The Mother’s Secret

Massimo’s POV

My mother the name on the screen refused to make sense gor years, Maria Livoti had been the one person I never questioned. When my father died, she had held our family together while I learned how to lead men who were twice my age she had endured threats, attended funerals, and watched me turn into the man my father had expected me to become. She had never once given me a reason to doubt her until now “Let me see that” I said

Kelvin held the phone tighter “You need to rest”

“Give me the damn phone”

He hesitated before handing it over the message was still on the screen beneath it sat a second notification, timestamped less than a minute earlier

HE MUST NOT REACH THE HOSPITAL ALIVE

My stomach turned “Who sent this?” Aria asked

“The number is unregistered” Kelvin replied “But the contact name was saved as mother”

“That doesn't prove she sent it” Aria said carefully “Someone could have used her phone or saved her name to mislead you”

Kelvin shook his head “You didn't see the message that came before it”

He scrolled upward a photograph appeared It showed my mother standing outside the chapel, dressed in black, speaking to a man whose face was partly hidden beneath the hood of his jacket. The date on the photograph was three days earlier my mother had told us she was in Rome visiting an old family friend she had lied “Where did you get this?” I asked

“From the phone”

Kelvin's voice was strained “There are more photographs”

He opened another image this time, my mother was seated at a table with Dante the two of them were not arguing. They were not being forced to meet my mother was smiling at something he had said, one hand resting beside a glass of water the date was two weeks before the attack at the airport Aria looked away from the screen, her face troubled “Massimo we need to think carefully Dante wants to destroy your family. He may be using these pictures to turn you against each other”

“Maybe” I replied

But the second message remained in my mindhe must not reach the hospital alive Whoever had written those words knew I was wounded. They knew we were planning to leave the chapel and they wanted to make certain I never reached safety “Kelvin call the doctor again tell him to meet us at the estate instead”

“He'll insist on taking you to the hospital”

“Then don't tell him where we are”

My brother nodded to one of our men, who immediately stepped away to make the call Aria pressed her hand against my shoulder “You can't keep moving around like this you're losing too much blood”

“I'll survive”

“You don't know that”

“I know I have a family to deal with before I can afford to die”

Her lips tightened “That isn't funny”

“I wasn't trying to be funny”

For a moment, neither of us spoke then she took my hand “Whatever your mother has done don't let it turn you into someone who trusts nobody”

I looked at her she had every reason to distrust my family. My father-in-law had betrayed her, and she had discovered that the man she married had been surrounded by secrets long before she entered his life yet she was still asking me not to let suspicion control me “I'll try” I told her

It was the only promise I could make we reached the estate shortly before dawn the journey was agonizing every turn sent pain through my chest, and by the time our men carried me inside, I was struggling to remain conscious. The doctor was waiting in the private medical room he examined the wound, ordered everyone except one nurse to leave, and began treating me immediately. The bullet had passed through the upper part of my chest, narrowly missing a major artery I had lost a dangerous amount of blood, but the doctor believed I would recover if I remained still for once, I followed instructions Kelvin stood near the window while Aria sat beside my bed neither had slept “Have you contacted Mother?” I asked

Kelvin shook his head “Not yet”

“Good”

“Massimo if she really sent those messages”

“Then I'll hear it from her”

“And if she refuses to tell us the truth?”

I stared at the ceiling “Then we'll find out what she's hiding”

The doctor finished dressing my wound and warned me that any sudden movement could reopen it once he left, Kelvin placed the phone on the bedside table “I found something else” he said

He opened the conversation history and handed me the device there were dozens of messages between the unknown number and Dante most were brief, discussing movements, security arrangements, and the timing of certain meetings then I found one that made my fingers tighten around the phone the coronation must happen before the end of the month. Once Massimo takes the crown, the entire organization will be under his control that's when we strike the reply came from Dante and the boy?

The answer was immediate Kelvin will do what I tell him. He always has I looked up sharply Kelvin had been reading over my shoulder his expression had darkened “What does that mean?” I asked

“I don't know”

“Don't lie to me”

“I'm not”

His voice rose then fell as he glanced toward Aria “I received a call the night Father died someone told me there was a threat against him. I warned him to leave the safe house, but he refused he said the information was unreliable”

“Who called you?”

“I never saw the number It was blocked”

“And you never told me?”

“I was afraid you'd blame me for not doing more”

I studied my brother's face for years, Kelvin had lived in my shadow. I had mistaken his silence for indifference and his independence for carelessness perhaps I had never given him enough reason to believe he could tell me the truth without being judged but that did not explain the messages “Did you ever meet Dante before our father's death?”

“No”

“Did you know he was connected to the attack?”

“No, Massimo I swear it”

I wanted to believe him before I could answer, a knock sounded at the door one of our guards entered “Sir Mrs Livoti has arrived”

Kelvin and I exchanged a look “Where is she?” I asked

“In the main hall she says she wants to see you”

“Search her check her belongings and her phone. No one enters this room armed”

The guard nodded and left Aria stood “I'll stay here”

“No” I said “I need you to hear what she has to say”

“Massimo”

“If she is innocent, she deserves the chance to explain If she's lying I want witnesses”

Aria considered me before sitting back down “Then I won't leave your side”

A few minutes later, my mother entered Maria Livoti looked exactly as I remembered her: elegant black dress, pearl earrings, and her dark hair pinned neatly behind her head but when her gaze landed on the bandage across my chest, she stopped walking“Massimo”

She hurried toward the bed I raised a hand, stopping her before she could touch me “Don't”

The hurt in her expression was immediate “Darling what happened to you?”

“You tell me”

Her eyes moved to Kelvin, then to Aria “What is this?”

Kelvin held up the phone “Explain the messages”

My mother stared at the screen for several seconds, she said nothing then she sank into the chair beside the bed “Oh God”

The words were barely audible I had expected anger, denial, perhaps even outrage at our accusation I had not expected her to look defeated “You know about them” I said

She pressed both hands together “I can explain”

“Then explain”

Her gaze settled on Kelvin “Your father was going to destroy this family”

Kelvin recoiled as if she had slapped him “What?”

“He had made enemies he couldn't control he was making decisions that would have brought every one of us down with him”

“So you helped Dante kill him?” I demanded

“No”

The force of her denial surprised us all “I did not kill your father I never wanted him dead”

“Then why were you meeting Dante?”

My mother closed her eyes “Because Dante promised he would leave my sons alone if I helped him gain access to your father's accounts”

Silence filled the room “What accounts?” Kelvin asked

“The private accounts your father used to move money without the council's knowledge Dante believed those accounts contained evidence of an agreement between your father and several powerful men”

“And you helped him find them?”

“I gave him information nothing more”

I stared at her, trying to reconcile the woman before me with the mother I had known “You put us in danger”

“I was trying to protect you”

“By helping the man who wanted to destroy us?”

She began to cry, but I felt no relief at the sight her tears could not undo the choices she had made “Dante told me he only wanted the money” she whispered “He swore he would leave the family alone”

“And you believed him?”

“I had no choice”

“There is always a choice”

She looked at me then and something in her expression changed “You think you understand what happened that night?” she asked “You think your father was an innocent man who was murdered because someone betrayed him?”

I went still “What are you saying?”

My mother reached into her handbag and removed a small silver key “Your father kept a second ledger in a safe beneath the old family chapel It contains the names of everyone involved in the events that led to his death”

Kelvin stepped forward “Why didn't you tell us?”

“Because the first name in that ledger is the reason your father died”

She placed the key on my bedside table “And the last name is the reason Dante has been hunting your family for years”

Before I could ask another question, the lights went out a gunshot exploded somewhere in the corridor Aria grabbed my hand Kelvin drew his weapon and moved toward the door then my mother's phone rang. She looked at the screen, and all the colour drained from her face I caught a glimpse of the caller's name before she could turn it away

DANTE

She answered with trembling fingers a man's voice came through the speaker, clear enough for all of us to hear “Maria tell your sons the truth before I do”

My mother began to sob then Dante spoke again “Tell them which one of them is not Alessandro's son”