The Daughter In The Shadows

Aria’s POV

The room fell silent every eye turned toward me. For a moment, I couldn't understand why Dante's words kept repeating in my head Adrian isn't the only child Alessandro had outside his marriage. I looked at Massimo, expecting him to dismiss the accusation Instead, he was staring at me with an expression I had never seen before.

Confusion then suspicion "Why is everyone looking at her?" Kelvin demanded

Maria stood beside the table, one hand pressed against her chest her face had lost its colour "Maria," Don Viti said quietly. "What does he mean?"

She shook her head "I don't know"

"You're lying" Adrian snapped he still held his gun, though it was now pointed toward the floor "You have been lying to this family for years why should we believe you now?"

"Enough!" Massimo ordered

He stepped between Adrian and Kelvin despite his injury, he refused to sit down. His shirt was stained with blood, but his attention remained fixed on his mother "Mother, look at me Is there something you haven't told us about Aria?"

Maria's eyes moved to me I wanted her to answer immediately I wanted her to say Dante was lying and that I had nothing to do with the Livoti family's secrets Instead, she began to cry that was when I knew the truth would be worse than anything I had imagined "Aria" she whispered "How old are you?"

I frowned "What?"

"Tell me your age"

"Twenty-four why?"

Maria closed her eyes Don Viti moved closer to her "Maria, don't do this here"

She turned sharply toward him "You have no right to tell me what to do you have controlled enough of our lives"

Massimo's expression hardened "Someone better start explaining"

Maria looked at me again "Your mother was my closest friend"

The words struck me unexpectedly "My mother?"

She nodded slowly "Her name was Elena she worked at the hospital where your mother gave birth. We were young, and we trusted each other she knew about the twins Alessandro had lost, and she helped me search for the truth"

I stared at her "Are you saying you knew my mother?"

"Yes"

"Then why have you never told me?"

"Because I was afraid"

"Afraid of what?"

Maria looked toward Don Viti "Because Elena didn't just know about the children who were switched she knew about another secret. A secret Alessandro had kept from everyone, including his wife"

Massimo stepped forward "Get to the point."

Maria swallowed "Alessandro had a daughter"

Nobody moved I felt the floor shift beneath me "No" I whispered

"He had a relationship with Elena before he married me when she became pregnant, he promised he would take responsibility but his father threatened to destroy her life if she ever came near the family"

"That's impossible," Massimo said

"Alessandro never knew she gave birth to a daughter," Maria continued "Elena left the city and raised the child alone."

My throat tightened "You're saying I'm his daughter?"

Maria nodded I stepped backward "No, my mother never told me anything about a powerful family. She never mentioned Alessandro."

"She wanted to protect you," Maria replied

"From what? From my own father?"

"From the people who wanted to use you against him."

I looked at Massimo he seemed as though someone had taken everything he believed about his family and shattered it in front of him Kelvin let out a bitter laugh "So we're discovering a new relative every hour now?"

"Be quiet, Kelvin" Massimo warned

"No, I won't first, Adrian appears from nowhere. Then we discover our mother helped Dante now Aria is supposedly our sister?"

"Half-sister," Adrian corrected coldly

I turned toward him he looked at me differently now. The anger in his eyes had been replaced by something harder to understand "Did you know?" I asked him

"No"

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because if what she says is true, Dante has been keeping something from me."

Before anyone could respond, the phone on the table vibrated a message appeared.

DANTE: ASK MARIA WHAT HAPPENED TO ELENA

Massimo picked up the phone "Call him"

Maria shook her head quickly "Don't"

"Why?"

"Because he wants us to panic. That's how he controls people"

Massimo ignored her and called the number Dante answered after the first ring "How touching," he said. "Has the family reunion started?"

"Stop playing games," Massimo replied "What do you know about Elena?"

Dante laughed "Your mother has finally decided to tell you about the daughter Alessandro abandoned but I wonder if she has told you what happened after the girl was born."

Maria covered her mouth "Where is Elena?" I asked

There was a brief silence on the other end then Dante spoke "Ask the woman standing beside you."

I turned toward Maria she couldn't meet my eyes "What happened to my mother?" I demanded

"Aria, please"

"Tell me!"

Maria's shoulders shook "She disappeared"

"Disappeared?"

"She was supposed to meet me one night she said she had evidence that could expose Don Viti and the people who arranged the exchange of the babies. She never arrived."

Don Viti's face darkened "That is not what happened."

Maria turned on him "You told me she had left the country!"

"Because that was what I was told"

Dante interrupted them "Such a lovely family everyone has a different version of the truth"

Massimo tightened his grip on the phone "If you know where Elena is, tell me"

"I know where she was taken"

"Where?"

"Bring Adrian to the old hospital before midnight come without the police, without your guards, and without your mother. Then I'll give you the location."

Adrian stepped forward "I'm not going anywhere with you"

Dante chuckled "You misunderstand you don't have a choice"

The call ended for several seconds, nobody spoke. Then Massimo turned toward Adrian "We're not handing you over"

"Good," Adrian replied "Because I won't let him take me"

"We need to find Elena" I said

Massimo looked at me "We will"

"You don't understand she is my mother. If she's alive, I need to see her"

"And you will but not by walking into Dante's trap"

I wanted to argue, but he was right Dante had already used our family's secrets to turn us against one another. I couldn't allow him to use my mother the same way Don Viti walked toward the table and opened the ledger "There may be another way"

He turned several pages until he reached a section marked with a red seal "Alessandro kept records of everyone involved in the hospital incident If Elena was taken, someone would have signed the order"

"Then find the name" Massimo said

Don Viti began searching through the pages suddenly, he stopped his fingers trembled "What is it?" Kelvin asked

Don Viti didn't answer he stared at the page as if he had just seen a ghost Massimo snatched the ledger from him. At the bottom of the page was a signature.

ELENA'S TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION.

Beneath it was a name I recognized immediately.

It belonged to the man who had raised me after my mother disappeared my stepfather I felt the air leave my lungs "That's impossible," I whispered

Massimo looked at me "Aria, do you know this man?"

I nodded slowly "He raised me he told me my mother died when I was young."

Before anyone could speak, my phone rang his name appeared on the screen I answered with shaking fingers "Hello?"

A familiar voice greeted me "Hello, sweetheart."

I couldn't breathe "Where are you?"

He laughed softly "Don't worry about me. I just wanted to tell you something before your new family ruins everything."

"What do you want?"

His voice suddenly became cold "Stay away from Massimo stay away from the Livoti family and whatever happens, do not believe that man when he tells you who your real father is."

I stared at Massimo then my stepfather delivered the words that destroyed the last piece of certainty I had "Because, Aria, Alessandro Livoti wasn't your father."

He paused "Your real father is the man standing beside Massimo."