Chapter 10 - THE MOTHER WHO CONTROLLED THEM ALL
Isabella descended the metal stairs slowly.
No one moved.
Her black coat barely shifted as she walked.
Behind her, armed men remained positioned above.
Julian looked at Luca.
For the first time, his brother looked genuinely frightened.
“You didn’t know she was coming.”
Luca said nothing.
Isabella reached the warehouse floor.
She looked at Adrian first.
Then Elena.
Then Julian.
Her expression softened.
Almost maternal.
“Julian.”
He stared at her.
“You ordered my daughter’s death.”
Isabella sighed.
“Must we begin with dramatics?”
Elena’s face changed.
Julian stepped toward his mother.
“Answer me.”
Isabella looked at him.
“I gave instructions to prevent a catastrophic succession crisis.”
Julian’s breathing changed.
“That’s your answer?”
“It is the truth.”
“You wanted Sofia dead.”
“I wanted the pregnancy ended before it became legally relevant.”
Elena whispered,
“She is a child.”
Isabella looked at her.
“At the time, she was a complication.”
Julian moved so fast that Vittorio stepped between them.
“Julian.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“Move.”
Vittorio lowered his voice.
“This is what she wants.”
Julian looked at Isabella.
She did not look afraid.
That was the worst part.
Adrian stood behind Elena.
She kept one hand around his shoulder.
Isabella glanced toward him.
“You were never supposed to leave Switzerland.”
Adrian stared at her.
Julian said,
“Don’t speak to him.”
Isabella smiled faintly.
“You’ve known him for nine minutes.”
“And already you think you’re his father.”
Julian’s jaw clenched.
“I am his father.”
“No.”
She looked toward Adrian.
“Biology is the least important part of parenting.”
Julian almost laughed at the hypocrisy.
“Coming from you?”
Isabella’s smile disappeared.
Luca stepped forward.
“You set me up.”
She looked at him.
“I saved you.”
“You used me.”
“I gave you a future.”
“You gave me Father’s crimes.”
Isabella glanced at Vittorio.
“His crimes were already yours the moment he opened those accounts.”
Luca stared at her.
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“You knew from the beginning.”
“Yes.”
Luca looked shattered.
Julian watched his brother process the truth.
For all Luca had done, this was the moment Julian finally saw him not as the mastermind.
But as another weapon in Isabella’s hand.
Luca whispered,
“You told me you found out five years ago.”
“I lied.”
“You said you were protecting me.”
“I was.”
“From what?”
“From irrelevance.”
Luca laughed.
Then laughed again.
It sounded almost broken.
“All these years…”
“You made me hate him.”
He pointed toward Vittorio.
“You told me he chose Julian because I wasn’t good enough.”
Isabella’s eyes narrowed.
“He did.”
Vittorio looked at her.
“That isn’t true.”
She smiled.
“Now you defend him?”
Vittorio said,
“I treated him badly.”
“I did not hate him.”
Luca looked between them.
His eyes were wet.
He blinked the emotion away.
Isabella turned toward Julian.
“Give me the copies.”
Julian frowned.
“What copies?”
She smiled.
“You’re not stupid.”
“You would never bring the only card here.”
Julian said nothing.
Claudia’s face remained calm.
Isabella looked at her.
“You sent the files somewhere.”
Claudia smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
Isabella’s expression hardened.
“To whom?”
“A prosecutor.”
One of the armed men shifted.
Isabella looked toward the catwalk.
“Phones.”
The men began checking signals.
Claudia said,
“Too late.”
Isabella looked back.
“You think sending files ends this?”
“No.”
Claudia lowered her gun.
“But it starts it.”
Isabella laughed softly.
“You’re all still thinking like ordinary people.”
She looked around the warehouse.
“Evidence disappears.”
“Witnesses change their minds.”
“Prosecutors are transferred.”
“Judges retire.”
“Companies settle.”
“Stories fade.”
Julian stared at her.
“You really believe you can erase everyone.”
“I have for thirty years.”
Elena spoke.
“Not me.”
Isabella looked at her.
Elena stepped forward.
Adrian stayed behind her.
“You tried.”
“You took my phone.”
“My name.”
“My money.”
“My husband.”
“My memories.”
“My pregnancy.”
“You made me believe the man I loved abandoned me.”
Her voice trembled.
But she did not stop.
“And I’m still standing here.”
Isabella stared.
Elena placed one hand over Sofia.
“And she is still here.”
For the first time, Isabella’s expression changed.
Not fear.
Hatred.
Julian saw it.
Pure hatred directed at his wife.
That was enough.
He stepped between them.
“Look at me.”
Isabella did.
“If you want someone to hate, hate me.”
She smiled.
“I never hated you.”
“That was always your weakness.”
“You loved me?”
“In my way.”
Julian shook his head.
“No.”
“You loved what I could inherit.”
Her eyes hardened.
“You were born to carry this family.”
“I was born.”
“That’s all.”
Vittorio looked at Julian.
Something like regret crossed his face.
Isabella noticed.
“You don’t get to look ashamed now.”
She turned on Vittorio.
“You built this.”
Vittorio said nothing.
“You taught all of us that Rossi Holdings mattered more than people.”
“You sacrificed marriages.”
“Children.”
“Friends.”
“Employees.”
“And now you want to stand there like some disappointed father?”
Vittorio’s voice was quiet.
“You’re right.”
Everyone looked at him.
Isabella blinked.
Vittorio continued.
“I built it.”
“I stole.”
“I lied.”
“I used Luca.”
“I ignored Julian.”
“I let Elena suffer because protecting myself mattered more than protecting her.”
Julian stared at him.
Vittorio looked at Adrian.
“I helped hide you.”
The boy said nothing.
Vittorio then looked at Isabella.
“But you crossed a line I never crossed.”
She smiled coldly.
“Which line?”
“You ordered the death of a child.”
Isabella’s face went blank.
Vittorio reached into his coat.
The armed men raised their weapons.
Julian shouted,
“Stop!”
Vittorio slowly pulled out a phone.
He placed it on the floor.
A recording screen was running.
Isabella stared at it.
Vittorio said,
“You just admitted enough.”
Her face changed.
Claudia smiled.
Julian understood.
Vittorio had been recording since he entered.
Isabella recovered instantly.
“Destroy it.”
The men moved.
Claudia fired one shot into the ceiling.
Everyone froze.
“Next one goes lower.”
Julian grabbed Elena and Adrian.
“Behind me.”
Luca stepped beside him.
Julian looked at him.
Luca said,
“Don’t.”
“I’m not asking forgiveness.”
“Just let me fix one thing.”
Julian did not trust him.
But Isabella’s men were closing in.
Isabella snapped,
“Take the phone.”
One man moved down the stairs.
Luca raised his weapon.
Julian had not even realized he was carrying one.
“Stay back.”
Isabella looked at him.
“Put that down.”
Luca laughed.
“You still think I’m twelve.”
“You are behaving like it.”
“You knew Father framed me.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe Julian stole my future.”
“Yes.”
“You convinced me Elena was the problem.”
“She was.”
Luca’s face changed.
“No.”
He looked at Elena.
“She wasn’t.”
Elena stared at him.
Luca swallowed.
“I’m sorry.”
The words sounded foreign coming from him.
Elena did not answer.
She did not forgive him.
She did not need to.
Luca looked at Isabella.
“You made me think destroying her would save me.”
Isabella said,
“You made your own choices.”
“Yes.”
Luca nodded.
“I did.”
“And now I’m making another.”
He lowered the gun.
Then kicked Vittorio’s phone toward Claudia.
“Get it out.”
Claudia grabbed it.
Isabella shouted,
“Stop her!”
Chaos erupted.
One guard rushed down the stairs.
Julian pulled Elena behind a steel pillar.
Adrian crouched beside her.
Vittorio tackled the first man.
Luca struck another.
Claudia ran toward the side exit.
A gunshot cracked.
She fell.
“Elena!”
Julian shouted as Elena moved.
Claudia clutched her shoulder.
Blood spread across her coat.
“The phone.”
She shoved it toward Elena.
Elena grabbed it.
Julian pulled both women behind cover.
Another shot hit the pillar.
Adrian covered his ears.
Elena wrapped herself around him.
Julian looked toward the exit.
Too far.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Isabella froze.
Claudia smiled through the pain.
“Prosecutor.”
Isabella looked toward the warehouse doors.
Blue lights flickered through the windows.
Her expression changed.
Finally.
Fear.
Julian saw it.
“You were wrong.”
She looked at him.
“You can’t erase everything.”
Isabella stepped backward.
Then grabbed Elena.
It happened in less than a second.
She came around the pillar and caught Elena by the arm.
A small pistol pressed against Elena’s side.
Julian froze.
“Mother.”
“Stay back.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
Adrian cried out.
“Aunt Elena!”
Julian stepped forward.
Isabella pressed the weapon harder.
“I said stay back.”
He stopped.
Everyone stopped.
Vittorio looked at her.
“Isabella.”
“Don’t.”
She began moving toward a rear door with Elena.
Julian’s voice broke.
“Take me.”
Isabella laughed.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Let her go.”
“No.”
“Mother.”
“She is the only reason any of this survived.”
Julian shook his head.
“No.”
“You are.”
Isabella stared at him.
“You brought her into the family.”
“You refused the women I chose.”
“You gave her legitimacy.”
“You made her dangerous.”
Elena whispered,
“Julian.”
He looked at her.
She was strangely calm.
Too calm.
Her eyes moved downward.
Julian followed them.
A small trail of water ran between her shoes.
His heart stopped.
Elena looked at him.
“My water just broke.”
Everything changed.
Isabella looked down instinctively.
That half-second was enough.
Elena slammed her heel backward.
Isabella stumbled.
Julian lunged.
The gun fired.
Vittorio shouted.
Luca tackled Isabella.
The pistol skidded across the floor.
Julian caught Elena before she fell.
She gasped.
Pain crossed her face.
“Julian.”
“I’ve got you.”
“Something’s wrong.”
His heart pounded.
“Where?”
She grabbed his hand.
Her face drained.
“The baby.”
Sirens screamed outside.
Police crashed through the warehouse doors.
Men shouted.
Weapons hit the floor.
Isabella was forced down.
Luca raised his hands.
Vittorio stood motionless.
None of it mattered.
Julian looked at Elena.
She was trembling.
Another contraction hit.
Hard.
She cried out.
Julian lifted her into his arms.
“Stay with me.”
“I’m here.”
“Sofia’s coming.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Julian looked at her.
Terror filled her eyes.
“She’s too early.”
He carried her toward the ambulance.
Adrian ran beside him.
Behind them, Isabella Rossi screamed her son’s name.
Julian never turned around.
May you like
For the first time in his life, the Rossi empire was behind him.
And his family was in his arms.
