Page 14 of Until It Ends

"But, she could've told me something..."

Polo's face softens, his eyes filled with remorse. "Maybe she didn't know for sure. And lets be honest, your father was a successful businessman. He was just as wealthy as I was."

"Is it true that my mother also came from a wealthy Italian family?" I ask.

He diverted his gaze for a second and then said, "Yes. She was versed in the lifestyle as you were."

I looked down at my hands. "She always said her childhood wasn't easy."

"Valeria, I can't change the past. The rivalry between Marco and me tore us apart. I always suspected you were my child, but I still loved your mother and I didn't want to bring her any further shame. She didn't deserve it. My brother took her away from me, probably threatened her in some way."

I frown, shaking my head. "But they seemed to love each other. It was only after she died from her sickness that I was angry with him for not grieving her long enough before he married again, but I didn't think...I didn't suspect he didn't love her all along."

"People can grow to love each other, Valeria. Sometimes even though a marriage is arranged both parties can still be happy. And I won't lie that they had to have been fond of each other at some point if they slept together. Your mother was absolutely stunning and remarkable. She would've had so much to offer than her money."

"What do you mean her money?"

He sighs. "She wasn't a poor girl from a poor family is all." And then he changed the subject. "You have brothers, Enzo and Rocco. They are your family, your blood. We're you're family now."

My mind swirls with a whirlwind of emotions. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had grown up with Polo, with Enzo and Rocco by my side. The realization that my entire existence has been entangled in a web of lies and deceit cuts deep, leaving me wounded and searching for solace.

"I need to know," I say, my voice laced with determination. "What happened when I was taken by the Argentieris? How were they killed?"

A fleeting darkness crosses Polo's face, his eyes shifting away as he struggles to find the words. "Valeria, I never intended for it to happen that way. The plan was to take you without any lives lost. But Rocco, in his misguided loyalty, carried out the attack. Things went wrong, and Marco... and the others..."

My voice chokes on my aggravation. "So, it was you? You killed him?"

He held up his hands. "No, not I. it was an accident. I'm sure it was. I misunderstanding. At the end of the night...my brother, Marco, was dead and I couldn't do anything about it."

"Children were killed too. They—"

—were caught in the crossfire," he interjects. "Unfortunately, we were in the middle of a dispute which included my claim to you. I demanded a DNA test then to prove it, but he keep you away from me, and then he sped up the agreement he made with the Argentieris, handing you over earlier. I had intel that you weren't supposed to go to the Argentieris until your eighteenth birthday, but he sent you early to stop me from ruining the deal. I was prepared to do anything to get you back, and if Rocco had no done so, I probably would've killed my brother myself."

I stand up, my back stiff and blood boiling through my veins. "You talk as if you don't even care."

"I do care, but—"

"None of this needed to happen. You and Marco should have resolved your differences without bloodshed." I say, my voice strangled with emotion. "You should have left things the way they were!"

Tears stream down my cheeks as I rise from the table, my body trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow.

Before I can step away from the table he adds, "Just know this, Valeria. You are my daughter. I know it. I don't need a DNA tests. I would never publicize that if it weren't true, because being my blood comes with certain standards to uphold. I know about your little affair with the Argentieri boy. He and his father threaten everything I hold dear and have built for myself and my sons...and for you, my daughter."

"What have you built for me? You barely know me." I shake my head.

He leaned forward. "Veritas Mercantile came to Marco through your mother. Her family owned it and it became hers and then Marcos as a result of their marriage. Veritas doesn't belong to the Argentieris and I'm going to help you get it back from them."

I blink. "How will you do that?"

"I've been in this business a very long time. You don't have to worry about that. You should consider the Argentieris your enemy. And don't worry, I did what I knew you could not; I already warned him not to come near any of my properties in search of you. If you reach out to this boy again, I'll kill him by any means necessary."

Thirteen

Valeria

I'm used to nights like these, when sleep eludes me and the shadows of my past decisions haunt me. I have long given up trying to drift off, but tonight feels different. I can't help but think back on Polo's warning. He's a dangerous man, as is all the other men in my life—past and current.

A disturbance outside the bedroom window sends a chill down my spine as I recognize it—the sound of weapons firing. It's all too familiar.

---