Chapter 33
T he portfolio lies spread open across Damiano's massive desk, divided into four sections. My fingers trace the columns of numbers, searching for patterns, codes, anything that might link my father to the horrors I know he's committed.
"Nothing in section three either," Enzo mutters, pushing a stack of papers aside.
Three hours. We've been at this for three hours, each of us combing through one section of the portfolio documents, looking for even the smallest thread to pull. My eyes burn from staring at endless columns of numbers and names.
"Maybe we're missing something," I say, my voice hollow as I reach for another document. "Maybe there's a code or?—"
"We've been through everything twice," Alessio says gently, his hand covering mine as I reach for the same papers I've already examined three times. "There's nothing here, Melania."
The weight of his statement crashes through me. I twist my mother's ring frantically, the metal chafing my skin.
"No," I whisper, snatching back another file. "No, there has to be something. Leo risked everything to get this. It can't be for nothing."
My hands shake as I flip through the pages again. Balance sheets. Property acquisitions. Import records for the restaurant supply business. All perfectly legal. All perfectly documented.
Nothing about trafficking. Nothing about organs. Nothing that could possibly save any of those people.
"I don't understand," I say, my voice cracking. "I know what I saw on Raymond's drive. I know what they're doing."
Damiano sighs heavily, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. "Perhaps Antonio keeps those records elsewhere. Or perhaps he doesn't keep records of those activities at all."
The implications hit me. All this—Leo's risk, our planning, everything we've done—for nothing. My knees give out and I sink into the nearest chair, the room suddenly spinning around me.
"I put my brother in danger for nothing," I whisper, dismay whittling through me. "If my father realizes what Leo did..."
Alessio crouches before me, his hands steady on my knees. "We'll protect Leonardo. Just like we're protecting you."
But I barely hear him. My mind screeches through every possibility, every horrible scenario. My father isn't stupid. He knows how to hide his tracks. And Raymond's security on the USB drive was military-grade for a reason.
"All those people," I whisper, my voice breaking. "All those people in those files. We have nothing to help them."
The tears come then, burning and hopeless, as the weight of my failure crashes down. I press my palms against my eyes, trying to hold back the flood, but it's useless. Three hours of hope, destroyed. Lives hanging in the balance, with no way to save them.
"I thought I could stop them," I choke out between sobs. "I really thought I could stop them."
Suddenly strong arms envelop me. Alessio pulls me against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath my ear.
"This won't help them either," he murmurs, his voice rumbling through his chest. "The crying won't help, and neither will giving up."
I try to pull away, but he holds me tighter.
"We still have the USB," he continues, his hand moving in soothing circles on my back. "And now we're not alone. We have people who can help with the hacking, with the hiding."
I lift my tear-stained face. "But Raymond's security?—"
"Can be broken," Alessio says firmly. "You've been working alone. Now we bring in specialists, people who?—"
The office door snaps open without warning. Noah stands there, his expression unreadable as always, but there's tension in the set of his shoulders.
"Leonardo Lombardi is at the gate," he announces. "He's alone. Wants to come in."
My heart stops. Leo? Here?
"What?" I pull away from Alessio, blood rushing in my ears. "That's impossible. He can't be here. If my father finds out?—"
"He insists on speaking with his sister," Noah continues, looking to Damiano. "Says it's urgent."
I'm on my feet now, twisting my mother's ring so hard it leaves a weal on my finger. "Leo wouldn't come here unless something was terribly wrong."
Damiano studies me for a long moment, then gives a single nod to Noah.
"Let him in," he says. "Bring him directly here. Check him for guns and wires and remain alert."
Noah disappears and panic claws at my throat. Leo coming to the Feretti estate is unthinkable. Whatever drove him here must be catastrophic.
"Melania." Alessio's hands frame my face, forcing me to look at him. "Breathe. We don't know why he's here yet."
But I do know. Something has gone horribly wrong. And it's my fault for involving Leo in the first place.
I keep my hand on the small of Melania's back as we wait, feeling her tremble beneath my palm. Her breathing comes too fast, too shallow. If Leonardo brings bad news I'm not sure she can take it.
The door opens and Noah ushers Leonardo Lombardi into Damiano's office. He looks different than he did at the gym—more disheveled, with tension radiating from his tall frame.
"Leo!" Melania breaks away from me, rushing toward her brother.
My muscles stiffen instinctively as she throws herself into his arms. Leonardo's expression is strange—guarded, unreadable. His right hand remains closed around something and for one heart-stopping moment, I think he might have a weapon.
My hand moves toward my holster but Damiano catches my eye with a subtle shake of his head.
Leonardo pulls back from Melania, studying her face. "You're really okay," he says, his voice rough with emotion.
"I told you I was," she answers, searching his face. "Leo, what are you doing here? If Father finds out?—"
"He won't," Leonardo cuts her off.
Leonardo's eyes sweep the room, taking in Damiano, Enzo, and finally landing on me. His jaw clenches when he looks at me but he doesn't speak.
Instead, he lifts his closed fist and slowly opens it.
A small black USB drive sits in his palm.
"Is this what you were looking for?" he asks quietly.
Melania gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. "Where did you?—"
I keep my eyes locked on the USB drive in Leonardo's palm, every muscle in my body coiled tight. My first instinct is to grab it but I force myself to remain still. Leonardo's here on his own terms and one wrong move could send him running back to Antonio with everything.
"It was in the safe," Leonardo says, his eyes never leaving his sister's face. "I didn't mention it during our call because I wanted to see what was on it first."
"You looked at it?" Melania's voice shakes.
Leonardo nods, his expression blackening. "I had to know what was worth risking my life for."
I step forward, positioning myself slightly between them. "What did you find?"
Leonardo's gaze shifts to me, cold and assessing. The look of a man deciding how much to reveal.
"Apparently the same thing you did," he says finally.
"Our father is involved in human trafficking.
Organ harvesting." His voice remains steady but I catch the slight tremor in his hand as he closes his fingers around the drive.
"From what I saw it's been going on for at least three years. Maybe longer."
"What about Raymond?" Damiano asks from behind his desk.
Leonardo's jaw tightens. "His name is everywhere. Payments, schedules, transport details." He turns back to Melania, his expression softening. "You were right to run."
"Where is Antonio now?" I ask.
Leonardo's face transforms, becoming almost inhuman, something carved from ice. I've seen men's eyes before they killed, before they died—but I've never seen a look this cold, this empty.
"Right now Antonio is melting somewhere," Leonardo says, each word devoid of emotion. "Santiago is handling the disposal."
The room goes silent. Even Damiano, who's seen everything in this business, stills behind his desk.
"What are you saying?" Melania whispers, her body swaying slightly.
Leonardo meets her gaze, unflinching. "I killed our father."
My hand instinctively moves to my weapon but Leonardo doesn't react. He stands perfectly still, like a man who's already calculated every possible outcome and made his peace with all of them.
"When I saw what was on the drive—" Leonardo's voice catches, the only crack in his perfect composure. "Children, Mel. There were children."
Damiano leans forward. "You're certain Antonio is dead?"
Leonardo nods once. "Santiago will ensure there's nothing left to find."
I keep my eyes on him, assessing. This wasn't a panicked decision or a moment of rage. Leonardo Lombardi executed his father with the cold precision of someone who's been preparing for this possibility.
"How?" I ask, needing to know exactly what kind of man I'm dealing with.
"Does it matter?" Leonardo's eyes meet mine. "He's gone. That's what matters."
Melania's face has gone white, her fingers digging into her brother's arm. "Leo, what have you done?" she whispers, her voice breaking.