Chapter 14
The song was “Blue Moon.”
Badly played.
Elena laughed through half of it.
Lily kicked during the second verse.
I told Elias.
Two hours later, Elena Bellandi walked into Bellafonte.
Thinner.
Scar along one temple.
Alive.
My daughters stared.
So did I.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then Lily whispered:
“Lady.”
Elena smiled through tears.
“Yes.”
Not Mama.
Not yet.
That mattered.
She crouched.
Didn’t reach for them.
Emma hid behind Hannah.
Elena saw.
Her face broke.
Hannah immediately whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Elena looked at her.
“For what?”
“They call me—”
“I know.”
Hannah froze.
Elena smiled weakly.
“I watched you feed them.”
Silence.
“You gave them what I couldn’t.”
Hannah started crying.
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“Don’t apologize.”
Bianca laughed from across the room.
Of course she did.
“What a beautiful reunion.”
Elena stood.
Her face changed.
Not frightened now.
Cold.
“Bianca.”
Bianca smiled.
“Still dramatic.”
“You put me in Saint Alden.”
“You survived.”
“You kept Samuel underground.”
“He survived too.”
“You starved my daughters.”
“They ate.”
Elena looked at me.
“Same language.”
I understood.
Every cruelty measured against death.
If victim survived, villain claimed restraint.
I moved toward Elena.
Stopped two feet away.
I didn’t know what I was allowed.
She looked at me.
“Dominic.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“I buried you.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
That surprised her.
“For what?”
“For stopping.”
Her eyes filled.
“You searched.”
“Not long enough.”
She looked at Bianca.
“They made sure you didn’t.”
Then she looked at the ring on Bianca’s finger.
Engagement.
I removed mine.
Not theatrically.
Just done.
Bianca’s face changed.
“Dominic.”
“No.”
Elena saw it.
I said nothing else.
This was not a romantic reunion.
Not yet.
It was truth returning to a room built on lies.
Then Elena looked at Marco.
“He knows where the last four traitors are.”
May you like
Marco went pale.
The conspiracy inside Bellandi command was still alive.
