Chapter 41: Hidden Truths
The words on the page blurred as Alessia’s grip tightened on the diary.
Her father’s voice seemed to speak straight from the yellowed paper, pulling her backward in time.
She continue reading...
.... The reason why is because...
Her eyes devoured the next line which reads :
...I was the last living guardian of the Black Book.
The room seemed to shrink, the walls pressing in around her. Her father — a guardian?
Her chest rose and fell sharply as she traced the ink with trembling fingers.
She had opened the next page hesitantly, afraid of what truths it might hold.
The next page she turned to stopped her breath.
I owe my life and my family’s life to the Morano’s family.
The ink seemed to speak his voice into the cold air.
Years ago, when I stood on the brink of ruin, it was Alessandro Morano who stepped forward.
He paid the debts others had refused to touch the debts that would have cost me more than my home.
I promised him my loyalty, not in chains, but in gratitude. And when I could not repay the sum, he gave me another way, to serve the family, to keep my daughter close to their protection. The world is darker than she knows, and only under their shadow will she be safe.
Alessia’s throat tightened. She had spent so many years resenting the contract that bound her to the Moranos, never realizing her father had chosen it to protect her not to punish her.
Her hand rested on the page as though she could feel his presence through the paper. You were only trying to keep me safe, papa.
She continue reading.....
.. I swore to hide it from the Atlans. But they found me. And when I could not give them the book, they demanded something else. A payment no man should give. I gave them my word that my bloodline would serve the Moranos until the debt was paid, because only the Moranos could keep the Atlans from tearing it out of us.
Her mouth went dry.
Us?
Not just him..... Including her? .
Her father’s final entry was smeared, as if written in haste.
If they ever discover you, Alessia, they will come for you. The coin will be taken. Your soul will be weighed.
Her hand shot to her mouth, muffling the sound that escaped her throat.
The black book, The debt, Her father’s death.... It was all connected.
She didn’t hear the floorboard creak behind her until it was too late.
"Alessia... "The voice snapped her out of the moment.
She looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, eyes sharp, lips pressed into a thin line.
"What are you doing in here?" Her mother stepped forward, closing the distance in a few quick strides. "This room is off limits."
"Mama, it’s Papa’s diary. I just... I wanted to know why... "
"You will misunderstand things you’re not ready to know," her mother cut in, her tone leaving no room for argument. She took the book from Alessia’s hands and placed it back on the shelf. "From now on, you are not to read anything from here. Is that understood?"
Alessia hesitated, confusion warring with frustration. "But why? Papa wanted me to.... "
Her mother’s eyes softened, just for a moment. "When the time is right, you will know everything. Not before."
She ushered Alessia out into the hall and closed the door firmly.
The sound of the lock clicking made Alessia’s chest ache.
As she walked away, her thoughts swirled. What exactly am I not ready for? And how will I know when the right time comes?
*****
The rain had left the streets slick and gleaming under the lanterns. Jackson pulled his coat tighter around himself as he and his mother approached the tall glass doors of the Morano office building.
"Are you sure about this?" his mother asked quietly.
"They need to know," Jackson replied. "And if we tell him face to face, someone might stop us before we get close. This way, the message goes straight to Luca."
He slipped the folded paper into the brass mailbox slot by the private entrance. The message was short, but heavy: "We have information. Meet us where the old tracks end. As soon as you read this, we will patiently wait for you all day, Sir".
The envelope disappeared into the slot with a soft scrape.
Both of them stood for a moment before leaving for the old track end location, silently hoping Luca would see it soon.
*****
Luca eased his car into the Morano tower’s underground garage, the purr of the engine echoing off concrete walls.
He stepped into his office for a brief moment, signing off the last few documents of the day, and then decided to call it a night.
Halfway to the elevator, something in his chest tightened.
A whisper of instinct, sharp and insistent urged him to turn back.
"Check the mailbox"....
He obeyed without question.
Three envelopes sat inside, their weight uneven in his hands.
The first cheap paper, cheap perfume was from some stranger proposing a "business dinner" that reeked of ulterior motives.
He didn’t even bother to open it fully.
The second was an official notice: "The company’s tax dues". Nothing too alarming.
But the third, is a cream paper, hand-addressed made him paused after reading.
Fredo, his personal guard, noticed the shift in his expression. "Sir... hope all is well?"
"Yes," Luca replied, though his tone was slow, measured. "All is well. But this one.... " he tapped the letter "they claim they have something important to tell me."
Fredo frowned. "Could be the Atlans trying to lure you in."
"No," Luca said, almost to himself. "This feels... different."
"Should we go with you now, sir?"
"I’ll go alone."
"But, sir.... "
"Fredo." Luca’s voice cut clean through the air. "I’m not a weakling. Drive home. I’ll handle this."
***
Minutes later, his car slid quietly through dimly lit streets until it stopped in front of the address in the letter.
The building was small, tucked away behind a rusted gate.
Inside, in a shadowed corner, Jackson and an older woman waited, anxiety etched into every line of their faces.
They had been whispering, glancing at the door as though willing it to open.
When they finally heard footsteps, the woman rose, a trembling hand gripping a torch.
She shone it toward the figure entering and gasped.
It was the same face as the man lying still on the bed in their city.
Her breath caught. "My God... you... "
Luca froze. His eyes shifted between them. "i got your letter, why did you want to see me?"
The woman hesitated, as though weighing whether he would believe her.
Before she could speak, Jackson stepped forward. "I ran into your brother’s soul..... "
Luca’s gaze sharpened instantly.
"His name is Donato Morano," Jackson continued. "Enzo betrayed him. Lied that you sent him. He stole the book... and tried to kill him. Smashed his head with a stone. Donato’s in a coma but his soul’s been wandering. He asked me to find you. To tell you the truth and money to assist his financial bills in the hospital, he needs surgery."
Luca’s fists clenched. "And you expect me to believe you saw his soul?"
Jackson didn’t flinch. "He told me something, only you two know."
Luca’s eyes narrowed. "Which is?"
Jackson motioned for him to lean closer.
When Luca did, Jackson whispered, "Your father drew a mark behind your ear. Only you and Donato know about it."
The world seemed to still for a moment. Luca’s eyes darkened.. because Jackson was right.
He straightened slowly. "Meet me at my office tomorrow morning. I’ll give you whatever amount you need and more. Gifts, protection... All of it, should we also go for dinner right now? ".
"No," Jackson’s mother interrupted softly. "We just... we’ll go back to our hotel."
Luca studied them, then nodded once. "Give me your contact details and hotel address. I’ll be in touch."
As he drove back into the night, the weight of the letter and Jackson’s words pressed heavily on his mind.
If this was true, then Donato was alive... but in more danger than Luca had imagined.
*****
Bianca’s layed on the bed, her voice was hushed but urgent as she gripped the phone to her ear.
"Mama, I don’t know how long I can keep this up," she whispered. "It’s been weeks and... the pregnancy test isn’t even confirmed. We faked the documents, but if anyone looks deeper.... "
She paused, listening to the voice on the other end. "Yes, I know what’s at stake.
But Luca is starting to... change. If he finds out, he’s already suspecting because my stomach isn’t protruding yet. Should I fake a miscarriage mother?, Luca refuse to sleep with me making all the fertility boost medications I’m taking go in vain. "
Her tone dropped lower, almost trembling. "What do I do?"
The sound of a slow, deliberate clap made her freeze.
She turned sharply to see Luca leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but his eyes locked on her like a hawk.
"Do go on," he said quietly.
Bianca’s mouth opened, but no words came. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
Before she could stammer out an excuse, the door swung wider.
Seraphina stepped in, her gaze flicking between the two of them, the faintest smile curving her lips.
"Well," seraphina said "isn’t this... interesting?.....