Chapter 9 - The Woman in Room 17
We ignored Silas's fake meeting location.
Marco assembled men I trusted.
Not Moretti crews.
Too compromised.
Six people.
Hannah.
Me.
Goliath.
We reached the abandoned hospital before sunrise.
The tracking signal came from the west wing.
Room 17.
I found Eli first.
Locked inside an examination room.
Alive.
Terrified.
The moment he saw me:
“Dante!”
I broke the lock.
He ran into me.
For half a second, I didn't know what to do.
Then I held him.
My son.
He didn't know.
Not yet.
“Where's Silas?”
“He left.”
“Who else is here?”
“A lady.”
My heart pounded.
“What lady?”
“She was crying.”
Goliath pulled toward the hallway.
We followed.
Room 17.
Locked.
Hannah stopped me.
“Dante.”
I opened it.
A woman stood beside the window.
Thin.
Dark hair streaked with gray.
Older.
But I knew her before she turned.
“Elena.”
Her body went completely still.
Then she looked at me.
Nine years.
One word.
“Dante?”
I couldn't move.
She crossed the room.
Slapped me.
Hard.
Marco looked away.
Fair.
“You never came.”
“I thought you were dead.”
She stared.
“What?”
“I buried your ashes.”
Elena started crying.
Silas told her I ordered her disappearance.
He showed her documents.
Messages.
Threats.
All forged.
He convinced her I didn't want the baby.
Then after Eli's birth, Silas told her the child died.
Two people grieving someone alive.
That was his favorite weapon.
Then Eli entered.
Elena saw him.
Her knees nearly gave out.
“No.”
Eli hid partly behind me.
She whispered:
“Elijah?”
He stared.
“How do you know my name?”
I looked at Hannah.
This wasn't how a child should learn.
But there was no clean version.
I crouched.
“Eli.”
He looked at me.
“The woman is your mother.”
Confusion.
Then toward Hannah.
“But Mom—”
Hannah knelt too.
“I am your mom.”
Her voice broke.
“I just wasn't the first one.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Eli looked overwhelmed.
So I stopped.
No more revelations.
Not now.
Then Goliath growled.
We heard a click from the corridor speakers.
Silas.
“Beautiful.”
I stood.
He had been watching.
Again.
“You found your family.”
Elena looked toward the ceiling.
“You bastard!”
Silas laughed.
“I prefer archivist.”
Then every exterior door locked.
Smoke began leaking beneath the hallway doors.
Not fire.
Gas.
Marco shouted.
We covered Eli's face.
Hannah searched for ventilation.
Elena pointed toward an old service corridor.
“There!”
We moved.
Silas's voice followed us.
“Dante, your father once had the same choice.”
“What choice?”
“Empire or child.”
I carried Eli.
“What did he choose?”
Silas laughed.
“Ask Luca.”
The speakers died.
We escaped through a maintenance tunnel.
Outside, Luca Moretti was waiting.
Alone.
I nearly attacked him.
“Why are you here?”
“Marco called.”
I looked at Marco.
He nodded.
Luca stared at Eli.
Then Elena.
His face collapsed.
“So it's true.”
“You knew?”
“Not until yesterday.”
“Silas said Dad made a choice.”
Luca went quiet.
“What choice?”
He looked at Elena.
Then me.
“Dad knew Eli was alive.”
My fists tightened.
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
“And said nothing?”
“He was protecting you.”
I almost laughed.
There it was again.
Luca continued:
“Silas gave Dad two options. Tell you about your son and Silas would kill the child…”
He swallowed.
“…or let Eli disappear and keep you controllable.”
I stepped toward him.
“What did Dad choose?”
Luca looked at Eli.
“He chose a third option.”
“What?”
“He hired someone to kill Silas.”
That person failed.
But before dying, the assassin discovered Silas's greatest secret.
Luca handed me a photograph.
Silas Bennett standing beside a teenage boy.
“Who is that?”
Luca answered:
“His son.”
Silas had spent decades weaponizing everyone else's family.
Yet he had hidden one of his own.
May you like
And according to Luca—
the son had been inside my organization for twelve years.
