It was cold, calculating, and utterly terrifying.
"Well," Eleanor said, brushing the dust off her skirt as she stood up. "I suppose the game is over."
My mother pulled me behind her, shielding me.
Marco aimed his shotgun at Eleanor. "Don't move."
Sophia, still under the bed, whimpered. "Grandma?"
Eleanor didn't look at the little girl. She kept her eyes fixed on the boarding pass in my hand.
"Vanessa is your daughter?" I breathed, my mind unable to process the betrayal.
Eleanor laughed dryly. "My youngest. Born out of wedlock with the Bellini boss. Caroline was my legitimate child, but she was weak. Vanessa was strong. When Caroline married Luca, I thought our family was secure. But Caroline found out about Vanessa’s true parentage. She found out I was funneling Moretti money to the Bellinis."
My stomach churned. "You killed your own daughter?"
"I protected my bloodline!" Eleanor snapped, the frail grandmother facade completely gone. "Caroline was going to tell Luca everything! She would have ruined me! So, I told Vanessa to silence her."
Daniel laughed from the floor. "She played you all. The crying, the rain, the letters... she orchestrated the whole thing to get inside the house tonight so she could open the safe while everyone was distracted."
Eleanor glared at Daniel. "You talk too much."
Suddenly, Eleanor reached into the pocket of her wet cardigan.
She pulled out a small, silver pistol.
Marco fired his shotgun, but Eleanor had already lunged to the side, grabbing Sophia by the hair and dragging the screaming child out from under the bed.
"Drop it, Marco!" Eleanor screamed, pressing the barrel of the pistol against her own granddaughter's head.
Marco froze.
My mother screamed.
"Let her go!" I yelled, taking a step forward.
"Stay back!" Eleanor backed toward the broken bedroom door, dragging a sobbing Sophia with her. "You think I wanted to hurt the kid? I didn't. But she inherits everything. Once she's gone, the money reverts to Caroline's next of kin. Me."
"Grandma, please!" Sophia cried.
"Shut up, you little brat," Eleanor hissed.
She reached the hallway.
"Tell Luca that Vanessa might have failed, but I won't," Eleanor said.
She turned to run down the stairs with Sophia.
But as she reached the landing, a massive figure stepped out of the shadows.
It was Luca.
He was soaked in rain, covered in mud and blood, and his eyes were completely dead.
Eleanor stopped short, raising the gun to Sophia's head. "Back away, Luca! I'll do it!"
Luca didn't raise his hands. He didn't speak.
He just looked at the woman who had murdered his wife.
He looked at his crying daughter.
"Sophia," Luca said softly. "Close your eyes, baby."
Sophia squeezed her eyes shut.
Eleanor laughed. "What are you going to do, Luca? You can't shoot me without hitting her."
"I don't need a gun," Luca whispered.
He raised his left hand.
In his grip was the small blue gift bag Eleanor had brought earlier that evening.
"You forgot your present," Luca said.
He threw the bag at Eleanor's face.
Eleanor instinctively flinched, raising her free hand to block it.
In that split second of distraction, Luca moved faster than I thought humanly possible.
He closed the distance, grabbed Eleanor's wrist, and twisted it violently upward.
The gun fired harmlessly into the ceiling.
Luca ripped the weapon from her hand, shoved Eleanor against the banister, and scooped Sophia into his arms.
Eleanor stumbled, gasping for breath. She looked at Luca, terror finally breaking through her arrogance.
"Luca, please," Eleanor begged. "I'm her grandmother!"
"You died to us two years ago," Luca said, his voice devoid of any mercy.
He looked at Marco, who had stepped out of the bedroom.
"Take her," Luca ordered. "Take her and Daniel. Hand them over to the Five Families. Tell them the Bellinis broke the truce."
Marco nodded, grabbing Eleanor by the arm and dragging her down the stairs. She kicked and screamed, but it was useless.
Luca stood in the hallway, holding Sophia tightly against his chest.
I walked out of the bedroom with my mother.
Luca looked at us.
"Is everyone safe?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," I whispered. "We're safe."
Luca closed his eyes and buried his face in Sophia's hair. "It's over, baby. The bad people are gone."
Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing quietly into his shirt.
The nightmare was finally ending.
But as Luca carried Sophia into the bedroom to lay her on the bed, he noticed something lying on the floor near the shattered safe.
It was a thick manila envelope.
Eleanor had dropped it during the struggle.
Luca picked it up and opened it.
Inside were bank statements. Offshore accounts.
He scanned them quickly, his relief slowly turning into profound confusion.
He looked up at me.
"Hannah," Luca said, his voice tight. "Eleanor wasn't stealing money from me."
I frowned. "What do you mean? She said she wanted the inheritance."
"Look at the names on the accounts," Luca said, handing me the papers.
I looked down.
The money wasn't being transferred to the Bellini family.
It was being transferred into an account under the name: Mary Brooks.
I stopped breathing.
I slowly turned to look at my mother.
My mother was standing by the window, trembling, staring at the floor.
"Mom?" I whispered. "Why is Caroline's money in your name?"
May you like
My mother looked up, tears streaming down her face.
"Because, Hannah," my mother cried. "Caroline didn't die that night."
