Chapter 6 – THE TRAIN TICKET HOME

“Roman,” Elena gasped, dropping the gun.

“Hello, Nora,” Roman breathed, leaning heavily against the doorframe. “I told you not to leave the house.”

His men quickly restrained me, gripping my arms so tightly I cried out.

“Let her go!” Elena shouted, standing up.

Roman looked at his first wife with absolute disgust. “You were supposed to keep him hidden, Elena. You got sloppy. My father found out. Now my wife knows. You failed your only purpose.”

“They are both my wives,” Roman said to his men. “Lock Elena in the basement. Take Nora to the car. We are leaving.”

“No!” I screamed, fighting against the guards.

“What about the boy, Boss?” one of the guards asked.

Roman’s eyes hardened. “Wake him up. Tell him his mother died in an accident tonight. He comes back to Chicago with me.”

“You can’t do this!” Elena screamed as the guards grabbed her. “Roman, he loves me!”

“He is a DeLuca,” Roman sneered. “He doesn’t love anyone. He obeys.”

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the top of the stairs.

“Let her go.”

Everyone froze.

We looked up.

Fourteen-year-old Leo was standing on the landing. He was wearing pajamas, but his hands were perfectly steady.

He was holding Elena’s revolver, aiming it directly at Roman’s chest.

“Leo,” Roman said, his voice softening into a manipulative purr. “Put the gun down, son. I am your father.”

“I know who you are,” Leo said, his voice trembling but fierce. “Grandpa told me everything before he died.”

Roman went completely still. “What?”

“Grandpa came to see me last year,” Leo said, tears filling his green eyes. “He told me I was stolen. He told me Elena wasn’t my real mother. He told me the truth.”

My heart soared. My father-in-law had told him.

Leo looked down at me. His eyes met mine for the first time.

“Are you Nora?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” I sobbed. “I’m your mother, Leo. I never wanted to leave you.”

Leo looked back at Roman. He cocked the hammer of the revolver.

“Let them go,” Leo commanded. “Or I will finish what Elise started.”

Roman laughed, a dark, terrible sound. “You won’t shoot me, boy. You don’t have it in you.”

Roman took a step toward the stairs.

Leo didn’t hesitate.

He didn’t shoot Roman. He shot the massive crystal chandelier hanging directly above Roman’s head.

The heavy fixture crashed down, shattering into a million pieces, pinning Roman and two of his guards to the marble floor.

“Run!” Leo yelled, sprinting down the stairs.

I broke free from the stunned guard. Elena grabbed the car keys from the counter.

The three of us ran out the back door into the dark Italian night.

We jumped into Elena’s car. She slammed on the gas, tearing down the coastal road.

“Where are we going?” I panicked, looking back to see headlights swerving out of the villa behind us.

Elena reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a heavy envelope.

“Your father-in-law left me instructions, too,” Elena said, her voice shaking.

She handed me the envelope.

Inside were three train tickets.

“We are going to Switzerland,” Elena said. “Because your father-in-law left the entire DeLuca fortune in a Swiss bank account under Leo’s name. And Roman is officially bankrupt.”

TITLE: THE SWISS VAULT

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