56. Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Six
Mateo
“ I sa has been in love with the same boy forever,” Mari says, gazing out the window at the passing scenery. Her eyes are distant, and I doubt she’s truly seeing any of it. A veil of melancholy clouds her features.
“Boy?” I tease, trying to lighten the sudden shift in mood.
It works. She chuckles softly, though the sound lacks its usual warmth. “I guess he’s all man now. Our families used to be close, and we practically grew up with Luca. He was a couple of years older than Isa, and they always had a special bond.”
“Was?” I ask, my curiosity piqued. “Did something happen to him?”
I search my memory, trying to recall who Antonio is close friends with in la famiglia, but no one stands out.
Mari stiffens beside me, her hand slipping from my thigh as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture feels more like a shield than a casual movement.
She presses her lips into a thin line, her gaze retreating to the window. After a long pause, she shakes her head, still avoiding my eyes.
“Never mind. Forget I said anything. It’s all in the past, and soon Father will have arranged Isa’s marriage.”
Her abrupt dismissal doesn’t sit right. I reach for her hand, pulling it back onto my thigh and covering it with mine.
“No, Mari. Tell me. What were you about to say?”
She shakes her head again, as though warding off the question itself.
“Teo,” she murmurs, “we’ve had such a pleasant drive. Let’s not spoil it by dragging up the past.”
“Tell me,” I insist, my tone firmer now. The need to fix whatever has caused this shadow over her surprises even me.
“I don’t want secrets between us, dolcezza . I want to know everything about you, and that includes the people you care about most.”
Her hand tightens on my leg, betraying her inner conflict. Realizing it, she exhales and loosens her grip. “Pretty much from the day she was born, Isabella was betrothed to Luca Caruso.”
Caruso.
The name stirs something in my memory, but I can’t quite place it.
“Isa and Luca were set to marry when Isa turned eighteen,” she continues, her voice quieter now. “They made it official on her sixteenth birthday. They were so in love. I’ve never seen her happier. But a year later, it…”
“It what?” I prompt her when her words trail off, the silence hanging heavily in the air between us.
“It all fell apart,” she whispers, her voice barely audible over the hum of the road.
I do the math to piece together the fragments of information Mari’s given me. She mentioned her sister is two years older. She was seventeen when everything collapsed. That was five years ago.
Five years ago… Caruso.
Fuck me!
“Luigi Caruso,” I say, the name leaving my lips with a sharpness I hadn’t intended.
Luigi Caruso’s betrayal stung deep. Even after all these years, the memory still burns like it just happened.
Tiero had discovered that Luigi had been feeding information to Niccolo Molinaro for years.
He’d been a high-ranking member of our organization, part of papà ’s inner circle, and later Tiero’s after papà ’s death. Respected by everyone. Trusted by us all.
Until the cracks began to show.
Tiero had sensed something was off, and as suspicion took root, he set a trap. One Luigi walked straight into. But realizing he’d been caught, Luigi managed to escape that night, fleeing with his wife and son before we could stop him. Despite our best efforts, they vanished. No matter how far we searched, Luigi Caruso left no trace.
When we interrogated his soldiers, the full extent of his crimes came to light, solidifying his guilt and ensuring that if he or his family were ever found, their fate would be sealed.
“It was Luigi who leaked papà ’s whereabouts the night he got killed,” I push out through gritted teeth, my voice trembling with restrained fury.
Even now, the bitterness surges, as fresh as the night it all unraveled. That night had torn apart the very fabric of our family, thrusting Tiero and me into roles we were too young to assume, even with a lifetime of training.
Luigi Caruso. A man my father trusted. A man who sat at our table, shared our wine, and smiled at us while plotting our destruction with our enemy. The thought alone makes my fists clench, my nails biting into my palms.
And now Mari is telling me her sister had been engaged to his son?
Sensing my growing tension, Mari’s hand on my leg flexes, a subtle attempt to ground me.
“None of us knew about Luigi’s betrayal,” she says, her voice stronger now, as if willing me to understand. “Luca wouldn’t have been aware of it either. He was loyal to a fault, Teo. Loyal to la famiglia , loyal to Isa. He would never have done anything to jeopardize his relationship with her. He loved her.”
I turn my gaze to her, studying her for any hint of doubt. But she is resolute, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, ready to defend her sister’s honor, and, I realize, Luca’s too.
Her certainty gives me pause. Slowly, I exhale, letting some of the tension ease from my body. This isn’t about Mari. None of this was her doing, and I can’t let my anger bleed into our relationship.
“He loved her,” I echo softly, the words heavy on my tongue. “And yet his family’s actions destroyed mine.”
Mari flinches at the bitterness in my voice, but I press on.
“The Carusos fled after Luigi’s betrayal was uncovered. No one’s seen or heard from them since. It must have been Luca who made sure their tracks were untraceable. Even as a teenager, he was a gifted hacker.”
Mari presses her lips together to stop herself from speaking, but then changes her mind.
“You can’t blame him for that. He was protecting himself and his mother, not just the man who betrayed your family.”
I sigh, the weight of her words pressing on me. Now that it’s all coming back to me, I recall meeting Luca a handful of times over the years, mostly at official la famiglia gatherings.
He was quiet, intense, always observing from the sidelines.
His father used to brag about his hacking skills, and the few times I visited their home, Luca’s head was buried in code.
At the time, I thought his talent was harmless, perhaps even admirable. Tiero and I saw a promising future for him within our organization. Never once did we imagine he’d use his skills against us.
Mari shifts beside me, drawing me out of my thoughts. “You don’t believe Luca knew, do you?” she asks hesitantly.
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. But it’s hard to separate him from his father’s betrayal.”
Her hand tightens on mine, grounding me. “Teo, Luca isn’t his father. He was just a boy who loved my sister. Whatever sins Luigi committed, they weren’t Luca’s.”
I turn to her, meeting her earnest gaze. Slowly, the heat of my anger cools, replaced by a dull ache. We have no concrete proof of Luca’s involvement beyond him covering their tracks. And condemning him won’t change the past.
“You’re right,” I admit quietly, surprising even myself. “Maybe Luca didn’t know. And if he truly loved Isa…” I trail off, shaking my head.
Mari’s shoulders relax, and a tentative smile softens her expression. “He did. He loved her with everything he had. And she loved him just as much. But what happened, it tore them apart.”
Silence falls between us, heavy but not hostile. After a long pause, I let out a weary sigh.
“For your sister’s sake, I hope Luca was as loyal to la famiglia as you say. But, Mari,” I hold her gaze, my voice firm, “if he ever contacts Isabella, I need you to tell me.”
“He hasn’t in five years,” she replies. “The night the Carusos left Sicily was the last time Isa spoke to him.”
After a moment, she adds, “He might not even be alive anymore.”
“Why do you say that?”
Mari looks out of the window again, her fingers tapping unconsciously on my leg.
“Mari?”
“It’s just…”
“Yeah?”
“When Luca said goodbye, he promised Isa he’d come back for her. Teo, he loved her so much. He wouldn’t break that promise unless…” Her words falter, and I finish for her.
“Unless he was dead?”
She nods. “Yes. That’s what Isa believes.”
“We didn’t kill them,” I say firmly. “And if Molinaro did, he would’ve made sure we found out. He’d probably have sent the bodies back to rub salt in the wound. If Luca was as loyal as you say, he would’ve understood the gravity of his father’s betrayal. For your sister’s safety, he would’ve stayed away. Any connection to him after his family fled wouldn’t have ended well for Isa or your family. He would’ve known that.”
Mari nods but doesn’t respond immediately. After a while, she murmurs, “Isa was heartbroken for a long time. She clung to his promise, hoping against all odds he’d find a way back to her. We both knew it was wishful thinking, but she couldn’t let go.”
“Is that why your father arranged your marriage first, not hers? To give her time to heal?”
Mari laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Father doesn’t care about our feelings. Isa and I were as surprised as everyone else in la famiglia when he announced I’d marry first. He never explained why. We could only guess he had someone specific in mind for Isa and was still negotiating the match.”
“Sounds like him,” I mutter, my tone grim.