Chapter 9
Valentina answered RIVER with two words.
CALL ME.
Thomas lunged.
Three capos stopped him.
His face twisted.
“Don’t.”
Valentina looked at him.
“Why?”
Silence.
The phone rang.
She answered.
A man spoke immediately.
“Thomas?”
Valentina said nothing.
“Pool handled?”
Still silence.
Then:
“If the boy survived, move to the second version.”
Valentina’s pulse slowed.
Second version.
She finally spoke.
“What second version?”
Silence.
The line disconnected.
Thomas closed his eyes.
Vanessa whispered:
“Oh God.”
Valentina turned.
“You knew?”
“No.”
Wrong.
Too quick.
Marcus stared at her.
“What second version?”
Vanessa backed away.
“I don’t know.”
Thomas laughed cruelly.
“She knows enough.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“What?”
“You wanted your wedding protected.”
Her face changed.
Thomas continued.
“You wanted Valentina gone before midnight.”
“Not Ethan dead.”
“You pushed him.”
“You said he could swim!”
The terrace went silent.
Ethan heard.
Valentina saw his face.
Vanessa immediately realized.
Too late.
She had known he might drown.
She had simply chosen to believe Thomas’s lie because it made her role easier.
Thomas smiled at her.
“There. Tell everyone how innocent you are.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with rage.
“You told me he’d float.”
Thomas shrugged.
“And you believed me.”
“You said—”
“You always believe whatever protects your dress.”
The cruelty was effortless.
Vanessa had done something monstrous.
Thomas still found a way to make her feel small.
Valentina understood the system.
Thomas did not build loyal people.
He built ashamed people.
Marcus.
Vanessa.
Silver-crest capos.
All afraid that admitting manipulation would expose their own choices.
Valentina looked at Vanessa.
“What was second version?”
She shook her head.
Thomas said:
“If she tells you, her brother dies.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
Vanessa stared at Thomas.
He smiled.
“You thought I only prepared leverage against Valentina?”
Marcus stepped forward.
Thomas continued:
“Your sister’s marriage gave me access to every Hale route.”
Vanessa’s face drained.
Marcus looked at her.
“You married for him?”
“No.”
Thomas laughed.
“She married because I told her the Morettis would protect her.”
He turned to Valentina.
“Everyone wants something.”
Pause.
“Ethan wanted Mommy.”
Valentina’s expression changed.
Thomas smiled.
May you like
“And look where that got him.”
That was the moment Marcus stopped protecting Thomas.
