Chapter 47
Tiziano Constanzo
I arrived at the Ferrucci house, and the first thing I noticed was the absence of the car that had left my property earlier.
“Has Bianca already left?” I murmured to myself, my eyes scanning the grounds ahead.
Through the window, I saw Giulia wave with an irritating smile before she opened the door.
“I came to visit your parents and pick up Bianca while I’m here.”
Giulia tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with an air of superiority.
“Bianca? Oh, I haven’t seen her in ages. But come in. My parents should be getting back from an appointment soon.”
“Bianca must have come by while you were sleeping,” I replied without emotion. I wasn’t accustomed to admitting that something might be beyond my control.
She laughed, the kind of laugh that tested a man’s patience.
“Of course, that must be it. And she probably didn’t stay long.” There was mockery in her tone, something that made me briefly clench my fists.
I took a deep breath, maintaining my composure.
“I’ll come back another day, then. I need to discuss a few things with your father,” I said, already turning to leave.
“You look tired, Don Tiziano.” Her eyes dropped to my injured leg. “Why don’t you sit down for a while?”
I ignored her and took another step, but she kept talking.
“I always knew my sister was lucky.” She paused, watching my reaction. “But you’re much more than luck, aren’t you? You’re power, you’re control... and you’re blind.”
I turned slowly, narrowing my eyes at her.
“What are you talking about, Giulia?”
She sighed dramatically, as if she were about to do me some enormous favor.
“Bianca has secrets, Don. Secrets she never told you. Secrets that could change everything.”
My body stiffened, but I refused to let her see anything beyond coldness.
“My wife has no secrets. So stop wasting my time.”
Giulia let out a short laugh.
“You’re smart, Don, but you’re wrong. Bianca isn’t who you think she is.”
I leaned toward her, curious about what she had to say.
“Go on. But choose your words carefully.”
“You think you wiped out the Bellinis, but you overlooked one detail. A detail that sleeps beside you every night.”
My breathing grew heavier, but I remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
“Bianca is Vittorio Bellini’s daughter. And there’s proof.”
“Proof?” I asked, my voice low.
“Old documents. Financial records. Letters. Our father knew everything, but he chose to hide it. Bianca is what you swore to destroy.”
“If this is a lie, Giulia, there won’t be a place in this world where you can hide from me.”
“I’m not lying. But if you want confirmation, ask her. See how she reacts. I bet Bianca already knew. Maybe that’s why she got close to you... to protect her family.”
My head throbbed. The world seemed to spin around those words. Giulia took a step away from me, smoothing her dress with a victorious expression.
“Don’t forget, Don Tiziano. Bellini blood is treacherous. And now it’s inside your home. But in the end, you’re the one who decides her fate.”
A rough laugh escaped my throat before I could stop it. In one swift movement, I grabbed Giulia by the hair and yanked her toward me. The shock wiped the smile from her face.
“You’re the one I’ll kill, Giulia, if you keep making up stories,” I growled, my face inches from hers.
I released her with a shove, and she stumbled, falling to the floor. I stormed out of the house.
I got into the car, my fingers tapping angrily against the seat. I didn’t know whether Giulia’s story was true, but there was only one way to find out. The knot in my chest tightened because, deep down, something told me I didn’t want to know the truth.
“But if it’s true, Bianca...”
I couldn’t finish the thought. My anger was stronger than any other emotion. And when I got home, I would make damn sure I uncovered every detail.
I walked into the house breathing heavily, my mind in chaos. I climbed the steps in the foyer and stopped, trying to regain some control over my thoughts.
“Find Ant?nio and bring him to me,” I ordered.
Enzo narrowed his eyes, realizing something was wrong.
“Did something happen, cousin?” he asked, but I ignored him.
“Has my wife come back yet?” I asked, turning to face him.
“I haven’t seen Bianca return,” he replied.
I went upstairs without looking back, but I heard Enzo’s footsteps following me.
“Call the soldiers with her and tell them to bring her back now.”
“I’ll do it right now, Tiziano.” He turned around, reaching for his phone as I opened a bottle of whiskey on the table.
I yanked off the cap and drank straight from the bottle. The liquor burned down my throat. I paced back and forth impatiently, the bottle still in my hand.
“They’re already on their way, Tiziano,” Enzo announced as he walked back into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have a problem, Enzo. Now get out. Go to the warehouse and take the soldiers with you.”
“All of them?” He frowned suspiciously.
“Just go,” I growled, leaving no room for questions.
“All right, I’m going now.” He nodded and left, giving me one last curious look before closing the door behind him.
The house sank into oppressive silence. I took another swallow of whiskey, feeling the golden liquid burn down my throat as the minutes dragged on. Finally, I heard the sound of a car entering the property. My hand tightened around the neck of the bottle as I approached the window.
Alessandro, the soldier responsible for Bianca’s security, was the first to get out of the car.
His eyes met mine, and he looked at me as though he could read my mind.
Then he glanced at Bianca, who stepped out immediately afterward.
Even from a distance, I could tell she had noticed something different about me too.
Bianca hurried into the house and went upstairs. I waited for her in the bedroom, trying to calm the turmoil of emotions consuming me. When she finally opened the door, I lifted my eyes to her, struggling to keep my voice controlled.
“Where were you?” I asked calmly.
“I went to see my parents, but they weren’t home,” she replied, avoiding my gaze.
“And that took an entire morning?”
She frowned, confused.
“Why are you angry?”
I took a step forward, moving closer to her.
“Do I look angry?” I asked, tilting my head while keeping my eyes locked on hers.
“Did I do something my husband didn’t like?”
Before making any accusation or starting a confrontation, I needed certainty. I picked up my phone and moved a few steps away.
“Did you find my father-in-law?” I asked.
“Yes, one of the soldiers is already bringing him to the property,” Enzo replied.
“Change of plans. I’m going to the warehouse. Take him there. I’ll meet you as soon as I arrive.” I ended the call without waiting for further explanation, gripping the phone tightly before slipping it into my pocket.
I turned toward Bianca. She was still standing there, studying me.
“Did my father do something wrong?” she asked cautiously, her tone making it clear she feared the answer.
“Is he really your father, Bianca?” I fired back, keeping my gaze fixed on her, studying every reaction exactly as Giulia had suggested.
She froze for a moment, her voice trembling when she answered:
“Of course he is. What kind of question is that?”
“Then why does my wife look so nervous over such a simple question?”
She looked away for a second, biting her lip before meeting my eyes again.
“You’re making me nervous, Tiziano. What are you getting at? What are you trying to imply?”
“Tell me your father’s name, Bianca.”
I took a step toward her, my gaze locked on hers, searching her reaction for any clue.
“I only know one, Ant?nio Ferrucci,” she replied.
I tilted my head, evaluating every detail. She was restless. Her fingers nervously played with the hem of her dress, a gesture that never escaped my notice.
“Vittorio Bellini,” I said slowly and deliberately. “Does that name mean anything to you?”
The impact was immediate. Bianca’s eyes widened, and her breath caught for a moment. She tried to hide it, but the trembling of her hands gave everything away.
“No... I...” she began, but her voice failed, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.
Cold swept through my body, mingling with the furious heat rising through my chest. The confirmation was right there, clearer than any words could ever be. My jaw clenched hard.
Enzo was right. It had been her all along.
The room suddenly felt too small to contain the fury growing inside me. My chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as I stared at Bianca. Her eyes were wide with fear, but I couldn’t see innocence in them.
My hand instinctively went to the gun at my waist, and before I even realized it, I was aiming it directly at her.
“Answer me!” I shouted. “Are you his daughter? Have you been lying to me this entire time?”
“It’s not my fault!” she finally exploded, tears streaming down her face.
My hands trembled. Not from fear, but from pure hatred. How had I not seen it? How had I let this happen right in front of me?
“You’re a Bellini.” The words came out like venom. “That’s all that matters. You never should have come into my life.”
My finger brushed the trigger, and for a moment, I considered it. Just for a moment. But the sight of her crying, trembling in front of me, made me hesitate.
I couldn’t kill her. I couldn’t do it. The hatred consuming me wasn’t stronger than what I felt for her. I lowered the gun, but it wasn’t an act of surrender. It was a decision. She didn’t deserve to die now, but she would pay for this.
“Get out of my life, Bianca.”
“Tiziano...”
“I swear to God, Bianca, if you open your fucking mouth again, I’ll throw you into one of my clubs and pay every bastard in there to fuck you until you beg for mercy. Now get the fuck out of my sight and disappear before I lose what little patience I have left and finish you for good.”
I could feel the rage boiling through my veins, but at the same time, there was an ache in my chest I couldn’t ignore.
“Are you going to stand there?” I growled, gesturing with the gun still in my hand. “Or do I need to drag you out?”
She took a step back, stumbling over the edge of the rug. Tears streamed down her face, but she lifted her chin as though trying to reclaim some shred of dignity.
“You can’t treat me like this, Tiziano,” she said with ridiculous courage.
I let out a bitter laugh.
“I can’t? After all of this? After finding out you lied about who you are?” I growled, taking a step forward and pointing a finger at her. “Get the fuck out of my house before I regret not burning you alive just like I did the rest of your damned family.”