CHAPTER 46: EXPLOSIVE TRUTH

Wallace?

The name hung in the air like a fetid stench, plucking at memories from decades past.

Luciano did not say a word. He knew his lips would tremble if he even breathed wrongly, so he kept quiet and listened.

"Valentina Quinn Wallace," Adin continued. "She’s the daughter of-"

Luciano held his breath, as his hands grappled the edge of his seat.

"She’s the daughter of Allen Wallace Quinn and Bianca Wallace Barone."

"Cazzo!" Salvatore, who had just entered the room, cursed under his breath.

"Cristo!" Elio took a stumbling step back, as the name clicked in his head.

No one ever mentioned Bianca Barone. But everyone, even down to the fetus in the womb, knew her story.

Vittorio’s gaze swiftly shifted to Luciano. He saw the moment everything clicked in his head, and his gaze darkened.

Still, Luciano stayed silent.

"Go on," Vittorio encouraged Adin.

But he didn’t. He looked at Luciano for permission. Everyone looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

"Go on, Adin," Vittorio repeated when Luciano stared unblinking at the screen, without saying a word.

"Si

Vitto," he let out a deep breath. "Valentina’s last name was changed from Wallace to Quinn to protect her from—"

Luciano suddenly jumped to his feet, grabbed the chair he was sitting on, and flung it against one of the screens

"She is supposed to be dead!" He roared thunderously, his voice clashing with the cracking screens.

"Luciano." One stride, and Vittorio was within him.

Alarm bells began to blast in their heads, as the air grew with impenetrable tension.

"Move out of my way, Vitto! She’s supposed to be dead!" His temple throbbed, and the veins in his face popped up menacingly.

"Luciano, calm down. Let’s–"

"I said move the fuck out of my way!" He shoved his shoulders, and Vitto staggered behind a little, but quickly regained his composure.

Elio watched, crippled in the shackles of fear, and something new.

He had never seen Luciano lose it like this. This was perhaps the reason he earned his name. Because in that moment, everything about him was dark.

In that moment, he was well and truly the devil.

"All the reports said my father went on a rampage and killed every last one of them!" He paced to the racks containing different files stored in flash storages. "They said my father couldn’t control his blood lust out of jealousy, and greed, so he killed his best friend, his wife, and his daughter. She was supposed to be dead!" He smashed the rack against another screen.

The screen shattered, scattering pieces of glass all over the room.

"Luciano," Vittorio continued to follow him, although keeping a few paces behind for safety purposes.

Luciano laughed cynically as he turned to face them.

"Carpo," Salvatore muttered on seeing his bloodshot eyes.

"I watched Ro cry day and night for her father. Our father! I saw mama put a bullet to her head, because she couldn’t fathom a life without our father! I had to comfort Ro day and night because she was just a little girl attached to her parents. And she fucking lived?!" He marched to the glass walls, and threw a punch so heavy, it split his knuckles open, and he began to bleed.

"Carpo, let us–"

"Shut the fuck up Adin!" He turned to them again. "In what world did she get to survive and even live happily ever after, whilst we mourned?! We mourned for so long. Everything was taken from me. My father’s name included. I watched my Ro suffer daily. She would cry day and night. Where is Mama, fratello? Where is Mama?! And she fucking lived?!"

"We haven’t heard the entire story, Luciano," Vittorio said.

He laughed bitterly. "You don’t even like her. Why are you defending her? Have you been cast under her spell too? She stormed into my world. Pranced around in my fucking house when her parents are the reason we grew up so fucked in the head?! Fuck that!" He began marching to the door.

"Vitto, the girl is in his room!" Salvatore hastily informed him.

"Huh? She’s where? Get her out of there, now!" Vittorio said, before running after Luciano who had already walked out.

Salvatore turned to Elio who was trembling. "You have to run fast, and get Valentina out of Carpo’s room. If he sees her there—"

"No," Elio said through quivering lips, as he shook his head. "I know Luce. He doesn’t hurt women. He won’t hurt her."

"Ascoltame Elio! Listen to me!" Salvatore screamed, as he grabbed Elio’s shoulders. "The Luce you are seeing in this moment isn’t the one you’ve always known. He is hurt, and looking for an avenue to lash out. No he won’t hurt her. You’re right about that one thing. He doesn’t hurt women. But I heard she has a driver in custody, right?"

Elio nodded vigorously. "Jackson," he breathed out.

"Good. He is going to hurt him in the worst ways known to man, and he is going to make her watch. And after that, he’ll torture her mind without having to lift a single finger on her. Go and fetch the girl, and bring her to her room. Go before Luce reaches his room and gets to her first!"

"She’s not in his room," his eyes snapped. "I’ll go get her."

"Good. I’ll get her friend."

They ran out of the room together, but split into two different directions.

Elio’s mind raced as he ran through the hallways to the photography room.

If anyone had told him that there would ever come a time where the person Valentina had to worry about was Luce– his Luce, he wouldn’t believe it.

He burst into the room, and heard her humming that same sound she always hummed.

That haunting sound.

"Valentina!" He screamed out her full name.

Valentina’s head swung behind immediately, and the humming ceased, as she blinked multiple times on seeing Elio just behind her.

"What is—"

"Let’s go," he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "We have to leave now!" He said in a voice filled with urgency.

"We can’t leave. I’m already printing out some pictures. What is going on Elio?" her eyes scanned all over him, worried by his obvious distress.

"I can’t explain, but if you love your life, let’s go!"

"You have to–"

Elio hissed, and in a split second, picked her from ground up.

"Elio, are you crazy? Bring me down this instant! Do I look like a child to you!" She fought against him.

He ignored her, and carried her forcefully out of the room.

"Elio, I said bring me down!" Valentina continued to scream at him.

Some of the guards that were passing by, paused in wonder of what the heck was going on.

But when they saw Elio’s face, knowing his proximity to the boss, they all swallowed their questions.

***

At the other side of Neravalle, Salvatore burst into the kitchen shoving past a grumbling Louisa.

"You, come with me!" He grabbed Natalia’s hand.

"Wait, you can’t do that. I’m not done with the food I’m making for—" the rest of her words slammed back into her mouth, as his grip on her hand tightened, and he dragged her all the way out of the kitchen.

"I don’t understand. What is going on? Why are you doing this!" Natalia panicked.

Salvatore did not respond. Not until he reached his destination.

He pushed open the door, and as he entered, he saw Elio lowering Valentina to the ground.

Her hand opened immediately before her feet even fully touched the ground, and she smacked Elio right across the face.

"Don’t you ever lift me without my consent!" She screamed in his face, her chest heaving erratically, as she held his gaze.