PART 5 – The Uninvited Guest in the Night
The knocking sounded again, louder and more insistent this time. Thump, thump, thump. Elena froze on the couch, her eyes wide with pure panic. She looked at me with a look that said: Stay quiet, maybe they'll think we're not home. But it was already too late. A soft, mechanical sound from the hallway made my blood run cold. The sound of a master key turning in the lock.
The door began to swing open with a slow, eerie squeak. "Emma," Elena whispered with a voice cracking from fear, reaching into the kitchen for something to defend herself with. I jumped up from the chair and snapped the laptop shut, yanking the USB drive from the port and hiding it in my pants pocket. I tightly crammed my father's note into the palm of my hand.
The door swung completely open. Standing in the doorway was no police officer, nor any anonymous intruder in a coat. It was a young man of around thirty, dressed in a sharp suit, with dark hair and a cold, businesslike face. But what struck me most was the gold ring on his finger bearing the exact same family crest as Mrs. Moretti's. "Good evening, niece," the man said in a calm, almost chilling voice.
"You've given me quite a search." My voice failed me. I felt the ground drop out from under me. "Who... who are you?" "My name is Lorenzo Moretti," he said, stepping calmly into the living room and casually hanging his coat over the back of the couch. "And it's time we talked about what your father left behind for you." Lorenzo looked around, as if evaluating the apartment's value, and then let his gaze rest on me.
"That bank card you declined three days ago... that wasn't a system glitch, Emma. That was a signal to us. And you've set rolling the stone we've tried to cover up for twenty-five years." "My father is alive," I said, and despite my fear, I felt a surge of anger rush through my veins. "He's alive and you kept him hidden!" Lorenzo smiled scornfully.
"Living is a big word for what your father does. He's hunted game, Emma. All these years. And now you're putting him in direct danger by snooping through old files." He stepped closer. Elena made a move to step in front of me, but Lorenzo calmly raised his hand. "No funny business. I'm not here to kill you both. I'm here to deliver a warning. Give me the USB drive and the dossier you took from the store... and no one has to get hurt." My hand in my pocket clamped tightly around the small plastic drive.
If I gave this to him, I would be handing over the only proof of my father. Yet Lorenzo chuckled softly, as if he could read my thoughts. He pulled out his smartphone, tapped the screen, and held it out before our noses. On the screen appeared a live camera feed of Elena’s mother peacefully knitting on her city balcony, seemingly unaware of anything.
And standing right near her was a man in a dark coat, with his hand in his pocket. "One wrong move, Emma," Lorenzo said softly, "and this family's car accidents will suddenly start repeating themselves."
