Chapter 6: The Family That Lied
Richard Croft looked exactly as Adeline remembered.
Perfect suit.
Perfect posture.
Perfect smile.
The kind of smile that made strangers trust him.
The kind of smile that made children believe they were safe.
But Adeline was no longer a child.
And she finally understood why that smile always frightened her.
“You knew I was here,” she whispered.
Richard stepped into the office.
“Of course.””
Enzo moved between them.
“You’re not welcome here.””
Richard laughed.
“Still pretending you’re the hero?””
Enzo’s expression hardened.
“You murdered Evelyn.””
The room went silent.
Adeline looked at Richard.
Waiting.
Hoping.
For denial.
For anger.
For anything.
Instead, Richard simply smiled.
“That’s what you told yourself?””
Adeline’s heart sank.
“What does that mean?””
Richard looked at her.
“Your mother was weak.””
The words ignited something inside her.
“Don’t talk about her like that.””
Richard ignored her.
“She chose secrets over family. She chose betrayal.””
“She chose to protect me.””
Richard’s smile disappeared.
Only for a moment.
But it was enough.
“You have no idea what she chose.””
Enzo stepped forward.
“Leave.””
Richard looked at him.
“You still don’t understand, do you?””
“What?””
“Evelyn wasn’t killed because she discovered the truth.””
He smiled.
“She was killed because she was about to reveal yours.””
Adeline felt the room tilt.
“What truth?””
Nobody answered.
Richard looked at Enzo.
“You never told her.””
Enzo’s face became unreadable.
“Tell me what?””
Richard walked closer.
“Ask him why your mother trusted him.””
Adeline looked at Enzo.
The question came out quietly.
“Why?””
Enzo didn’t answer.
That scared her more than anything.
“Enzo.””
Finally, he spoke.
“Because I knew your mother before she came to work here.””
Adeline froze.
“What?””
“She saved my life.””
“When?””
“Years earlier.””
Richard laughed.
“And that’s all you’re going to tell her?””
Enzo ignored him.
“Your mother was the only person who saw me as human.””
Adeline stared.
“You loved her.””
The silence answered.
Not completely.
But enough.
Richard smiled.
“And now you understand.””
Adeline looked at Enzo.
Then Richard.
“You’re both hiding something.””
Richard nodded.
“Good.””
He walked toward the door.
“Finally, you’re asking the right questions.””
Before leaving, he stopped.
“One more thing.””
Adeline looked at him.
“Your mother left something else.””
“What?””
Richard smiled.
“A recording.””
Her heart stopped.
“Where?””
Richard glanced at Enzo.
“He knows.””
Then he left.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Finally, Adeline turned.
“Where is it?””
Enzo looked exhausted.
“I didn’t want you involved.””
“That doesn’t matter anymore.””
He closed his eyes.
Then walked toward the hidden room.
“The recording is somewhere your mother knew nobody would search.””
They entered the room again.
This time, Enzo went directly to the bookshelf.
He removed a row of old books.
Behind them was another compartment.
Inside was a small tape recorder.
Adeline stared.
“You had it.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you listen?””
Enzo looked at the recorder.
“Because Evelyn left a warning.””
“What warning?””
His voice lowered.
“She said if anything happened to her, I should only play it when you were old enough to understand.””
Adeline felt tears burn her eyes.
“She knew I would come here.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Enzo looked at her.
“Because she knew the truth would eventually find you.””
He pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then a woman’s voice.
A voice Adeline hadn’t heard in twenty years.
Her mother.
“Adeline…”
The sound shattered her.
She covered her mouth.
“Sweetheart, if you are hearing this, then I failed to protect you.””
A pause.
“I need you to listen carefully.””
The recording continued.
“Do not trust Richard Croft.””
Adeline looked at Enzo.
Her breathing stopped.
“He will tell you he saved you.””
The voice trembled.
“He will tell you he loved me.””
A pause.
“But he is the reason I had to run.””
Adeline grabbed the edge of the desk.
Then came the final words.
The words that changed everything.
“Enzo Marchetti is not the man you should fear.””
Static.
A breath.
“The man you should fear is the one who taught him how to become dangerous.””
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Because they all understood.
The enemy was not gone.
The enemy was not Richard.
There was someone older.
Someone more powerful.
Someone who had controlled the Marchetti family for decades.
And then Enzo’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
Adeline noticed.
“Who is it?””
Enzo slowly answered.
A voice came through the speaker.
An old man.
Calm.
Confident.
“Enzo.””
A pause.
“I heard Evelyn’s daughter finally arrived.””
Enzo went pale.
The voice continued.
“Bring her to me.””
Silence.
May you like
Then the man said:
“After all, I was the one who chose her name.”” :::
