Chapter 11 - Elena's Last Eleven Minutes
Nico did not go alone.
He simply made Camilla believe he did.
Rafe followed two streets behind.
National investigators surrounded the block without approaching.
Elena's secret apartment stood above a closed bookstore.
Nico climbed three flights of narrow stairs.
The door was open.
Camilla waited inside.
She wore the same dark green dress from the wedding.
Her shoes were gone.
Her hair was loose.
She looked exhausted.
Nico stopped at the doorway.
“You lied about who you were.”
Camilla nodded.
“Yes.”
“You entered my home.”
“Yes.”
“You became close to my daughter.”
Camilla's voice cracked.
“I never lied about caring for Vivia.”
Nico's expression hardened.
“You don't get to decide which betrayal matters.”
Camilla accepted that.
She pointed toward a chair.
Nico remained standing.
“Where is your father?”
“I don't know.”
“His boat contained blood.”
“I know.”
“Was it his?”
“I don't know.”
Nico looked around.
The apartment had belonged to Elena.
He recognized her books.
Her handwriting labeled storage boxes.
A framed photograph of Vivia stood beside the window.
His throat tightened.
“She came here.”
“Almost every day.”
“You knew?”
“My father did.”
“Did he love her?”
Camilla looked surprised.
“No.”
“Rafe did?”
“No.”
“Then why did every person around my wife know more about her final months than I did?”
Camilla looked at him with sadness.
“Because Elena was trying to keep you alive.”
Nico hated hearing it again.
“Play the recording.”
Camilla took a small audio recorder from the table.
She pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then Voss's voice.
“Elena.”
Nico's knees nearly weakened.
Elena answered faintly.
“Don't touch the door.”
“There may be fuel.”
Voss sounded panicked.
“I called an ambulance.”
Elena coughed.
“No council ambulance.”
“I called national emergency.”
“Good.”
Nico closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
Voss asked.
“Who did this?”
Elena whispered.
“Corrado.”
“How do you know?”
“He called.”
Nico opened his eyes.
Camilla looked away.
On the recording, Voss cursed.
“Did Sofia order him?”
“No.”
“Isabella?”
“No.”
“Marcella?”
Elena coughed again.
“No.”
Nico stared at the recorder.
Voss sounded confused.
“Then who?”
Elena's next word was barely audible.
“Camilla.”
Nico looked up sharply.
Camilla's face crumpled.
On the recording, Voss shouted.
“My daughter?”
Elena continued.
“Not the crash.”
Nico exhaled.
Voss asked.
“Then what?”
“The archive.”
“She opened it.”
“She found the protocol.”
“What protocol?”
Elena struggled to breathe.
“The heir protocol.”
“The council doesn't just remove leaders.”
“They replace bloodlines.”
Nico frowned.
Camilla's tears began falling.
The recording continued.
“If Vivia is legally disqualified, control doesn't return to Marcella.”
“It passes to the Voss line.”
Nico stared at Camilla.
She whispered.
“My grandfather was Salvatore's half-brother.”
Nico looked shocked.
“Your father is a Bellandi?”
“Biologically.”
The recording continued.
Voss said.
“I didn't know.”
Elena whispered.
“Camilla didn't either.”
“She opened the archive because Sofia recruited her.”
“She thought she was investigating corruption.”
“She wasn't.”
“They were preparing her.”
Voss asked.
“For what?”
Elena answered.
“To replace Nico.”
Nico felt cold.
Camilla looked at him.
“I swear I didn't know.”
The recording continued.
Elena suddenly screamed in pain.
Voss pleaded with her to remain awake.
Elena's voice became faint.
“Nico cannot marry Camilla.”
Camilla closed her eyes.
“Why?”
Voss asked.
Elena answered.
“Because marriage activates the Voss claim if Vivia is removed.”
Nico's entire engagement suddenly looked engineered.
Camilla whispered.
“I discovered this three weeks ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I was trying to find proof.”
“You could have told me first.”
“You wouldn't have believed me.”
Nico laughed bitterly.
“Apparently everyone makes that decision for me.”
The recording continued.
Elena spoke again.
“Adrian.”
“Yes.”
“Tell Nico something.”
“I will.”
“Tell him I was angry.”
Nico stopped breathing.
Elena continued.
“I was angry that I had to lie.”
“Tell him I wanted to come home.”
Voss's voice broke.
“You'll tell him yourself.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“Listen.”
Nico pressed his hand against his mouth.
“I didn't hide the truth because I didn't trust him.”
“I hid it because I knew what he would do.”
Voss asked.
“What?”
Elena almost laughed.
“He'd declare war on everyone.”
Despite himself, Nico began crying.
Camilla looked away.
Elena continued.
“Tell him war is what they want.”
“Tell him to choose Vivia instead.”
Nico's shoulders shook.
The recording became quieter.
Voss said.
“Stay with me.”
Elena whispered.
“My dress.”
“What?”
“The old wedding dress.”
“Vivia knows.”
Nico cried harder.
“Don't let Marcella burn it.”
Camilla covered her mouth.
Elena's final words came after a long silence.
“Tell my little moon that Mommy wasn't scared.”
Then the recording ended.
Nico stood motionless.
For nearly a minute, neither he nor Camilla spoke.
Finally Nico wiped his face.
“Why did your father keep this?”
“Because the recording proves he knew about the council.”
“He feared they would kill me if it surfaced.”
“You still came into my life.”
Camilla nodded.
“At first, Sofia sent me.”
Nico's eyes hardened.
“She told me Elena had stolen evidence and destroyed the family.”
“I believed her.”
“Then I met Vivia.”
Camilla began crying again.
“She talked about her mother constantly.”
“Nothing matched Sofia's story.”
“So I started investigating.”
Nico stared.
“Did you ever intend to marry me?”
Camilla said nothing.
That silence hurt.
She finally whispered.
“At first, no.”
Nico turned toward the door.
“Nico.”
He stopped.
“Later, yes.”
He did not turn.
Camilla continued.
“And that is why I was going to leave before the wedding.”
Nico looked back.
“Where is the council archive?”
Camilla pointed toward a wardrobe.
Nico opened it.
Empty shelves.
He turned.
Camilla looked stunned.
“No.”
She rushed forward.
“It was here.”
“When did you last see it?”
“Tonight before Dante's wedding.”
Nico stared at her.
“Who knew?”
“My father.”
“Elena's lawyer.”
“And—”
Camilla stopped.
Nico stepped closer.
“And who?”
She whispered.
“Rafe.”
Nico's expression changed.
A floorboard creaked outside.
Nico turned.
Rafe stood in the open doorway.
His face was unreadable.
Camilla whispered.
“You took the archive.”
Rafe slowly closed the door behind him.
“Yes.”
Nico stared at the man he had trusted since childhood.
“Why?”
May you like
Rafe looked directly at him.
“Because Elena asked me to burn it.”
