Chapter 6 - The Bitter Truth
I stared down the barrel of my ex-husband's gun.
The air in the room grew incredibly heavy.
"Put the gun down, Nia," Luca commanded, his voice dark and dangerous.
I did not lower the weapon, keeping it aimed squarely at Evelyn's head.
"She is lying to you, Luca!" I shouted, tears of frustration stinging my eyes.
"She sent the men to my house, and she plans to kidnap our children tonight."
Evelyn sobbed louder, clinging to the leg of the mahogany desk.
"She is insane, Luca, you have to stop her before she murders me!"
Luca took a slow, calculated step into the room.
His eyes darted from the blood dripping down my arm to the shattered glass on the floor.
"I said put the gun down, Nia," he repeated, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.
I realized that if I shot her, I would lose my children forever.
With trembling hands, I slowly lowered the silver pistol and dropped it onto the rug.
Evelyn immediately scrambled behind Luca, playing the role of the terrified victim.
"Call the police and have her arrested," Evelyn pleaded.
Luca did not reach for his phone.
Instead, he walked over to the desk and picked up the manila folder I had been reading.
He stared at the forged medical documents and the cleared check with Marcus's signature.
The color completely drained from Luca's face.
He slowly turned around to look at Evelyn.
"Is this true?" Luca whispered, his voice trembling with a terrifying, suppressed rage.
"Did you and Marcus forge these records to destroy my marriage?"
Evelyn's fake tears instantly vanished, replaced by a look of pure panic.
"Luca, I did it for us," she stammered, backing away toward the door.
"She was weak, and you needed a wife who understood your world."
Luca raised his gun and pointed it directly at Evelyn's face.
"You stole my wife."
"You stole five years of my children's lives."
Before Luca could pull the trigger, the lights in the mansion suddenly cut out.
The entire estate was plunged into total darkness.
The blaring sound of the emergency security alarm echoed through the halls.
A terrifying voice crackled over the mansion's intercom system.
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"We have the twins, Moretti."
"If you want them back alive, you are going to sign over the entire company."
